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It's in frighteningly bad taste, but one amusement park is hoping its celebrity graveyard will thrill - and shock - visitors this Halloween.
Kings Island Amusement Park's Halloween Haunt features skeletal renditions of various celebrities, including Heath Ledger surrounded by pill bottles, Farrah Fawcett in her iconic red tank top, pitchman Billy Mays, and a pajama-clad Michael Jackson.
"You're gonna see Ted Kennedy, Ed McMahon, and there's still other ones yet to be placed," Kings Island spokesman Don Helbigtold Cincinatti NBC affiliate WLWT.
The fright-fest at the Ohio park also contained a depiction of slain NFL quarterback Steve McNair and his mistress Sahel Kazemi - an exhibit that has since been pulled from the display, Fanhouse.com reports.
The scene contained a skeleton representing McNair, wearing his NFL jersey, sat on a couch, with a lingerie-clad skeleton representing Kazemi sprawledacross his lap. The display also featured a Titans helmet with the top blown off, Fanhouse.com reports, and a gun at the skeletons' feet.
The display came under scrutiny as WLWT's videos circled the Internet - and drew fire from football fans in Nashville.
Fanhouse.com quotes Nashville radio host George Plaster as saying,"I don't think the city is going to take it well at all . . . This is a city that prides itself on having some taste and values, and I just can'tsee anything about what they're doing that has any good taste at all. I was shocked and totally appalled, and I think most people in Nashville are aswell."
Outraged callers flooded his Wednesday evening show.
Perhaps sensing a bigger brewhaha than they'd bargained for, Kings Island spokesman Helbig told Fanhouse, "There will not be a scene at ourHalloween event that features Steve McNair or anyone that resembles him."
When initially contacted, Helbig reportedly denied a McNair-themed display ever existed. "There was no reference to Steve McNair at all. No jersey,nothing," he said.
After being told that the images were already circulating online, Helbig is said to have told Fanhouse.com, "Our event does not open until Friday ...we meant him no disrespect."
Kings Island is located in Mason, about 20 miles from Cincinnati.
A statement on its Web site concerning Halloween Haunt warns:
"Parents, be advised: Halloween Haunt includes graphic scenes, suggestive themes and intense imagery and is intended for mature audiences; notrecommended for children. No one and nothing is off limits!"
It's in frighteningly bad taste, but one amusement park is hoping its celebrity graveyard will thrill - and shock - visitors this Halloween.
Kings Island Amusement Park's Halloween Haunt features skeletal renditions of various celebrities, including Heath Ledger surrounded by pill bottles, Farrah Fawcett in her iconic red tank top, pitchman Billy Mays, and a pajama-clad Michael Jackson.
"You're gonna see Ted Kennedy, Ed McMahon, and there's still other ones yet to be placed," Kings Island spokesman Don Helbigtold Cincinatti NBC affiliate WLWT.
The fright-fest at the Ohio park also contained a depiction of slain NFL quarterback Steve McNair and his mistress Sahel Kazemi - an exhibit that has since been pulled from the display, Fanhouse.com reports.
The scene contained a skeleton representing McNair, wearing his NFL jersey, sat on a couch, with a lingerie-clad skeleton representing Kazemi sprawledacross his lap. The display also featured a Titans helmet with the top blown off, Fanhouse.com reports, and a gun at the skeletons' feet.
The display came under scrutiny as WLWT's videos circled the Internet - and drew fire from football fans in Nashville.
Fanhouse.com quotes Nashville radio host George Plaster as saying,"I don't think the city is going to take it well at all . . . This is a city that prides itself on having some taste and values, and I just can'tsee anything about what they're doing that has any good taste at all. I was shocked and totally appalled, and I think most people in Nashville are aswell."
Outraged callers flooded his Wednesday evening show.
Perhaps sensing a bigger brewhaha than they'd bargained for, Kings Island spokesman Helbig told Fanhouse, "There will not be a scene at ourHalloween event that features Steve McNair or anyone that resembles him."
When initially contacted, Helbig reportedly denied a McNair-themed display ever existed. "There was no reference to Steve McNair at all. No jersey,nothing," he said.
After being told that the images were already circulating online, Helbig is said to have told Fanhouse.com, "Our event does not open until Friday ...we meant him no disrespect."
Kings Island is located in Mason, about 20 miles from Cincinnati.
A statement on its Web site concerning Halloween Haunt warns:
"Parents, be advised: Halloween Haunt includes graphic scenes, suggestive themes and intense imagery and is intended for mature audiences; notrecommended for children. No one and nothing is off limits!"
