Poo in Haunted Houses

[Cookie Crumbler]

I'm waiting for a reply from my comedic challenger.

I think we have two diefferent senses of humor hahaha.

You are going with sarcasm and I'm more on the irony side of things.

[lurker]

I'm not saying it isn't a subject to be discussed. Just never imagined it having so much depth.
As for it affecting the the perception of haunting as an industry, I seriously doubt it. Lets face the fact that Halloween and Haunting will always be perceived in a certain light because of their very nature. Some attractions will play up on the more taboo elements others won't. It will always be so, and thank god for that. I like to see different shi...stuff used in different ways. Vive la différence
As for poo in mainstream movies...well, they don't have to put poo in mainstream movies cause a lot of them are just all poo from the start. However, I could list movies and scenes that use poo to elicit a certain reaction, but I don't want to get that heavily invested in defending poo.
I agree with Allen, forget what I said. Use poo, don't use poo, I don't give a cr......well, ya know what I mean.

[Cookie Crumbler]

Fair enough! hahaha.

Just a couple things... VERY few mainstream movies use poo, it exists of course, but we're talking like .0001% of legit movies. If that.

But no doubt... most of the stuff coming out these days actually is poo itself, so the number is higher "from a certain point of view." hah.

Your point is well taken- but then again if you would have told me Halloween Horror Nights would become what it has, and that the industry would have multiple shows on the Travel Channel (and other channels)... every year... ten years ago, I wouldn't have believed you. If you would have told me the Scarefactory guys would have their own freakin' cable show 7 years ago, I wouldn't have believed it then either.

Those things alone tell me that our industry is gaining more and more acceptence as a legitimate form of entertainment. Will it ever be high art? Probably not. But to even slightly overcome the unfortunate and dated idea of "shady carnival trash" forever is a pretty awesome goal to set, if you want to see the industry flourish and be more rewarding for everyone involved!!

No question there is something great about seeing all the different shows. I love variety in haunts. I just seriously question the long-term industry benefits of poo as a tool of the trade. I believe anyone who cares about helping the industry gain perspective should ask these same kinds of questions.

Not in a judgemental way, but in an open and honest way.

With that said it appears we agree that the conversation is worth having. Cool!! Wait we're talking about poo? I'm defending the merits of talking about poo? What the hell? hahah.

Even if nothing comes out of it, it's good we've discussed it in an industry forum!!! Even if it's poo!!!

[graystone]

Is it just me.......

Or is this a shitty thread! Shane and its LMAO! Shane this time.

[Jim Warfield]

I know of at least one..

Haunt next to a hog lot and the smell of the piggies is assumed to be the stench of "Death" by the teens that have never been around real hogs before, quite comical.
Of course this factor gives "Carte Blanche" to those who constantly smell up a room because of dietary choices of drink or food.
My Wife was driving a car load of German exchange students when the smell of skunk filled the car. When they were told it was skunk they began reversing their breathing patterns, sucking in the stinky for the experience because I guess in their part of the world there are no skunks!
You never know?

[PAT MATTHEWS/HOUSE OF WAX]

I think the poo topic is simple if they want the poo give the customers poo. It may not work for every hauny but I see nothing wrong if its tastefull and everyones having fun

[freak 'n' stein]

A simple GOOGLE search for "poop in movies" lead me to the FIRST link on the search:

http://www.poopreport.com/Fun/Conten...es/movies.html

...literally a list of HUNDREDS of movies with poo-related scenes. I just want to say, if you're going to make statements about research, actually bring the research and don't just talk about your perceived statistics...

THAT BEING SAID --

I don't think this comes down to haunts using poo and the "class level" it makes an attraction. I think this comes down to personal embarrassment. You may not want to admit it, but you poo, your mom poo's, your dad poo's, your cat poo's, your dog poo's -- it's just a fact. I think this thread took a serious turn for the worst rather quickly. You make it seem like people are opening up entire poo related attractions. The day Larry introduces "the Poo" or "Creepy Poo" haunted attractions, I will then give you all due credit for the industry hitting an all-time low, however, because someone has a BATHROOM scene and it has a poo-laden toilet, doesn't make or break a haunt...honestly.

When I went to the Fearfest at TW, I believe one of their scenes was after you crawled through the morgue doors you came out a ramp underneath a guy on the crapper. That scene, while disturbing, was also humorous and didn't make me say "I'm never coming back to this shit-hole again!"...In fact, the attractions at Fearfest were a few of my favorites on the tour. The entertainment value of the overall show was GREAT...that ONE scene didn't ruin my view of the whole haunt.

I'm pretty sure more people are going to be offended by blood, guts, gore, violence, etc than walking past a toilet. If that were the case, I'd never set foot in another Walmart, Shell Station, or any business with an unsatisfactory restroom facility!!!

