Cedar Point to rename 2 attractions after protests
Advocates said language offensive to mentally ill
8/19/2011SANDUSKY -- Criticized last year by a group that advocates on behalf of the mentally ill, Cedar Point says it will rename two attractions for its upcoming HalloWeekends operations to ones that are less offensive.
At issue was a haunted house called "Dr. D Mented's Asylum for the Criminally Insane" and an indoor show called "The Edge of Madness -- Still Crazy."
Members of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio last year complained that the Sandusky amusement park stereotyped those with mental illness by giving two Halloween attractions names that the advocacy group said were offensive to the mentally ill and their families and inspired fear and misunderstanding by the general public.
Cedar Point spokesman Robin Innes said Thursday the park decided to address the criticism this year.
"We knew they were upset with some of the names," he said. "We didn't change them last year but we have changed them for this year."
"Dr. D Mented's Asylum" has been renamed the "Eternity Infirmary," while "The Edge of Madness" has been changed to "The Edge of Madness -- Six Feet Under," Mr. Innes said.
The renamed attractions will make their debut when Cedar Point's HalloWeekends opens on Sept. 16. The park's Halloween-themed makeover will run each Friday-Sunday until Oct. 30.
The man who spearheaded the criticism last year, Terry Russell, interim executive director of the advocacy group, said he was pleased with Cedar Point's decision. "NAMI Ohio is extremely thankful to them for doing that and our organization now fully supports their Halloween activities," he said.