First, the whinging NHS staff climbing aboard the OUTRAGE! bus:
Horror attraction Farmaggedon has come under fire from two Merseyside health trusts who say they are “outraged” mental illness is being used as a form of entertainment.
The top boss of Mersey Care NHS Trust, chief executive Joe Rafferty, said they do not want to “spoil people’s enjoyment of Hallowe’en”, but said imagery that reinforces negative stereotypes of mental illness is not helping them fight stigma, and is actually hurting patients.
Scare parks like Farmaggedon, between Formby and Ormskirk, which offers an attraction called “Psychosis”, was among those highlighted for using imagery associated with mental health problems.
Secondly, the attraction owner, for this piece of ArtBollocks:
But Farmaggedon managing director Mark Edwards said: “Farmaggedon, although it could be described simply as a scare attraction, at the core it is a site-specific promenade piece of theatre and as such should be afforded the same artistic and creative freedom as any art form free from political or agenda-led interference.
“Farmaggedon simply reflects the horror genre in film/literature, theatre and television.”
Both make me want to scream...
Actually, Mr Edwards is (hopefully) being rather clever in replying to them in the sort of precious PC meaningless twaddle that the complainers generally use.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't have the direct impact that "Piss off, Noddy" would have had, but it's nice to see their own weapons used against them.
I remember one Alfred Hitchcock enjoying a modicum of success some years ago with a little film titled "Psycho". I don't recall much of an outcry from the professional outragees then - or maybe they just hadn't yet spawned in those halcyon days of yore.
I can kinda see why the attraction manager responds like this.
ReplyDeleteWe've all been taught by now that not kowtowing to the professionally offended can ruin you. If you just stay silent, the headline reads "Attraction owner refuses to ackowledge the part they are playing in ongoing mental health issues".
If they do the sensible thing and respond with an "Oh sod off you wanker!", we get "Attraction owner vehemently defends right to exploit vulnerable people".
In the climate that we as a society have created, the only rational thing to do is to find an equally sacred cow and use that to defend yourself. Since art falls into the ever-shrinking list of things loved by the progressives, it's a good call IMHO.
Bunny
ReplyDeleteI used to live near there and it is a good well run place and very popular, so fair play Mr Edwards.
I'm outraged by all this outrage. I'll play you one offended and up you one outrage.
ReplyDeleteAny transgender, cross dressing young Muslim boys involved? They will trump your outrage if you don't have them in your hand.
DeleteI'm more frightened of the bloody NHS than just about anything else.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing a reply of "Go fuck yourself" wouldn't have been acceptable?
ReplyDeleteWell played, Mr Edwards!
ReplyDelete"...replying to them in the sort of precious PC meaningless twaddle that the complainers generally use."
ReplyDeletePlay 'em at their own game, eh?
"We've all been taught by now that not kowtowing to the professionally offended can ruin you."
And if all we ever do is what we've always done, all we'll ever get is what we always get...
"I'm more frightened of the bloody NHS than just about anything else."
Ditto!
"Any transgender, cross dressing young Muslim boys involved? They will trump your outrage if you don't have them in your hand."
:D