I can see it now:

"Dear Walmart, because someone appeared to have an accident all over your facility, and it was human poo I will no longer be returning to any of your retail locations. If it were cat poo on the other hand, I may consider being a return customer. Just a little food for though.

yours truly, a former customer."


...hell, at least I'd EXPECT shock-value from a haunted house & not a walmart restroom...and I think that's what most haunters bring to the table nowadays, SHOCK VALUE. Gone are the days of simple black walls and cheap masks. We want realism. Terror. Involve as close to all 5 of my senses as you can!!

We don't plan on dowsing our customers in poo juice this year, however, we were so inspired by the Scare Products "Explode Commode" that we built our own for pennies on the dollar. I haven't decorated the toilet yet, however, it was gonna be pretty darn close to theirs...which looks REALLY gross!! Scare House used the exploding toilet in their attraction and it looked like it got GREAT reactions. It's just a simple STARTLE "gag"...

All that being said, I don't mean to attack anyone's personal view...I mean it all in the sake of good clean, non-poo slinging, haunt forum fun!!! Like MDKing said, just adding spark to this somewhat life-less forum...(which is totally understandable cause we are all working on our shows) Hope I sparked a little bit more insight...

[Cookie Crumbler]

Yes, POO-RELATED scenes, not actual shots of poo!!! BIG difference!!

First to Shane and Jim, you guys rock.

To The last couple fellas, You are missing the point!

You are a haunter! Not a customer.

To many people, it DOES make or break an attraction, I've seen it many times. Many. many many many times. It most definitely assigns a CLASS-LEVEL. Whether you want to believe it or not!!!

To quote Larry... PERIOD.

To most people, bodily functions= Low Brow.

Yes of course it's also about embarrassment, I touched on that too!

I've never met a single person who would refer to live simulated poo as "tasteful." In any form, even in a Dante's inferno scene. It simply shows a lack of self awareness as to how a good percentage of your customers view you to assume anything otherwise.

As for the "Google facts":

Poo-related scenes in movies? Yes, there's TONS!!

But actual shots of poo?!?!?!?! Camera shots of pieces of poo?

NO WAY. Very few. You can take that to the bank.

Your site listed general poo references. Inferred poo being most of the results. Huge difference! So yes I've done my homework, and please don't treat me like that much of a schmuck, because I'm not some dumb guy making shit up.

As you can tell I'm running out of energy for this haha.

Look I respect you guys but I don't think some of you understand how this is perceived outside of your respective haunt worlds, because you guys are so close to the business.

I have never met a single person who enjoyed seeing poo in a haunt. Not one. And I've known lots of people. I have no reason to make this up.

If you know people who enjoy it, that's cool! But obviously you're missing part of the picture if there's someone like me who lives for this stuff, and still knows no one who has ever enjoyed poo in a haunt.

I know of plenty of people who think it's sad and kinda pathetic, though! People who have mocked haunts, and been put off over poo scenes. Again, average, middle class people. Not my words, theirs. Don't shoot the messanger.

I've made it very clear that I am not judging! I'm presenting a very well thought-out side of an argument that needs to be made. In the end you do what's right for you, all I can do is present my case with vigor, knowing full well that there will be several people arguing with me no matter what I say, as long as I have an opinion on something involving content that we could potentially change.

But this isn't about censorship. It's about what's best for the perception of haunts, and therefore the industry. I've made it clear where I stand, and I believe I'm right. You won't be able to change my mind, but certainly do share your opinions because poo or not, it's a good conversation to have out in the open!


I'm out of here for now. By all means, keep it going!! But if you're going to try to pick apart and shoot holes in little things I've said, realize I won't be around to defend my well-thought but also human and subject to scrutiny statements. So don't hit a guy too hard while his back is turned, eh?

No disrespect to anyone, keep it cool, see you later, many hours later hahah.

[unihaunter]

Part turd part pure evil and you thought it was safe to back in the bathroom.

[Jim Warfield]

Enuff Krap!

Are we gunna talk about urine now?
Pleeze?
Urine trouble now! Big brother always told the little kids.
We had a little girl severely wet herself here, half of her jeans were soaked and she had to walk a couple blocks to get a change of clothing.
She came back a few weeks later, we recognised her of course but didn't say anything about it , not wishing to embarrass her infront of her friends and strangers in the group.
So she with a big smile says loudly,"Hi! Remember me? I'm the one who peed themself when I was here last!"
She was So Proud!
???
I guess it's her talent, not everybody can do that!?
When a fart happens I blame the customer, "Boy you were scared weren't you!"
Then I tell them, "You were So Scared you farted in My Pants!"
One old display here is a book:"2002 Things to Do With Feces"
I recommend those reading this must be only those who really give a shit.
You can use a turd for a bookmarker, nobody will steal the book then! (This was illustrated via my video I made )
Then there is the Scott Grenke film I show once & awhile,"Muddy Water", a very comical 3 minute film about the mishaps of diareaha in the dating scene.
The "Doctor" making his visual exam of the "girl" gives us a perspective look as the waste falls straight down all over his thrashing face (he was trying to be a pervert anyway) They mixed in chocolate milk with corn for the effect! YIIIII!
No I do not show these films to the general public audience, just old fans who might happen to request them on a slow night here.
I give very different and adjustable tours here.
Maybe the flexibility helps keep the audience returning (and not for vengence!)
23yrs. Open every night.
I keep thinking I MUST be doing Something that somebody likes?

