UPDATE:
With Halloween season in full swing, haunted houses across the country are looking for ways to stand out, pushing the limits of their victims with new kinds of scares. Though many have recently opted to take a hands-on approach, getting physical with willing participants, the Shocktoberfest Scream Park in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania has gone an entirely new direction, daring visitors to bare it all.
Shocktoberfest owner Patrick Konopelski created the Naked and Scared Challenge to give his guests an opportunity to face the most basic fear of all: nudity. While walking through a haunted house called The Unknown, adding to its many sudden startles and surprises is the chance to strip down, leaving little left to protect participants from the horrors within. The idea was inspired by Discovery Channel’s “Naked and Afraid” TV series.
When we first shared the Naked and Scared Challenge announcement, the story brought tens of thousands of intrigued visitors to this site. But as the news drew the attention of even bigger blogs as well as mainstream media, we knew we had to truly cover this unique event (so to speak).
So I sent in local cameraman Josh Keim with HD night vision equipment, together with a group of eager “Naked and Scared” challengers who dared to not only take off their clothes for the haunted house, but for our camera as well, letting us record every scantily-clad scream. The result is a fantastically entertaining Halloween time video quite unlike any before, complete with carefully placed blurs to keep it all “work safe.”
Watch the vivid video below, then read on to find out whether getting naked really did enhance the eeriness of the experience or if it was all just a cheap thrill.
Sadly, the full Naked and Scared Challenge was never quite met - but not for lack of interest. Though there was meant to be both “nude” and “prude” options, letting participants decide whether to keep their underwear on or go for the fully naked experience. But after the unusual event drew so much media attention, plenty of prudish outrage followed causing city officials to prevent Konopelski from putting on the “nude” portion of the event.
Our group was willing and ready to take it all off in the name of a little Halloween fun, instead stifled by threats of the event being shut down. So while the video above gives the impression of what a naked haunted house experience would be like, all participants were indeed wearing the required undergarments.
Many guys and girls alike have come to Shocktoberfest’s defense, expressing disappointment publicly on their Facebook page. “How many other people could say they went through a haunted house with friends conpletely naked!! Live a little. I had a whole group ready to come and do it naked,” wrote one eager female. “Yet another freedom stifled by media hype,” added another. “People are way too sensitive now a days. The point is to take you out of your comfort zone to make it a scarier experience,” succinctly summarized a male Shocktoberfest fan.
Konopelski is hopeful he can convince the city to allow him to offer the full event next year, as originally intended. In the meantime, the “almost naked” challenge remains.
Even while wearing underwear, our group of victims unanimously and positively recommended the experience. Though being only half naked didn’t expose our group to new fears nearly as much as the fully nude challenge would have, some still felt more vulnerable while facing Shocktoberfest’s scares, each leaving with a different memorable moment that got under their skin the most.
And never once was the experience inappropriate in any way, with Shocktoberfest offering nothing but professionalism from the moment the first shirt was removed all the way through to the end of the event. Individuals or small groups can go through together without any fear of being in close contact with others outside of the haunted house actors and staff. And while we had special permission to film inside this experience, cameras are strictly prohibited, ensuring everyone’s private parts remain just that.
The Naked and Scared Challenge was never meant to be sexual, only to offer a way for thrill seekers to face a different sort of fear. Perhaps next year the necessary actions will be taken to let Shocktoberfest visitors take it all off in the name of Halloween. But in the meantime, those still interested in going almost all the way can be assured they’ll still have a good time.
http://www.insidethemagic.net/2013/09/video-naked-haunted-house-debuts-at-shocktoberfest-scream-park-as-eye-popping-nearly-nude-halloween-experience/