There's been a lot of talk recently about extreme haunts out there, and they're really nothing that new but the past year has seen the rise of more and more of them. There's a lot of things that I don't find interesting or intriguing about these places as they're mostly just torture sessions from what the descriptions coming out from them have to say. It's more like extreme Fear Factor than anything else and there's not much scary there. Sure, you may have to face your fears a little and be made uncomfortable but there's not a lot that's "scary" to them. If you're looking for abuse, I'll gladly charge by the hour to dole that out for ya.
McKamey Manor tried to push things into the stratosphere this year with their attraction and it seems to have backfired. What's the point of something if literally no one gets through or has a chance to? They made it too hard and kept upping the ante on guests until they were completely broken. That's not haunting, I don't care how you spin it. It just isn't. The fact that you spend money and time working on things and have people unable to get further than 20 minutes (like the last pair that tried at McKamey) shows that it's just too much. It should have been evident early on in the season too. Besides, it's not like McKamey wasn't insane enough before turning into a poor mans S&M club, they were definitely one of the most insane places on the planet as it was.
Here's the video from Russ McKamey stating that they are in fact, turning the dial back a little:
Places like McKamey Manor, Freakling Brothes and others thrive on pushing the envelope and I give them a lot of credit for trying something new. However, when you make something so intense that even a 15 year Marine can't get through? Time to reevaluate what you're doing, that's not longer a haunt, it's not even close. That's just outright abuse and torture. There's nothing "fun" or "exciting" about being force fed, choked, or suffering hypothermia as happens these places. That's an accident waiting to happen and the haunt industry does not need it one bit. There's enough problems that happen on their own without almost willing it to happen with these scenarios.
Sure the people signed up for it, but they still don't know what they're fully getting into either. Brave, stupid or insane, gotta admire their spirit, but apparently that's not anywhere close to enough to handle something like this. Curious as to what all the hubbub is about? Here's a little video of a couple guys going through.
WARNING: This isn't easy to watch at all.
I give Russ a lot of credit for realizing that it was time to scale things back, but it never should've gotten to that point to begin with here. Hopefully the new version of McKamey Manor will be just as thrilling as it has been in the past for those who visit.
That said, I'm all for touch haunts and more interactivity, but there is a right way to do this and a wrong way. Making something so extreme that people have to be pre-screened to go through? That might be for some, but I'm pretty sure that 99% of the public won't want anything to do with it. Cater to them if you will, but don't be surprised that no one will make it through. Remember, it's supposed to be fun, not leaving folks with scars for life.
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