# Impaled ToTs -- Too Scary?



## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

What do you think? Too scary for front yard? Theoretically, or from personal experience with other things?


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Theoretically, it's in poor taste, IMO. I'd be curious as to what you would have this look like? small figures holding TOT bags impaled on stakes? Personally I try to get more kids to come to my house, not have them stay away or have their parents pass by because my display is gory or too intense. Not sure what the draw would be to such a display.


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

I'm with jdub. While I believe in the benefits of a good scare, I think it's important with little kids to keep perceived threats in the fantasy realm and not imply an actual threat to their lives. In pro haunts, with adults paying to go through, I say anything goes, but little kids don't have the judgement and reality/fantasy distinction that adults do. It's one thing to show bones and dead bodies; they see that on TV all the time. But to go out of your way to identify the murder victims as being little kids out trick or treating, just like them... I think at that point a line has been crossed. 

People who do displays that involve simulating young trick or treaters being killed or maimed I think are going too far. They aren't adults; I don't think they should be treated as adults. I made a couple of adults cry this Halloween and I have no problem with that; you knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred. It's a haunt. But kids don't have that same judgement. I still have a problem with people who think that they have to make little kids cry. Those kids may have anxiously waited for this night for months; push them too hard and you've completely ruined a child's Halloween. I can't personally imagine myself being proud of ruining a child's Halloween; the night's always been too special to me. Sure, some scenes may be so terrifying that some may cry. But implying a direct, personal threat isn't terrifying, it's terrorizing. I'm sure many of you disagree with me, and that's fine. But you're an adult, and they're little kids, and taking a callous, tough-guy stance with terrorizing little kids just seems like bullying to me. For what it's worth, just my opinion.
t


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

The closest we come to a TOT in danger is our small spider victim in a big web surrounded by big, relatively unrealistic spiders. The victim is clearly child sized and it holds a Halloween bag, but in all the years we've had it up, no one has ever had a problem with it because the scene appears humorous rather than frightening. This year, our neighbor's grandchild did her first TOT in the neighborhood (she's around 2-3 years old), and we walked her through everything in the yard while we were setting up so she wouldn't be afraid to come to our house. We showed her the spiders and let her pet them so she could see how soft and gentle they were. She told us yesterday she couldn't wait for next Halloween to come.

Personally, I am not a fan of torture or gore scenes in a Halloween display, although they are popular for more adult-oriented haunts. I agree with JD and Rev that terrifying a child should not be the aim of a display; adults can take their chances. We strive for the fun scare, and we go out of our way to help a small child who is afraid to come up to the door to feel comfortable (I held hands with one little girl and walked up with her, and Spooky1 let a little boy use the remote to trigger the zombie grave escape).


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

Regardless of the moral issue that someone should know better than to do it...I'd presume there's a liability issue as well.


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

I also tend to agree with everyone so far. A little fright for a TOTer is one thing, but to show one in danger or in your case maybe dead is a bit over the top. Rev is right, they are not adults and don't think as adults. Fantasy an reality on Halloween nite are divided by a thin line. I would be a bit more careful about what you show them. TOT gore is to much.


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## Dr Morbius (Sep 21, 2004)

I agree with Rev...Don't do it. If you must impale, show the victims as Bible thumping Halloween haters. Well, there I go again, giving bad advice. I meant Impale them on Satanic pitchforks.


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## Departed_Studios (May 18, 2008)

lol It's DEFINITELY going to far.. But I love it. I'll say this.. If you're gonna take Halloween to an extreme, I'd rather have you go to the scary and taboo.. Then to the cutesy crap... I have a track on my last CD that starts with trick or treaters ringing a doorbell and giggling, only to be dragged under the porch screaming by a beast.... Grinding them in his teeth... My wife thought it was over the top, especially since it's our children playing the roll of the ToTs! lol.. But hey, it's Halloween.. Kudos to you for trying the scare kids. It's sickos like you who make it fun! I mean that as a compliment!


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

Smaller skeletons with treat bags and maybe masks came to mind. No blood and not full-on mannequins. Just brainstorming. Seemed excessive, that's why I asked.

Back yard, maybe.


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## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

Well... I dunno... I have a scene from Hansel and Gretel that I gave a Sweeney Todd twist. Mrs. Lovett is the witch, the gingerbread house is her pie shop. The sign says, "Witch. Lovett's sweet pies, come on in my little sweeties". There are three pies in the window with label cards. One says, "sugar and spice", one says,"snaps and snails", and the other says, "judge". Perhaps I'm lucky that no one seemed to understand it. My neighbors have an entire scene with a ToTs in a giant web, giant spiders, and a sign that says, "trick or treaters beware". They also have a graveyard of the victim Tots. Then again, we didn't impale anyone. lol.


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

When I try to imagine what is horrifying, the worst things come to mind first.


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## Joiseygal (Sep 3, 2008)

I have gore in my display, but I think impaling a child is a little over the top. I have kids go though my haunt and enjoy seeing the props that are gory, but I also have kids that think it is gross. I try to throw different things in like singing pumpkins, the Hallowindow and than the gory props. I think it usually helps to have different things to please everyone. I think singing pumpkins is as cutesy as I get.


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

Maybe good for when you run out of candy.

I am kidding, of course. A little overboard, for a kid friendly haunt, but I did see someone who had some TOT figures as props in his haunt. I believe they were just standing there in costume, looking sort of spooky, in the way that only little kids can.


