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

HHN is billed as being for mature audiences. If they're truly offended, which I suspect they're not, because 13 year olds call each other far worse, they're not mature and their parents should have probably not allowed them to go. My gut is this is yet another example of Americans finding a reason to be offended and attempting to find a reason to sue.

Don't misconstrue, though, I do think it was a poor choice of words on the character's part and I do think the park could have handled it better.

Adult language generally doesn't scare me, so I'm not sure how that is a tactic to scare anyone. If you wanna scare me, show me something, chase me down.

Some of the scariest movies I have ever seen had zero language in them.

To me, age would be a factor. Less of an issue with an 18 or 21 year old than 13 year old.

And location matters as well. I have never been a haunt fan but the few that I have gone to in theme parks (limited to 2-3 at Cedar Point) were more tame and less raw/rough then those few I have been to outside theme parks (limited to 3-4 in Columbus and Cleveland areas).

I would give screamsters some latitude to improvise but I would have a list of don'ts. To me whore would likely be on it. Other people may give more latitude and/or may have a different list of don'ts.

Part of me wonders why they were recording video in the first place. Not that I'm justifying (or not) the name-calling. I'm just wondering if they were starting trouble, and things were coming to a boiling point and that's why they started up the camera?

I guess that's my limbo area of do's and don'ts.

I consider Universal as one of the best adult themed places (more freedom I guess.)

Cedar Point on a level of 1-10 10 being the scariest is a 4 (at night). 1 in the day....Cedar Point use to be up there before 9-11. After that...they toned it WAYyyy down and got rid of most of the blood and gore, and geared it more towards families.

Most Boo at the Zoo's 1

Universal is a 8.

Kennywood is a 7.

Kings Island is a 5.

Knott's Scary Farm is a 7.

I would rank 1 or 2 strict haunted attractions around Ohio a straight 10 (and I feel like I would need to go to Church the next day.)...now those would raise A LOT of red flags with some people (and have.)

....Maybe those girls should have been wearing those "be nice to us glow necklaces" that some parks are now offering ;)

Lord Gonchar said:

Would this have been ok if they were 16? 18? 21?

Would it have been ok if it were a haunt somewhere other than a theme park?

Or is there no situation where a park character in a halloween setting where the idea is to create discomfort and entertain should call a customer a whore?

In my opinion, for whatever that may be worth, I'd say no, maybe, yes, yes and yes.

I'm making a distinction between a theme park (which, while hosting a Halloween event, is still drawing families and kids who may or may not be there for the Halloween activities) and a haunt (where the guests are people who are there for that specific event and are, presumably, aware of the nature and intensity of the event).

(Also: there are a number of words I'd say would not be appropriate in a theme park, not just whore.)

Now, on the other hand, why they were recording, and what may have been edited out of the video (because it seems unlikely to me someone would start recording seconds before a slur was going to be hurled) are good questions.

And it does seem to me that the mothers involved are more worked up over this than the girls seem to be.

If you called my wife or my daughter a whore, in any circumstances, I'd punch you in the balls. This bull**** excuse of "it's a haunt" is nonsense. It's just on the list of things you don't call women, ever, but especially 13-year-olds.

And the park knows it's in the wrong, judging by its statement.

I wanna expand on something about this.

I don't know why it matters at all, but I think I'd find this way more upsetting if a man called them whores.

I would agree a little...under normal circumstances...women can call each other MANY things and get away with it...much like many men can call each other things, or different walks of life can call each other things...If I'd call some friends things they called each other, I'd be in trouble, but they can because of their walk of life.

As said, there is a time and a place. I think this fit the time and the place.

I agree, I too would like to be valiant in defending my wife and children...If I walked on the street and guy wielding a chain saw popped out in front of me, threatening to kill and eat my kids, I'd shoot him.... but again....there's a time and place. This is a haunted attraction. I believe one of the main rules is safety and don't touch. No touch, no foul in many haunted attractions.

It's basically a case of "since you don't know for a fact if a person is okay with being called a [insert derogatory term] at this event, don't do it"

Customers (or at least myself) go to these things to experience shocking and scary things. But let's remember that being offended and being insulted are very different; you can be shocked without it being personally directed at you: actors can call each other whores (in character, of course) all day long if they are just going for shock value - that's fine.

Age is definitely a factor, but not a set in stone rule. You just can't assume that someone has a thick skin or a dark sense of humour or doesn't care enough to not go public.

Does the chainsaw have chain on it? If not, its just a noisy club. So rather than shoot him I would probably just walk away with my wife and kids.

I understand the no touch rules that are now in place. But to me that change put a big damper on the scare factor of haunted houses. You get a lot of screaming and making noise none of which is very scary.

Not to take this down too far of a hyperbolic turn, but what if someone at a haunt yelled a certain derogatory label at an African American guest? Would we be saying they need to grow thicker skin because it's a haunt? I suppose I could be engaging in a bit of hyperbole, but I'm not sure there's much a difference.

Disclaimer: I'm not a woman or African American, so you can easily take my opinion with a grain of salt.

One of the best moments with a chainsaw...

Back in the good 'ol days of Six Flags Ohio (the first year they did that S&M preshow) during their Halloween event...Everyone was waiting in line during the pre-show. A guy came out with a chainsaw roaring. Everyone was, "Ooooo a chainsaw, Sooooo scary *roll eyes*"

Next thing you knew, the guy took the chainsaw to the wooden fence, and sliced that thing like no tomorrow!!! Some girls ran out of line, and one guy I'm pretty sure pissed his pants....now that was entertainment at it's finest.

I agree though, and understand with the touch thing...but Haunted forest are just not the same anymore.

Jeff said:

This bull**** excuse of "it's a haunt" is nonsense. It's just on the list of things you don't call women, ever, but especially 13-year-olds.

I disagree.

I think within the context of the "game" or the "show" it's entirely acceptable.

I think the problem here is that 13 year old girls thought they were mature enough to play the game.

If you can handle scenes of murder, torture, torment, gore, graphic violence and such...you can handle the word, "Whore."

Pay attention Tek and RollerCoasterGod. ^This^ is how you play contrarian like a pro to keep the discussion going.

Or how you make a passioned argument that you truly believe in.

RollerCoasterGod said:

As said, there is a time and a place. I think this fit the time and the place.

There is no time and place to call a woman a whore, for the same reason we don't use the "N word," call people "gay" or refer to people as "retarded." This isn't an issue of being politically correct, it's an issue of basic human respect and not being an asshole.

bigboy said:

Not to take this down too far of a hyperbolic turn, but what if someone at a haunt yelled a certain derogatory label at an African American guest? Would we be saying they need to grow thicker skin because it's a haunt? I suppose I could be engaging in a bit of hyperbole, but I'm not sure there's much a difference.

I don't think that's hyperbole at all. I think it may not be the same thing, but it's in the same ballpark to me.

What were the Gay Games in Cleveland about? How about LGBT (and now Q)?

The Gay Games are an annual event similar to the Olympics. When the Games were started in 1982, gay was often commonly used to refer to gays and lesbians. Transgender, bisexual and queer weren't in as common usage.

While they're still the Gay Games, they are inclusive of all sexual orientations. I believe they don't have qualifying standards.

What point are you trying to make? There's a difference between referring to the Gay Games and someone saying, "Dude, I have to work Saturday, my boss is so gay."