Jenna 6 Vs. HangMan Props??

[BobC]

Hey all, what is all of your opinions on using Hangman props with the Jenna 6 story all over the news? I just saw today that Halloween stores are pulling all hangman type props and anything that resembles nooses off the shelves cause people are being offended. Personally I am not going to use mine even though its a Halloween prop and has nothing to do with any kind of hate message I am going to leave it out this year I want people to enjoy the yard haunt not be offended. :jol:

[pyro]

o kay- i have a handman prop but i've been under a rock lately-whats the scoop?

[HalloweenZombie]

I've got a hanged man prop. It's a white guy, so I don't think anyone will be offended or make a connection to the fiasco down south. There's a different state of mind up north. My daughter just got a black Cabbage Patch Kid for her birthday. She loves it. She took it to school. Nobody thought twice about it. And I won't think twice about putting up my hanged man.

[Da Weiner]

After reading the articles regarding the Jenna 6, there were nooses hung in the tree. There were no dolls or anything hanging from the nooses - just the nooses themselves.

I have a skeleton that hangs from a noose and I put it up every year. When I bought it, I didn't think, "Wow, maybe this is a racist thing." (My actual thought was, "I hope he's not expensive because I gotta have him for my porch!!!") IMHO, when you think of putting these things up as part of your haunt, you probably think of death and maddness - what horrible thing triggered that person to their death - it has nothing to do with racist.

I think everyone now wants to be politically correct and by pulling these things off the shelves you're actually saying that these things have a racist motive behind them. I think by putting them up as you have done so in the past has no reflection on what's going on with Jenna 6 but just a Halloween prop that goes with the theme or scare that you're trying to project. Don't give in to this crap.

[edwood saucer]

You know what - not being judgmental or trying to be - I think a skeleton in a noose is fair play.

There is a hanging person in the hauntforum dvd that I think is pushing the boundries - the animatronic has a hood over it's head and is "struggling." While it is a great prop and showed great abilities - I find it probably too lifelike. Like my 10 year old said - "Dad - that looks real."

It's not about what anybody else thinks - your the only one who can decide what you want to present. Having said that - I agree with you - I like to have fun G Rated scares. It's just a choice.

[Darkside]

I personally am tired of the easily offended PC crowd. My hangman is going up.

[edwood saucer]

Hangings predated lynchings by hundreds of years. There were two hillbillies caught with nooses tied around the backs of their trucks in a neighboring town to Jena.

Funny thing is - I wouldn't think twice about seeing a burning at the stake witch display - when there was a time it was an actual practice (burning of innocent people).

I think everyone has there own ideas about what is acceptable or not. It means nothing more than people can think for themselves.

[Darkside]

oops, hope you didn't think that was directed at you Saucer. Just a general venting. Being down here in the south, I am subjected to this type of ignorant event often, and when it makes national news, it just adds to the already bad rep that us southerners have.
You are right, Everyone has there own ideas about what is acceptable or not. That is what makes us unique. I just personally choice not to be too concerned with being too scary. I just try not to be too adult, if that makes since.

[Da Weiner]

I understand where you guys are coming from. Being from the south, your interpretation of a hanging holds more of a racist motive. Where I live, a hangman would be interpreted as a suicidal tendency by haunted/tormented thoughts or paying for a crime that was committed. A few years ago and three blocks from my house, a guy hung himself on his porch. He hung there for a week and everyone who passed thought it was a Halloween decoration which was just around the same time. Finally, the mailmail checked him out and realized it was the guy who lived there and called the cops.

Anyway, IMHO the only way I would think any hangman prop would have any racist motive would be if there was a hangman and a prop beside it dressed in a white hood and cape. I mean, there is no descrepancy with that one!

[edwood saucer]

I agree - there was a guy in a neighboring town that flew the confederate flag in his front yard - a lot of folks saw that as racist whereas - and correct me if I'm wrong - lots of folks down south take pride in the confederate flag for reasons other than racism. More of a southern pride type of thing.

The guy died - flag came down. End of story.

But I wouldn't necessarily say northerners or southerners think nooses mean racism (I think of the old west)... thats sort of like saying southerners all like grits. But I understand what you are saying. And I love grits.

My dad was married to a southern gal for a while - she turned me onto peanut butter and mayonaise sandwiches - which she said was a southern Carolina thing. My schoolmates were repulsed. I still eat'em to this day.

:^)

[Catbert]

I understand where you guys are coming from. Being from the south, your interpretation of a hanging holds more of a racist motive. Where I live, a hangman would be interpreted as a suicidal tendency by haunted/tormented thoughts or paying for a crime that was committed. A few years ago and three blocks from my house, a guy hung himself on his porch. He hung there for a week and everyone who passed thought it was a Halloween decoration which was just around the same time. Finally, the mailmail checked him out and realized it was the guy who lived there and called the cops.