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## Dead Things (Apr 4, 2009)

Hard to say what is over the top. One of the kid's on our block who plays with my daughter wouldn't come over on Halloween night for treats and she has been to our house a dozen or more times this Oct (I set up the first weekend in Oct). Her mom came by and said they tried to get her to go up between two adults and she wouldn't. I don't use gore but I do use a heavy creepiness factor. I don't try to make kids cry but sometimes they do. Some parents have dragged a screaming, bawling child to my door for candy. A skeleton impaled may not be as terrorizing as a blood dripping costumed ToT.


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

I do think it would be pushing the envelope. For us, impaled ToTs (or impaled anyone) would going too far. It's just not our style. We want the kiddies to be scared, but not too scared to come to the door.


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## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

Revenant said:


> I made a couple of adults cry this Halloween and I have no problem with that; you knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred.


Off-topic, I know, but it's alway nice to see another Super Chicken fan. Jay Ward was one of the best.

Regarding the impaled TOTs, it seems a bit rough to me but I don't do any gore at all. Heck, I have enough trouble getting the kids to make it to the front door as it is!


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## DeathTouch (Sep 6, 2005)

How about a static TOT being chased. That could work.


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## Spartan005 (Mar 13, 2007)

Yeah I agree with deathtouch. As long as you don't show any actual harm to the kid in the display, then you're fine. But showing an impaled child is absoltuly 100% over the top... just don't do it. You don't even see dead kids in R rated horror movies, and especially not in halloween displays. 

I try and keep anything that is displayed on the front lawn to a PG-13 rating. Inside the house is a different story


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

In case some of y'all missed my other posts...I was thinking small skeletons, not bloody bodies of kids. I prefer haunts without blood anyway.

I got this image of a really big, really mean looking pumpkin, sitting nearby Linus' shirt and shoes and "Welcome Great Pumpkin" sign, and it went from there to more disturbing places.

Don't be put off by all my questions please, I just analyze a lot of angles before getting off the ground, and prefer to put my own spin on things, which is usually a disturbing slant.

Thanks everyone, by the way.


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## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

Oh, I see...I was picturing the "head on a pike" or a kid-on-a-meathook type of display.

Well, I use a Mr. Thrifty skellie dressed as a little dead girl. She sits in a rocking chair and sings to her doll on Halloween night. I haven't had any adverse comments about her, but she does get a lot of stares.


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## RandalB (Jun 8, 2009)

Rahnefan said:


> I got this image of a really big, really mean looking pumpkin, sitting nearby Linus' shirt and shoes and "Welcome Great Pumpkin" sign, and it went from there to more disturbing places.


That just made my Haunted Gym venue for next year....

IMO skeletons with TOT bags is not over the top. I've seen the crate with the skele's and the "Bad TOT'ers from last year" sign and it's a classic. I've also seen a wolfman ani holding a TOTer by the ankles with a pile of candy underneath him.

As long as it isn't all blood/body parts it's fair game in my book.

I personally had a large fake mousetrap baited with a chocolate bar on the driveway this year...very popular.

RandalB


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

RandalB said:


> I personally had a large fake mousetrap baited with a chocolate bar on the driveway this year...very popular.
> 
> RandalB


Now THAT's just plain cool. I'm assuming that you have a picture of that and please lets see it...?!?!!?


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## Evil Bob (Sep 1, 2005)

At one point of my haunted career I wanted to make a writhing ToT being pecked by vultures. My then wife nixed the idea. Probably a good thing, in retrospect.


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## The Archivist (May 31, 2009)

I had sent an idea to T2Dive about creating an ordinary looking pumpkin patch but have a skeleton wearing a decayed striped shirt and black shorts gripping a sign that said "Welcome, Great Pumpkin!" partially emerged from the ground. (I guess that would make it a groundbreaker?) I may make this when I start on my Miniature Scene.


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## RandalB (Jun 8, 2009)

Revenant said:


> Now THAT's just plain cool. I'm assuming that you have a picture of that and please lets see it...?!?!!?


Let me see what I've got... With taking everything down and putting it away I haven't gotten around to downloading the camera yet, but I'm sure Pics were taken...

RandalB


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

I must have taken total leave of my faculties...I remember there was a brutal attack that occurred in an elementary school, 7 years ago, only walking distance from here (I didn't live here then, so the news was "somewhere else"). Nope, not gonna even do small skeletons or anything like it. I had other ideas, none of them gorey but very frightening and artsy, I thought. Not feeling it now.


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## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

Is this excessive?










I dunno, but I think this gives the possibility of getting away or being over the top.
Its weird because if you said a monster was eating a tot I'd say go for it, because that would never happen, but impaling a kid on a stick, that could happen.

I'd say if your gonna go for it, make it funny. That should deflect some of the uncomfortable horror of it.


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

Thanks but, I'm not gonna do anything DC. See the post just before yours.

The more I think of it, the more respect I have for all you veteran haunters. Disturbing ideas come easy. Scaring someone without offending them, not so much. And I don't do funny. Not well anyway.


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## Devils Chariot (May 23, 2007)

Rahnefan said:


> Thanks but, I'm not gonna do anything DC. See the post just before yours.
> 
> The more I think of it, the more respect I have for all you veteran haunters. Disturbing ideas come easy. Scaring someone without offending them, not so much. And I don't do funny. Not well anyway.


I see. I posted before I got to page three!

I think your gonna be ok Rahn, from what I have seen so far you got scary and cool down, so just go from there.


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