Clown protest at guess where...

I would submit this to news, except that I suspect that Jeff wouldn't post it because it isn't really news-worthy. I mean, really, it isn't. Here's the link, from today's Amusement Today update--

Clowns protest over Alton Towers stereotyping

The story: Alton Towers is featuring a Halloween maze called "Carnival of Screams" in which evil clowns apparently chase the visitors through the maze. Apparently this has made a group of clowns unhappy, and they have staged a protest at the park, saying that the attraction reinforces the stereotype of evil clowns and that "this will do for clowns what Jaws did for sharks."

My take on this? This is Alton Towers. I call bull****.

I think "this is nothing more than an elaborate hoax by a local amusement park to promote their latest attraction."* I'll bet the protesting clowns are on Alton Towers' payroll.

Anybody else have any thoughts?

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

* Okay, who knows what that's from...?

--DCAjr

OMG...took me a minute to remember (I could hear the quote in my head): Outer Limits: Flight of Fear video.

If it isn't a publicity stunt, this has got to be one of the funniest things I've heard in a while.

Even if it is a publicity stunt, it's still hilarious.

I particularly like the comparison with Jaws.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Alton has one of the best marketing teams I've seen in this industry.

Did they all show up at the park in one car?

Hopefully it was a Union Jack Mini.

I too would think this is a stunt. The sad part is with today's world I can realistically see the IBSOC (International Brother/Sisterhood of Clowns or whatever they call themselves) getting bent about clowns being portrayed negatively and having a real protest.

One thing i've learned as an American working for a small UK firm...

All bets are off when it comes to humor assumptions. If nothing else it keeps the day interesting...

On the Bright side - I'm headed to Alton for closing weekend.

In the past few years Alton Towers has (either actually or claimed to):

• Required a waiver for their new coaster
• Confiscated PDAs and smart phones at the park so people wouldn't work
• Designated certain hotel rooms as sex-free
• Claimed a ride was built over some ancient burial ground so it was haunted or some such nonsense
• Claimed a squirrel was a coaster fan and would ride one of their coasters all day long
  

I wouldn't call it a stupid publicity stunt. Seems to be working or they wouldn't keep doing it. I just wish US parks were as creative.

Seems to me that Alton "pulls" successful publicity stunts. Pretty sure I agree with PT Barnum on that....but Gonch would have to weigh in on his own, LOL.

So I suppose that, conversely, Juggalos would be applauding Alton Towers?

The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.
-- Oscar Wilde

Who says you can't learn anything from watching Monty Python?

rollergator said:
...but Gonch would have to weigh in on his own, LOL.

:)

There is no bad press.

^Was almost certain we'd be on the same page on this one....:)

RatherGoodBear said:
The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.
-- Oscar Wilde

Who says you can't learn anything from watching Monty Python?

I wish I'd said that... ;)

robotfactory said:
In the past few years Alton Towers has (either actually or claimed to):

• Required a waiver for their new coaster
• Confiscated PDAs and smart phones at the park so people wouldn't work
• Designated certain hotel rooms as sex-free
• Claimed a ride was built over some ancient burial ground so it was haunted or some such nonsense
• Claimed a squirrel was a coaster fan and would ride one of their coasters all day long
  

This is another stupid publicity stunt.

Add to that the Thorpe Park nonsense with the "no arm raising in hot weather" and I think they also had the "no screaming" restriction on certain rides. Same publicity department, I believe. I don't recall any of this silliness coming out of Chessington. Not yet, anyway.

And now I see that Jeff has, in fact, added this story (via another source) to the news section. Perhaps just because I said he wouldn't. :)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

^To be fair, the "Say no to B.O." campaign actually did go through. I remember ride ops carrying deodorant in their "holsters" to knock out offending odors...er, odours.

Well, of course it went through, if only for a short while. But I seriously doubt that it was taken nearly as seriously as the press release suggested (I did see photos of the "no raised arms" signs...)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

^Yeah, it seemed to be more tongue-in-cheek than a serious deal...but *some* implementation of one of their crazy marketing schemes is almost newsworthy on its own, LOL. :)