Anyway, IMHO the only way I would think any hangman prop would have any racist motive would be if there was a hangman and a prop beside it dressed in a white hood and cape. I mean, there is no descrepancy with that one!

You people have very good observational skills.

[BobC]

I own one of the hooded life like ones you mentioned it operates with a wiper motor and its movements look real. My thing is with a hood over the face you cant tell what color the hang man is I just don't want people to get the wrong idea. although the news coverage would be nice thats not the kind of attention I'm looking for. I don't understand why everyone one in the world has to be so uptight as to ruin a holiday for the kids. We all work so hard on our props and something like this makes me think if they are pulling hangman props at Halloween stores whats next? pretty soon our yard haunts are going to look like Martha Stewarts living room blew up cause thats all that will be allowed..lol :jol:

[Darkside]

pretty soon our yard haunts are going to look like Martha Stewarts living room blew up cause thats all that will be allowed..lol :jol:

:sick: :mad: ARG!!!!!! YUK

[pyro]

well my hang man has white hands tied behind his back and he'll be a swinging---eveytime someone walks bye he;ll shake& kick like crazy.:D

[Hellrazor]

I personally do not like the hangman props and would not have one in my haunt. I just dont get it with Halloween, I dont see the connection to halloween. But that is just my opinion. Everyone is allowed it. I dont disagree with it because it is racist or too graphic... I just dont get the fit of it.

[BobC]

I personally do not like the hangman props and would not have one in my haunt. I just dont get it with Halloween, I dont see the connection to halloween. But that is just my opinion. Everyone is allowed it. I dont disagree with it because it is racist or too graphic... I just dont get the fit of it.

Hang man + Death + Spooky = Halloween..lol

[tonguesandwich]

Know your audience and decide what reaction you want. If you had snoopy out there someone would complain, there is always one and he usually lives right next to you!

[jrzmac]

I had a hangman 95% built. The wife nixed that idea. She thought it was way too much having a guy hanging from the front yard. So i turned him into an electric chair guy.

[Dr Morbius]

I have a Hangman...I also want an electric chair, a gas chamber, a torture rack, an iron maiden, a guillotine, stocks, shackles, chains, body parts and various cutting implimentations. I see Disembodied heads everywhere, hands, feet, eyeballs in a jar with quotes from forum members: "oooo! How can I make one of those?" I see faces in jars and more skulls than I can count. The hangman is just a prop, it's no different than ANYTHING I just mentioned. Don't be over sensitive folks..get over it. These things are a part of Halloween displays, and God help us if we start censoring ANY of it because of a few idiots.

[Dr Morbius]

I had a hangman 95% built. The wife nixed that idea. She thought it was way too much having a guy hanging from the front yard. So i turned him into an electric chair guy.
Excuse me, and I don;t mean to offend, but what is the difference between having a guy executed in your front yard by hanging VS. electrocution? Please help me understand why one is "preferable" over the other?:googly:

[Dr Morbius]

I personally do not like the hangman props and would not have one in my haunt. I just dont get it with Halloween, I dont see the connection to halloween. But that is just my opinion. Everyone is allowed it. I dont disagree with it because it is racist or too graphic... I just dont get the fit of it.
HR, it's no different than any other means of death displayed on Halloween. It confronts us with our own mortality, and that fear is definitely connected with Halloween. It's a creep factor, and a VERY effective one given the appearance of this thread.
What is the connection with the electric chair and Halloween? A guillotine? Same thing. If you don't see the connection between any of those and Halloween, then so be it, then you are at least consistant, but why single out the poor hangman?

[Sickie Ickie]

Poor Hanged man hangs his head,

As if to nod he's finally dead.

[Hellrazor]

HR, it's no different than any other means of death displayed on Halloween. It confronts us with our own mortality, and that fear is definitely connected with Halloween. It's a creep factor, and a VERY effective one given the appearance of this thread.
What is the connection with the electric chair and Halloween? A guillotine? Same thing. If you don't see the connection between any of those and Halloween, then so be it, then you are at least consistant, but why single out the poor hangman?

I actually dont see the connection with the electric chair of quillotine. Bill wants to make an electric chair, I havnt said no but I havnt pushed him into making one either.
I am the graveyard, Reaper, Skelleton kinda chick.. but I also dont have a professional haunt.. just a small walk through. I would perhaps change my mind if I was doing a big production... but in the mean time, I dont get it... I think Life taken by the hands of the law is wrong... but hey, thats for another thread LOL :)

[oct31man]

she turned me onto peanut butter and mayonaise sandwiches I still eat'em to this day.

:^)

Now that's offensive!:D

I say Hang 'em High! Now if you put an empty noose in your tree, then I might foresee someone getting offended. So many people looking for a cause out there!