[MDKing]

Thanks Cookie Crumbler.

It's not that I'm anti-poo, it has it's place and funny in movies, I just think it adds nothing to our industry. Sadly, many people expect to see more poop and vulgarity than modern sophisticated technology and cutting edge concepts in haunts because we keep telling ourselves it belongs in our haunts.

All I'm saying is, let's step our games up and make scary haunts that still exude some class. Is that so off base if a belief?

Allan

[Jim Warfield]

Maybe it's an anti-tech statement?

Poop has no moving parts. It's found everywhere, you don't have to attend a trade show to find some.
You won't be waiting for months hoping the vender didn't just steal your money.
You can weld, bolt, glue, nail a pnuematic cylinder to poop..and poop continually elludes being controlled! (Unless you get mad and just catapult it away!)
It's such a free spirit!
"I am poop, hear me roar!" (Actually that roar came from my cousin farty, he announces me at public gathers and social mis-functions.)

[lurker]

Once while standing in front of a sprawling sewage treatment plant, a friend of mine asked me, "How do you treat sewage, any way?"
And I said, "Like shit."
I really love that joke.

This whole subject boils down to the audience and what haunt owners perceive they want to see.
Cookie, when you say ‘no one I know likes to see poo in a haunted house. They think it is sad’ this is not giving me any accurate portrait of what my audience, by in large, may or may not like. As far as I know you and everyone you know could all be in a mental institution, and enrolled in the germaphobe anonymous program. No offense, but I nor anyone who operates a show should base what they do on the perceptions of a few, and especially not an anonymous few. If a haunt owner chooses to eliminate the use of something from their show they have to do it based on what they think their audience wants and does not want to see. And hopefully base their thinking on astute observations and possibly surveying, but not on opinions of taste of people far removed from their demographic. Or a haunt owner should add or remove things from their show based on their personal taste. Cause in the end you got to please your self as well as your audience.
I’ve been to attractions where they have done things that I find rather tasteless and stupid, but their audience loves it and they keep coming back year after year. So, all I can say is good for them. I’ve also seen haunts that have such easily scared/easily amused audiences that they can get away with some very esoteric stuff. And that is great too.
I feel like I try to cater to my audience as much as I can without offending my own aesthetic. Before I sat up shop 10 years ago, the people in my neck of the woods thought a haunted house was a place of black plastic and strobe lights where people chased you with chain saws and pulled your hair in the dark. I have risen the bar quite a bit over the years, however I can’t just throw the whole package out. I did get rid of that stupid ass chain saw theory. Some, and maybe a lot, of my audience still want a chain saw, but that is my choice. I’m not willing to compromise on that one, however I will give them some of the gross out stuff cause I’m pretty sure they like it. If it was completely my choice and I didn’t have to compromise a little for the sake of staying in business where I’m located, then most likely I would have a haunted attraction that I and only a few sci-fi nerds and David Lynch fans would truly enjoy. It would be very tasteful and very highbrow for sure, but I would be out of business very quickly. I compromise, via that compromise I have stayed in business, entertained my audience and raised the bar in this area for what people can expect in a haunted attraction.
While I’m writing this long winded rant let me add this little bit. Do you know who likes poo and poo humor. Kids! Young kids love it. Maybe cause they aren’t so far removed from the horrors of pooping ones self, or maybe they haven’t realized the importance of being highbrow-ed yet, but they love the poo stuff. Yesterday, the town in which my haunt is located was having their annual spring street festival. I decided to open up and run KID FRIENDLY/NO SCARES tours through DarkWood for the day. A few of my regular actors, and myself, acted as guides through the house. It just so happens that I was acting as tour guide through the section of the haunted house that has our nasty bathroom scene. It is a nasty bathroom with a nasty toilet, but not really any other evidence of the dreaded poo. When I took the little kids through there they just loved it. And oddly enough, the really old grand parent types loved it too. Of course I’m just basing this on the smiles on their faces. Deep down they may have been revolted by it. Who knows?

Also, lets think about this; how classy and highbrow is getting dressed up like a ghoul and jumping out at people ever going to be in our current society? Shakespeare, I think we all can agree is some pretty highbrow stuff. However, during the time that he produced his plays they were considered very lowbrow entertainment. What has changed? It sure isn’t the plays. Only the opinions changed not the art.

