I understand that it’s not what people are looking for in a haunted house, but
A representatives from the park, Jeremy Caudill, says he was “shocked” and “appalled” and that the employees “who worked in the area where the incident allegedly occurred have been suspended” while they investigate. “Obviously, rape is a horrible act,” he said. “Even a mock rape scene has no place as part of any entertainment.”
Being killed and eaten by monsters is a primal, though absurd, fear. Rape isn’t, though for those individuals perpetrating this, it obviously was seen as being on the same level (something horrible, but in a totally abstract way) with being eaten by zombies.
First, this happened, not in the extreme haunted house, where you have to sign a waiver to go in, but in the regular one, where you DON’T have to sign a waiver and there is an expectation that they will not touch you while you go through.
If it were me, even if I read “situations could involve mock rape of participants by a live actor” on a waiver, I would give it a firm NOPE.
Like @Shuck wrote, there’s a difference between being killed and eaten by monsters and being raped. Rape is something that happens to a lot of people, while being chased by a dude with a chainsaw or pursued by zombies is not, so it is easier to suspend your disbelief in that regard.
Yeah, there’s a big difference between “shoulder grabbed with a loud scream” for a jump-scare, and “pushed onto a mattress and thrust against”. I have to wonder if these a-holes got the shit kicked out of them a few times in doing this.
Scary is one thing. This crosses the line to actual sexual assault. Once the “no” was ignored that goes double or triple. If you don’t understand the distinction between fake blood and real sexual assault I am sorry for you.
Not only that. If someone was to simulate rape, it goes directly to he hippocampus and can be as traumatic as if an actual physical rape was committed. Traumatizes a male or female forever. The whole idea is disturbing.
Every time I hear something about a haunted house employee going further than they should, especially at one of the X-TREEEME ones with signed waivers, my contention, that these places exist only for sadists or sociopaths to exercise their proclivities on people who have technically consented, is reinforced. As is my decision to never, never enter one. Yeesh.
And seem to forget that consent can be revoked at any time. As soon as someone says “No” (or the mutually agreed-upon word or words that =“No”) the other party(ies) stops. Anything else is entirely unacceptable, I don’t care what waiver you signed. Legally (in any sane jurisdiction, at least) that waiver only applies up to the point of revocation (you must actually do so), and even legitimate “extreme” haunted houses have quick exits you can be escorted to, if you revoke that consent (the waiver covers them for anything that happened to that point, and anything accidental on the way out).