Actor calls 13-year-old girls "whores" at Universal Hollywood, according to cell phone video

A strawman is a simplified, distorted and often inaccurate version of someone's actual opinion that is easier to attack or argue against. The strawman is intentionally set up to have weaknesses that are almost self-evident so that the knock-down argument seems like common sense, yet it doesn't represent your opponent's actual position.

Hand me the club for just a second.

Technically these girls are children. But thirteen year old girls think of themselves as anything but. And trust me, if they've ever watched tv, been to a movie, hung out at the mall, or walked the halls of their school they've already heard this language.

I'd agree that the term is derogatory and should not be directed at any woman, ever. However, there's a "bad girl" syndrome that's developed over recent years where you find young women using the most offensive language to describe themselves and each other. And it seems, sadly, that this popular notion has worked its way into a Halloween script that's trying desperately to appear hip and current. Those concerned about this syndrome try to convey the message that if girls have no respect for themselves or each other then how should they expect men to behave? I'm not saying these girls are participants in such actions but unless they're very, very sheltered they're at least familiar with it and shouldn't be shocked in this day and age.

Particularly when attending a world famous haunted/horror attraction. The laughable part of this is where they say they didn't expect to be uncomfortable. They're kidding, right? If they're the types that shy away from adult themes on television and stay away from scary movies then they shouldn't have walked through Universal's gate in the first place. And don't misunderstand, I'm not blaming the girls and their mom for feeling the way they do. But I think it's bad form to drag the likes of Ms. Allred through to try to shame an apology out of Universal. Truth is, the park has every right to do what they're doing and charge to experience it besides. What this family should be doing instead is going home and promising everyone not to come back.

Ok bye. Here's your club back.

I've done a lot of things on Halloween, but beating a dead horse was never one of them, LOL.

I think I've heard a lot of good points being made from both sides. The happiest medium I can come up with is agreeing with what Slithernoggin has been saying. There were fails on both sides.

RCMAC said:

However, there's a "bad girl" syndrome that's developed over recent years where you find young women using the most offensive language to describe themselves and each other.

Yeah, that's where that quote from Mean Girls really came from. The African-American community has been having that same discussion over "the N word" for decades now. Indeed, using the derogatory term within your demographic only empowers others.

I do think we're at a tipping point though, if the movement on college campuses around rape culture is any indication. It was a problem when I was in school, but no one talked about it. It seems like dip****s like George Will are accelerating that conversation.

Jeff, let's take your logic on warnings to the extreme since you feel that they are irrevelant on all things. Would you let your kid see a R rated movie? More than likely it would be no but yet you want us to believe that it's ok for 13 year old girls to attend a haunt gear for adults.This is the exact same thing that is going on at HHN. From what I have read over the years before joining, you are extreme PC and can't understand that warnings are not irrevelant like you think. The parents were warned not Extreme adult material was going to be at the park such as language and other things. The park was at fault for not letting the mother talk to management but it's also the parents who hold the bigger responsibility not to let the kids go to a place that had adult material.

Also about the use of the n-word by blacks, it should be allowed by everyone else. The fact is that the PC crowd wants to dictate what is proper or not. BY allowing the blacks to use the n-word then it shows that they don't value anything to a high esteem.

I'll take this one.

Screamlord said:

Jeff, let's take your logic on warnings to the extreme since you feel that they are irrevelant on all things.

Um, that's not what he said. He said the warnings are irrelevant in this case, not on "all things," because he feels it's never justified to call a 13-year-old girl a whore. In other words, even if there was a sign right by the entrance that said: "This attraction features an actress that will call girls of any age 'whores'," the park would still be at fault for evening featuring something like that to begin with. No amount of warning makes it acceptable to do that. If you're going to argue against him, at least argue with the position he holds.

Also about the use of the n-word by blacks, it should be allowed by everyone else. The fact is that the PC crowd wants to dictate what is proper or not. BY allowing the blacks to use the n-word then it shows that they don't value anything to a high esteem.

Wow.

I for one don't find myself eager to use that word very often. I'm content to let "the blacks" have that one.

Some have said that it's the parents that are upset over the use of the word whores and the girls weren't. Where does that come from exactly? Why would they even mention it to their parents if it wasn't a big deal to them?

B'ster B said:

Where does that come from exactly? Why would they even mention it to their parents if it wasn't a big deal to them?

I was wondering the same thing, even though I suspect as much myself.

My guess?

The girls had a good time.

Mom asks, "How was it? What'd you do?"

They show her some cell phone video they took.

She sees the 'whore' comment and goes all Sheila Broflovski with the, "Wha! Wha! What!?"

And we end up here.

It's all that bitch Anne Murray's fault!

Oh noes! Called a woman a bitch. Cue another 13 pages...

What Lord Gonchar said.

I thought the one girl used an interesting turn of phrase in the news clip, which was she "later" understood that what had occurred "was not okay". Which made me think the girls went, had a fine time, mom found out, hell was raised.

I feel like I just time warped to the 50's in the south, but that's not possible because dot com wasn't a thing back then.

And what Chris said.

Serves me right for not reading...

I still don't think it's ever right to call a woman a whore, not matter the expectations or conditions.

I thought this thread was as good as dead, but you had to white-knight it back into existence, didn't you?

To be correct, it's hoo-ers.

That's funny. You were almost clever...almost.

Must you keep bringing this up? Let it go...

Execs say "sorry..."

http://abc7news.com/news/universal-studios-execs-apologize-to-teens/379446/

Not a surprising response. And the execs admit their concern as well.

"We greatly value every guest experience and are glad to have resolved the matter, and have no further comment."

Yeah, they sound outright distraught over it.

But she says Universal officials reported that their own staff confirmed what the performer said and were just as concerned.

I said concerned, not distraught.