This is a touchy subject. One which caused a little tiff on the Halloweenforum a couple years ago! Don't bother looking for the thread, it was deleted.

Best bet is to stay within your own area of comfort. As long as it doesn't hurt anyone, I say do it! It is a form of art after all, what we do!

[Terrormaster]

I see nothing wrong with those who want to have a hangman prop for Halloween. On the other hand, I do agree with Hellrazor in that just a guy hanging from a tree isn't scary. :rolleyes:

Then again it's all about connotation and presentation - theme. If the guy from the tree is represented as some evil doer or cultist being punished than ya it's creepy. Or someone wrongly accused for some evil deed.

My taste in decor is much like my taste in movies. I prefer stuff like The Ring as opposed to stuff like Saw... Gore doesn't scare me, it repulses me a bit but doesn't scare me and in fact disinterests me. But thats my own personal taste.

-TM

[Terrormaster]

Ok, found this when looking for a related CT story. Thought it was funny how touchy people in this country are getting:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/halloween-decorations-or-hate-crime

The guy has a witch hanging, yes a witch on a noose. And now the wiccan's are complaining. While I'm not crazy about the whole hanging thing, not my style of haunting, the "its a hate crime and offensive" thing is starting to work on my nerves.

Heh, it's probably not even safe to hang a skeleton these days...

Whats happening to the world - it's Halloween.

I saw a different article as well with a bunch of moms in a forum complaining about yard haunts being too scary for their kids and wondering whatever happened to jack-o-lanterns and black cats. One mom complained that all they had were scary things in the stores now - have they shopped at Wal-Mart? Good lord, at least 80% of the stuff the sell is "cute". I think these mom's are babying their kids too much. My daughter is five and she loves Halloween and has been doing her best to help with my haunt - she even names my props for me hehehe.

-TM

[Darkside]

OMG, I can't get over the witch story. That is pathetic. So many people in the world so desperate for attention.
As for the folks complaining about some haunts being too scary, that’s crap. They aren’t forced to take their little sissies to those places. Sometime I just get so,,,, so,,,,,, oh, I need a drink.

[Acid PopTart]

I know I'm weighing in on this really late, but just wanted to mention what hit our town. I think this was last week, locally I think across town from where I live some guy was decorating his yard for Halloween with his two little girls. They did the noose in the tree with you know, the stuffed clothing to look like a body thing? Of course, a young couple first took pictures, then called the cops and complained that it was offensive and the cops made him take it down. He was on the news saying it was not meant as offensive, it was just a way to decorate for Halloween cheaply. The woman of the couple that complained was off on some weird rant about how she can't understand how unsympathetic someone could be despite the fact the man has tried to apologize for it. They showed a snippet on the news along with the other guy.

This took place in Columbus, OH and I'm actually from the South. I know years ago, my brother and I did the hanging noose thing but we caught no slack, everyone said our yard was cool. Of course, that was about 5 or 6 years ago.

I just think we're getting a little touchy feely and way too sensitive. Without going into a huge religious debate (which I don't want to do), I could easily claim everyone portraying witches being ugly old hags or hanged/burned/whatever are being prejudice or unsympathetic or whatever pc term we want to use. But I don't, because I think it's pretty stupid and Halloween can be cute and fun for the little ones but it's also about scary stuff and for some of us, we're just plain morbid in that Addams Family sort of way. ;) All the witches I know are really sexy. Heh.

I think a single noose on a large creepy tree on a hill is extremely haunting, but there is no racist thought there at all. Many pirates were hanged for their crimes, witches were as well (burning at the stake wasn't as popular as many think, although it did happen), the Wild West was famous for hangings.

On a personal note, my 2nd or maybe it was 3rd generation cousin was hung back in WWII. Nazi troops came onto the island of Kefalonia and accused my family of being Allied spies, they pulled the entire family outside and cut the father's tongue out and then hanged him from the large tree in front, the mother they shot. They left all the children alive and to fend for themselves (Maria, the oldest, got them all to safety and they all survived the war and came to the states).

This is a huge event in my family line, it's party responsible for my grandfather coming over and when we went to Greece, we visit the old family home and the tree still stands. It's a very creepy thing, even without the noose.

Do I flip out when I see a noose? No. I think I could understand why someone would if they had a personal experience with one. Just as most traumatic events will have some kind of trigger. But I think a lot of people seem to want to play a victim for one reason or another. It seems to be the mentality of these reality shows where the contestants will act even more loony in an attempt to extend their 15 minutes of fame. The viewing public thrives on drama.

I almost want to do it to get my point across, but I know I won't get a chance to explain my side. It's not worth the fight. If I had a more involved haunt this year with lots of depictions of death, then yeah, just because I could point to all the other displays and explain.