Knott's gets politically correct and closes a "Scary Farm" attraction

Darkbeer1

Darkbeer1

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Sigh, I missed it (I am headed Sunday for a VIP event for Haunt).

But here is the story...

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-lopez-knotts-mental-20160927-snap-story.html

Basically they (Cedar Fair, where the attraction was designed for three parks) first changed the name away for "5150" and shortened to "Fear VR".

Now, Cedar Fair has decided to not offer it at all. A lot of money was spent on it. (I did see a preview video, but not in VR).

So when do we get too politically correct? The Halloween craze is to explore your fears and scare you, and I would say "losing your mind" is a fear many folks have.....

Oh well, I think the article speaks for itself.
 
Californian Elitist

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
I guess I can see why people would have a problem with this. I had a foster brother who suffered from severe mental issues due to intense physical and verbal abuse from his biological mother, and had to be admitted into a psych ward. I haven't seen him since, and this was about 18 or 19 years ago. People are probably taking it personally and seeing Knott's as being insensitive.

What bothered me were the two mothers who tried to sue Universal because a Horror Nights actress was stayed in character and called their pre-teen daughters "who*es." They even got Gloria Allred as their attorney. SMH.
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
Darkbeer1 said:
Sigh, I missed it (I am headed Sunday for a VIP event for Haunt).

But here is the story...

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-lopez-knotts-mental-20160927-snap-story.html

Basically they (Cedar Fair, where the attraction was designed for three parks) first changed the name away for "5150" and shortened to "Fear VR".

Now, Cedar Fair has decided to not offer it at all. A lot of money was spent on it. (I did see a preview video, but not in VR).

So when do we get too politically correct? The Halloween craze is to explore your fears and scare you, and I would say "losing your mind" is a fear many folks have.....

Oh well, I think the article speaks for itself.
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I better see Paranormal Inc at Knott's before they close that maze too. It takes place in an abandoned mental hospital.
 
Darkbeer1

Darkbeer1

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
raven24 said:
I guess I can see why people would have a problem with this. I had a foster brother who suffered from severe mental issues due to intense physical and verbal abuse from his biological mother, and had to be admitted into a psych ward. I haven't seen him since, and this was about 18 or 19 years ago. People are probably taking it personally and seeing Knott's as being insensitive.
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My father had dementia in his last few months of his life, as he got brain cancer. I do understand being sympatric. .

But then where do you draw the line, folks that freak out due to spiders, snakes, or even the dentist...

As stated, these events are designed to play on your fears, and no matter what, you are going to offend someone.

Did Cedar Fair cross the line? Well, some folks would say yes, and some would say, it is a fictional account designed to scare you. How many Steven King Novels have offended groups, including mental health folks? Should they be banned and removed from libraries?

Heck, here is a news story from today's LA Times...

http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-texas-prisons-books-20160927-snap-story.html

So the question is, where is the line? And alas, it is different for different folks....
 
Californian Elitist

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
Darkbeer1 said:
My father had dementia in his last few months of his life, as he got brain cancer. I do understand being sympatric. .

But then where do you draw the line, folks that freak out due to spiders, snakes, or even the dentist...

As stated, these events are designed to play on your fears, and no matter what, you are going to offend someone.

Did Cedar Fair cross the line? Well, some folks would say yes, and some would say, it is a fictional account designed to scare you. How many Steven King Novels have offended groups, including mental health folks? Should they be banned and removed from libraries?

Heck, here is a news story from today's LA Times...

http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-texas-prisons-books-20160927-snap-story.html

So the question is, where is the line? And alas, it is different for different folks....
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I feel like arachnophobia wouldn't compare to something like a mental disorder.

Regardless, I'm personally not offended, but I feel for those who have family members with mental health issues. It's a touchy subject and it looks like Knott's didn't want the fingers pointed at them. I respect their decision to take the maze down.
 
Darkbeer1

Darkbeer1

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
OK, I have to be very careful what I post here, mainly just background.

Some of you know that my lovely wife works for the County of Orange in the main Santa Ana Downtown government complex.

There have been some serious Homeless issues in the area, and that is something you can Google and search about...

But my wife did get to meet and talk to Ron Thomas one on one for a it a couple of weeks ago as part of a media event. (While my wife has a main job not related to the Media, she does have contacts and helps out myself and others in the Media that are relations of mine).

Her main comments, Mr. Thomas does have his heart in the right place and is trying to make the lost of his son matter.

