Latest ISIS victim: Gory Halloween props banned
Some theme parks let the terrorists win
Post-September 11, George W. Bush encouraged Americans to return to normalcy. Go shopping, go to restaurants, don’t be afraid. When the dust settled and it became clear that our enemy was al Qaeda, the joke became, “don’t let the terrorists win!” Not in the mood to grab a beer? “Don’t let the terrorist win!” And so on.
When I read this article, “don’t let the terrorists win!” seemed an appropriate response.
The Washington Post reported:
Busch Gardens — which operates parks in Williamsburg, Va., and Tampa, Fla. — said in a statement that it has stopped using the props during Howl-O-Scream, an event that is already underway at the Virginia park.
“Many of the scenes depicted at Busch Gardens’ Howl-O-Scream are graphic in nature, but they are fictional and are not intended to provide commentary on current world events,” Busch Gardens Williamsburg communications manager Kevin Crossett said in a statement. “The props in this year’s event were designed and purchased several months ago.
“In light of recent events, some of these props have the unintended consequence of appearing insensitive and are being removed. Busch Gardens apologizes for any offense they may have caused.”
Howl-O-Scream is scheduled to open in Florida later this month, according to the park’s Web site.
But it looks like this was all the fault of the Virginia Gazette who posted pics of the exhibit on their front page:
In a report in Saturday’s Virginia Gazette, a front-page photo showed a group of five severed heads that was part of the Cut Throat Cove attraction in the park’s fall makeover for Halloween. The display was not made to look realistic.
The first of a handful of complaints was sent to the paper late Saturday night, about three hours after media outlets began reporting that the terrorist group Islamic State had posted a new video claiming to have beheaded British aid worker David Haines. Another four or five were sent Sunday, all to an email account for anonymous Last Word comment section.
Four or five people complained, the park capitulated, et voila, the terrorists win. A sad day indeed.
Follow Kemberlee Kaye on Twitter
H/T @RedSteeze
[Featured Image originally posted to Flickr as Hollow Ferengi and Borg under Creative Commons 2.0]
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Comments
I’ll give the cowards a pass, this week only.
This is supposed to be fun and light-hearted, and ‘way, ‘way over-the-top. One the terrorists made it real, they took the fun out of it. Busch Gardens is there to have fun, and if it’s not fun, it has to change.
This is no casualty as far as I am concerned. I never cared for Halloween “gore” to begin with. ( never cared for AlGore
either but I digress) Seems that gore came in after those obnoxious chain saw & halloween movies & tainted the holiday.
There were occasional bloody costumes when I was a youngster but also lots of harmless fairy tale & hollywood types, even
nuns & politicians. So I am happy the blood & guts will fade
& more pleasant stuff will ensue.
Speaking of Al Gore, I see his mask was featured up above on the left.
Those heads in the photo are Star Trek aliens.
Is Busch Gardens willing to apologize and pander to those of us who may be offended by their decision to remove props based on the insanity of a few?
Quark is “gory”?
First they came for the Borg, but I didn’t say anything, because I had not been Assimilated.
Then they came for the Ferengi, but I didn’t say anything, because I was paid up with the Ferengi Trade Authority.
Then they came for the Romulans, and there was nobody left to say anything in my defense…