Kings Island drops haunt depiction of murdered football star

Doh! I literally just sent this in via a deadspin.com article. When I came back to the main page it was posted.

This has made national news on the CNN and Sports Illustrated website. Way to go KI!

Well, according to South Park, I believe it is approximately 20 years that need to pass before something horrific can be laughed at.

They have an overdosed Heath Ledger, a Micheal Jackson, but this draws criticism?

It's a Halloween event.

While I understand the outcry, I personally think it was creative.

The price of being a celebrity is a detachment from normal society.

Creative? In the way that dick and fart jokes are creative, perhaps. I think it's lame. Murder isn't funny, celebrity or not.

I agree it's not funny, at least not to me...shocking, yes, given the small amount of time that has passed, but given the nature of the event, it gets a pass in my book. I completely agree that it is classless, shameless, and tasteless.

I didn't have much of a problem with the other stuff they had in the display. But I agree that the murder issue is something different. I would not have permitted that one.

Park needs to look at attendance issues. Shock value can bring some folks to the gate. But publicity can also keep other people away. I think thats typically why you see pretty garden variety, non controversial stuff.

Why is it different? A murder of a football player is "more" tragic than a moviestar accidentally overdosing on meds? What's more tragic than the entire life of Micheal Jackson?

Drug addicts do not get as much sympathy as murder victims. Simple as that. Did they have tragic lives too? Yes. But self-induced death is less tragic than someone's life being taken from someone externally via gunshot.

Jackson's was self-inflicted. McNair was cheating on his wife with a crazy woman but that very rarely ends in murder.

It never ends well but I don't know if a reasonable man can guess that it will end in murder.

Once again it all comes down to personal opinion and I agree with many that it is all lame and distasteful. A great Haunt can be put together without making fun of everyone who has died in the last year. Reeks of lack of creativity.

There's a difference between being irreverent and having poor taste. This was tasteless.

But I guess KI got the press it wanted...

Totally classless and yet another mysterious decision to even consider a display like that for a company that is so conservative they still think facial hair or an earing on a male employee is offensive to park guests in 2009 (yet they STILL can't staff their parks appropriately, even in a Great Recession, and are forced to go overseas for labor.)

Guarantee you next we will be hearing an uproar about the live animals used in displays.

I personally find the displays funny and creative. I think they should have left the McNair display. These types of displays are much better than just generic crap. Overall what I looked at looks pretty good just wish one of the parks around here would do something similar.

What's more tragic than the entire life of Micheal Jackson

Wearing white after Labor Day?

Aw man, I was going to go with "Tom Delay in rhinestones"....

What's really sad is the park denied that the scene was ever there in the first place. *smacks forehead*

Ensign Smith said:
Aw man, I was going to go with "Tom Delay in rhinestones"....

Arrrg, I nearly fell off my chaise while watching his performance. I hope he gets voted off soon so we do not have a repeat occurrence.

I fail to see how anyone's personal tragedy, whether it be drug overdose or murder, should be entertainment for someone else.

D_vo said:
What's really sad is the park denied that the scene was ever there in the first place. *smacks forehead*

Yeah, after it had been seen in photos and video on multiple major news outlets.

http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/09/23/skeletons-depicting-steve-mcnair...g%2F%0D%0A

With video and pictures of the skeletons circulating online, Helbig at first declined to acknowledge that they had ever existed. "There was no reference to Steve McNair at all. No jersey, nothing." Upon being informed that the pictures and video were already online, Helbig again insisted that the skeletons would not be featured on Friday when the event opens. Pressed as to when the skeletons were removed from the park, Helbig stuck to his talking points. "Our event does not open until Friday," he said, "We meant him no disrespect."