But we both agree, freedom of speech is being impacted in things like this news story. And to many of us, is an ongoing issue. You just can't report "Happy, Happy" stories, yes, the cute videos of animals taken by individuals are fun to watch for a few minutes, but you need to discuss things, and also challenge opinions and thoughts. There is no "One" right way, and as for "Safe Spaces", well, no comment on this board.

As for elections, lets just say there is only one person I 100% agree with, and I have no desire to run for office! ;) So it really does become the lesser of the evils offered. Compromise is important, but also you need to look at individual freedoms.

So when do you say "Uncle"?
 
mickeyfan5534

mickeyfan5534

Well-Known Member
Mental health issues and asylums really don't have a place in horror attractions in this day and age unless they are clearly set in the past to a day and age where asylums actually were horrific places and/or the patients are clearly the victims. Mental health problems are just too big of an issue in this day and age and to show mentally ill patients as cruel monsters just demonizes them and takes two steps backward for every one step forward in helping people understand these people as actually people and not scary freaks.
 
GiveMeTheMusic

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
mickeyfan5534 said:
Mental health issues and asylums really don't have a place in horror attractions in this day and age unless they are clearly set in the past to a day and age where asylums actually were horrific places and/or the patients are clearly the victims. Mental health problems are just too big of an issue in this day and age and to show mentally ill patients as cruel monsters just demonizes them and takes two steps backward for every one step forward in helping people understand these people as actually people and not scary freaks.
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Well the character in question wasn't mentally ill - she was possessed by a demon, which is, as I'm sure you'd agree, a very different affliction.
 
GiveMeTheMusic

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
As someone who has been very close to friends and family who have suffered from mild and severe mental illness, I find this completely ridiculous and I'm saddened Knott's capitulated to pressure.
 
SSG

SSG

Well-Known Member
Sammy & Eddie hate this

.
5150.jpg
 
britain

britain

Well-Known Member
By its very nature, a haunt is exploiting for entertainment very powerful, fear/stress-inducing elements of the world we live in. These are the same elements that - in completely different contexts - make people sob uncontrollably and seek help from therapists & priests. There's no way to make a truly inoffensive haunt. I don't bother with any of them myself.
 
SSG

SSG

Well-Known Member
I’m wondering about the logic here. If the possessed girl was thought to be under the influence of drugs and was brought to a detox facility, where the rest of the story spins out, is Knott's insensitive to people with drug addictions?
 
dweezil78

dweezil78

Well-Known Member
britain said:
By its very nature, a haunt is exploiting for entertainment very powerful, fear/stress-inducing elements of the world we live in. These are the same elements that - in completely different contexts - make people sob uncontrollably and seek help from therapists & priests. There's no way to make a truly inoffensive haunt. I don't bother with any of them myself.
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Yeah...this is just stupid. How many people get murdered in gruesome ways every day? Are we being insensitive to all the families who have lost loved ones to terrible murders by having these haunted in mazes in general? I'm being totally serious btw. The second you start being PC with the horror genre, it ceases to exist. No one was making fun of a mental illness here, they were using the long-time setting of an insane asylum as an environment to invoke fear.

The only thing here which may have been insensitive was the use of 5150 which probably flew over the heads of most people attached to the project and they removed it swiftly when it was called out.
 
britain

britain

Well-Known Member
dweezil78 said:
Are we being insensitive to all the families who have lost loved ones to terrible murders by having these haunted in mazes in general?
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Well, I would say, yes, though I mean no offense to anyone who likes that sort of thing. I don't think any municipal power should shut them down. They should just go out of business due to people choosing to spend their time & money elsewhere.
 
dweezil78

dweezil78

Well-Known Member
britain said:
Well, I would say, yes, though I mean no offense to anyone who likes that sort of thing. I don't think any municipal power should shut them down. They should just go out of business due to people choosing to spend their time & money elsewhere.
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Haha, you have a complex viewpoint. You seem to not support the PC'ness of it all from the way I'm comprehending it, yet don't like it enough to wish for them to go out of business. Intriguing.
 
britain

britain

Well-Known Member
dweezil78 said:
Haha, you have a complex viewpoint. You seem to not support the PC'ness of it all from the way I'm comprehending it, yet don't like it enough to wish for them to go out of business. Intriguing.
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Thanks! I guess that means I'm voting for Gary Johnson. :)
 
Bairstow

Bairstow

Well-Known Member
This is neither here nor there, but Knotts seems to be getting really extreme with its Halloween offerings lately.
Doesn't their Tooth Fairy maze have props of gory dead kids in it?
 

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