Mental Health Advocates... SCREW THESE GUYS

[drfrightner]

These guys pick on haunted houses EVERY SINGLE YEAR because they have nothing better to do... they don't pick on DC Comics over Arkham Asylum video game just haunted houses.

If you encounter these guys TELL ME refer your media guy to me so I can blast them into oblvion. iv'e dealt with them in the past and have no fear of these morons and I have half a mind to open a haunted house and call it an asylum.

Here they go again picking on haunted houses...

http://www.toledoblade.com/article/2...1009580/-1/rss

Anytime you encounter these people enjoy every single inch of PR but never back down from these guys EVER!

Larry

[poison]

Isn't it best just to ignore these people?

There is ALWAYS someone that will be offended no matter what you do!

You just can't make everyone happy.

And why should you even try... It's a Haunt (Fantasy world) HELLO?

[Barry]

I heard a news report saying they were disappointed with Cedar Point's names for their attractions. Cedar Fair (parent company) said they are not changing anything. LOL

[drfrightner]

Hey I'm all for whatever but what bothers me is they ONLY pick on haunted houses, ignoring the film industry, video game industry and everything else. We have targets on our foreheads by these guys so we must stand up to them ... the press they will bring you does more harm than good for their cause.

Anyone else hears from these people let us all know. Larry

[Killer Katie]

*sigh*

This type of thing is pure drivel and if it's addressed and bowed down to, will be the downfall of society.
There will be such a huge backlash of non-political correctness, it will make today look like a afterschool special.
Ridiculous.

[Jim Warfield]

Just Gotta Get The Badge!

The one that says:"Support Mental Health Or I'll Kill You!"

[myhaunting]

Well Well

I agree with everyone's post. A name of a Haunted House is wrong if it says Asylum? Besides what and where are Asylums now? They don't call themselves that anymore, it's a mental health facility. Call yourself a haunted mental health facility or whatever. Their point is being made and sometimes that's all they want is to make a point. They'll go away. But look at the publicity these haunts are getting. It's all over the news and everyone is talking about Haunted Houses. Hmm it wouldn't surprize me if this was manufactured publicity.

If it is, good one! Bravo!

[drfrightner]

Check out the latest...

http://www.sanduskyregister.com/2010...ollow100910xml


As you can see all they really care about is PR for their group.

[The Nightmare Factory]

Larry, I had had my run ins with both mental health officals and clowning groups. Yep, clowning groups. I had a bunch of, no pun intended, clowns picket us once. Loved it, people thought theywere part of my show. Also, and I am a christian, been attacked by my fellow believers. I asked them if they'd been thorugh the haunt as we do not depect anything in our event related to the devil>!?!?!

I want to open the Heart attack house, I had a heart attack two years ago, and maybe diabetic demenia! LOL!

Don't worry and like Cedar Fair, don't give in either.

I am not uncaring, I understand mental health issues, but our events are not making fun of real issues. well at least our isn't.

[monsterwax]

We just got hit with the same kind of flap. We can't change it at this point if we wanted too, and if we did, it would only encourage more groups to try to censor us. The sad thing is it will probably mean the service groups won't be involved anymore, and will take money out the hands of the very people the writer said she wanted to help.

That being said, I don't hate these people for complaining. They are probably nice people who are just exploiting an opportunity for free publicity for their cause. (If they had really wanted to change anything, they would have at least contacted us first-- but didn't. They ran straight to the media.) So rather than argue with them (they won't listen anyway), I'd rather appeal to the public's common sense. After all, this isn't really about mental disabilities, the actual issue is whether advocates should have the power to censor haunted houses.

Here's the letter to the editor, followed by our response:

**********************

"Including Sunland in haunted house is chilling

Re: Terror returns to Tallahassee this Halloween season (News, Oct. 8).

While we appreciate the writer's career and public advocacy for those with mental disabilities, we would be cheating our customers if we allowed activists to direct our content. We're paid to scare people, not to be politically correct. Nearly everything a haunt does would be vetoed by special interest groups if they were allowed to do so. Anyone who has had a friend or relative die (and who hasn't?) could complain that we're being insensitive about death, or about those who have gone insane, or about the those who were victims of violence. Three years ago, we were picketed by fundamentalist who felt all haunted houses were evil. Even clowns can (and have) protested the Halloween portrayal of their profession. The list goes on and on...

Sunland institutions had the reputation of being some of the worst facilities in the country for mentally handicapped children. Reliving the terror that those poor, defenseless human beings suffered is supposed to be a fun autumn activity? The web site boasts that the organization sponsoring the haunted house acquired some of the grim equipment and surplus supplies used in the actual Sunland building. Tallahassee people will feel entertained looking at the very items that may well have caused children great distress and pain?

I understand the [name removed] will be helping in the haunted house venture. Their mission is to assist the [name removed] in serving children. Exploiting the pain and abuse of children in an institution aligns with that mission?

I don't care how much money the organization that is running the haunted house may have given to charities in the past or may give in the future; this is beyond common decency and is inexcusable. I would hope that either the organization rethink its position of making money exploiting the suffering of mentally handicapped children, or people will seriously consider before spending money on this form of "entertainment."

[name removed], Tallahassee"

********************

Terror of Tallahassee Response:

While we appreciate the writer's career and public advocacy for those with mental disabilities, we would be cheating our customers if we allowed activists to direct our content. We're paid to scare people, not to be politically correct. Nearly everything a haunt does would be vetoed by special interest groups if they were allowed to do so. Anyone who has had a friend or relative die (and who hasn't?) could complain that we're being insensitive about death, or about those who have gone insane, or about the those who were victims of violence. Three years ago, we were picketed by fundamentalist who felt all haunted houses were evil. Even clowns can (and have) protested the Halloween portrayal of their profession. The list goes on and on...

So to be fair to everyone, no special treatment should be given to any special interest group. Halloween is the one time of year when people ignore conventional manners to scare up some fun. Ghosts, monsters, murderers, and madmen-- no one wants to meet them in real life. But this isn't real. It's a haunted house. It's fantasy. Please don't become the Grinch who stole Halloween by taking it too seriously.

[badass]

I believe the wall st journal is about to run a piece on us..oct 20th
and how we stood up to the criticism of a woman who claimed our haunted house was too extreme...
but its hard to say what position the paper is taking..
she wanted us to remove one of our display's because it offended her...
the Zombieside
we contacted our local mental health community for help..
and they did..dispite popular belief...
it was their position that entertainment does not cause people to kill themselves..
and actually having the display and having it on the news..papers..etc...was a good thing..because it spurs conversation..
and openly talking about issues is the only way to begin to fix em.....
soo as haunters we are helping the mental health community by our displays..
the mental health community uses us as a platform to spur conversation.....
and trust me on this...
its a good thing....
absolutely nothing to get upset about when someone GIVES you the kinda exposure that is unattainable and unaffordable...and brings in the public in hordes....


and all for FREE

[newhorror2010]

Check out the latest...

http://www.sanduskyregister.com/2010...ollow100910xml


As you can see all they really care about is PR for their group.

Oh my goodness! BLAH BLAH BLAH to those IDIOTS! In the words of J.T., "Cry me a river!"