Who are we trying to get more respect from? It’s pretty obvious that we still have our audience, and the major theme parks are copying us with their shows…poo included. So, whom are we trying to impress? Is it the folks that don’t go to haunted houses? And do you really seriously believe it’s the poo factor that makes them not attend?

Haunting is fun, dark, uneasy, bizarre entertainment. It is what Halloween is all about? It is why folks come to see us in October. If they wanted a completely tasteful highbrow techno show, they would save their money and go to Disney World on a nice bright clean sunny day.

[freak 'n' stein]

The ENTIRE episode of American Dad on Fox right now is about poo!!! I bet every fan of the show has turned...haha. Sorry, I just had to.

For the record, you were right...while we saw the "shadow" of Stan's poo floating to the top of the pool, we never actually saw the POO!! We did however see the fish poo and bird poo. <--- I'm changing the channel in utter disgust! BOYCOTT FOX BOYCOTT FOX -- LOL!!!



Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! LURKER, you hit the nail on the head with a hammer!!! [who exactly ARE we trying to be so high-brow for?] I'm SURE the 5 people who refuse to come to our show because of a toilet won't hurt business TOO terribly.

[Cookie Crumbler]

Exactly! You never saw the poo! hahaha

Lurker, I admire your passion for this subject.

If the kids and grandparents faces are lighting up at the sight of poo and toilets, I’d argue you might not be doing enough to engage and impress them elsewhere. That's not a rip, but it is a possibility.

There are an infinite, infinite number of things you could build that kids would like more than poo. This I know. If they are smiling at poo, they could be smiling at a million other things. But poo is easier. In my opinion, an easy shortcut to a reaction, if you will.

Being anonymous is great, because it allows me to engage you at this level without taking it personally, I am speaking as a dissenting voice of public consciousness. You are right, without the computer screen and fake name, I probably wouldn’t speak so openly about poo. I don’t want to be “the poo guy”.

Why should you listen? I am your customer! My friends are your customers! And just because you only hear the positive doesn’t mean there aren’t dozens, hundreds of negatives rolling their eyes at you while you’re not looking!

There is also a difference between poo on a screen and poo in your face.

Hell, I know haunt owners who think people like their shows, but when people are leaving, the reality is they are making fun of these shows. Then when the owner asks they smile and say “Great,” then return to their cars where they bitch about how crappy the haunt was.

To insinuate using poo isn’t the lowest common denominator is to assume there is no low and high in the world. I think that’s a pretty “out there” way to look at things.

Shakespeare may have been looked down on in his day, but I’m sorry, you will not convince me haunted house poo will ever be seen as Shakespeare. I promise. I guarantee. Never happen.

We aren’t challenging societies conventions. In many cases we are choosing shit over ingenuity.

Who are we trying to impress? Potential customers of course!!!!!!!!!! People who we only might have one shot to impress! People who might never visit a haunt again if they don’t like what they see!

People who will spend money and bring their friends of all walks of life and classes, if we impress them enough!

We absolutely should be trying to impress people!!! You can’t tell me you disagree with that!?!

I laugh at poo jokes. Poo is funny. That is part of why I created this thread. It is very amusing to me to see the word poo as the top post when I open the fright forum.

Jim Warfield you are in a different category than the rest of us! Jim can gauge his audience, one at a time, and then deliver whatever each individual group wants to see in real time!! That’s what he’s doing right. Beyond being a dedicated fabricator, he is a live performance artist. When people go to see Warfield’s place, most are going to see Jim Warfield perform as much as anything else, knowing he will give the audience a show that suits their needs! If he wants to strip down with burlesque performers or give out cat poo, that works because he is interacting personally with his audience and seeing in real time what works with each crowd. Jim’s show does not reflect on the industry. I’d argue Jim’s stuff is in a category of it’s own and can’t be compared to what most haunts do.

Do what you like! I’m trying to make everyone aware that we reap what we sew. We can build anything we want for the customers. If you want to entertain them with poo, and your customers are cool with that, GREAT.

But you are choosing to entertain them with poo, and ---Seriously, SERIOUSLY, you are choosing to entertain them with poo. I believe we can do better.

I personally don’t want to entertain people with poo, and there is a huge untapped market out there who most certainly would agree! Short of going out and getting signatures, no, I can’t prove this. But I know this, and I seriously can’t believe anyone would possibly disagree..

To get these new customers, it would be nice to show we have far more up our sleeves than having to use human waste.

Universal is just as subject to industry trends as anyone else. If everyone suddenly stopped using poo, I believe Universal would too. Can I prove this? No. But you can’t prove the opposite either!

As a haunter, student of the game, and frequent customer, my opinion certainly holds as much water as anyones here! Haha.

Thanks.