# Is this offensive?



## magicshelly (May 22, 2015)

Hello, We are going to be throwing a Zombie Prom this year. We are going all out with having temporary hard wood floors put in to it looks like a cheesy high school gym basketball court and doing a stage and all. I was thinking it would be funny to have a Baby Drop Box in the bathroom and put a zombie baby in it. Do you think this is too offensive?


----------



## pumpkinpie (Jul 9, 2011)

Oh my, I ran a similar post 2 years ago...regarding a costume....b prepared to b onslaughted with more than just opinions. I received more than a few private messages saying that a zombie costume (I wanted to wear in my home around my adult friends only) was some how poking fun of child molestation and child murders. 

So as for the response I got on this forum....I would say know your audience. If you think your friends wouldn't take it offensively than I say go for it. I myself do not find it the least offensive....


----------



## pumpkinpie (Jul 9, 2011)

Here's the costume I posted about, by the end of the post I almost cancelled the party. I didn't do this costume but most of my guests found out what I was supposed to b and we're actually disappointed I didn't do it...

That being said, regardless the response u get here u know your friends and what they will frown upon or not...so just do what makes u happy


----------



## The Stalk (May 5, 2015)

I agree with pumpkinpie here. I don't, personally, find the idea offensive, but I know some people might. I think pumpkinpie is right in that you need to know your audience. Good luck!


----------



## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

You know what would make that costume in the pic perfect? A zombie baby coming outta that hole. Or maybe she has it rigged in some fashion where we can't see the baby but that would just make that thing the best.

I repeat what others said, know your audience. I know if I did something like that I doubt many I'd invite would care & most likely be impressed. If it were a more realistic looking baby some may not find it funny, but if it's a Zombie Baby they might not have as much of a problem with it. 

There's also the question of timing too. If there's been a news story around the time of your party about such a horrible thing as a girl leaving a baby in a dumpster/bathroom/etc. or a murder where they tried to take the baby from the pregnant mom then maybe I'd rethink it only because it would be fresh in minds & may be too soon after such a thing.

Then there's also the belief that if you have to ask it most likely is. I don't subscribe to that, I still say know your audience.

At least you're just doing a prop that won't make or break your party.


----------



## Abunai (Jan 28, 2008)

The baby is in her left hand; attached by an umbilical cord. 
I saw a similar costume at TransWorld this year.
The best advice has already been given: Know your audience.


----------



## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

That looked like a bloody teddy bear to me!


----------



## fennyann (Sep 6, 2012)

I personally do not find it offensive. But I can see where others may be. Like other's suggested...know your audience. Good luck.


----------



## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Generally, if you have to ask if it's offensive, then you're already worried about it, so you should probably not do it.


----------



## SonofJoker (Aug 26, 2010)

If you think your friends would find it funny, then I say do it. I think it's hilarious personally. A great idea.


----------



## matrixmom (Oct 29, 2010)

Truthfully, if I saw this, we would probably excuse ourselves for one reason or another and leave. I wouldn't be rude about it. Don't like baby coffins and all that stuff either.


----------



## printersdevil (Sep 7, 2009)

I agree with matrixmom. I think it is too much. The idea of the bathroom or dumpster is definitely too far. IMHO


----------



## Stochey (Sep 22, 2009)

To me its not too far because it would be a zombie baby... as in the baby popped out trying to eat them ... so yeah, I'd probably go drop that baby off somewhere too! I find it cute and funny. 

Now if you had an actual baby doll in the trashcan in bathroom with like realistic looking birth gore ... I'd be really impressed and find it it offensively awesome ... however I would not advise you to do it because so many others may take offense but what you are talking about seems fine.


----------



## AudreynAshersMom (Jun 3, 2015)

I find it offensive. I don't mean to be a killjoy, but if I'm being honest... yeeaaah.


----------



## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

The responses in this thread are exactly why you need to know your audience. Some may love it, some won't. 

Once again, know your audience.


----------



## dixiemama (Sep 28, 2010)

I'm a little late on this response, but I agree with PumpkinPie. Know you audience. My brother in law has come as something very controversial twice...once he was a terrorist... with a bath towel on his head, painted brown, with bottles around his waste for bombs. He poked fun at the character and everyone gasped and then laughed their butts off. Last year he came as ISIS... with ISIS ISIS Baby on the front and the letters on the back in crayon and written like a Kindergartner wrote it. My sister came with him as ISIS the Egyptian goddess...it was hilarious. We even played ICE ICE BABY for him and he stole the show. So know your guests and it should be OK!


----------



## Kenneth (Feb 14, 2014)

Personally, I think it's an excellent idea and I chuckled a bit at the thought of it. I mean...it's Halloween...what's the difference in 
that and the severed limbs, corpses and zombie babies they sell at Spirit? But alas, i'm not someone who is easily offended so 
honestly if I were in your shoes I would look at NOT doing it as a missed opportunity. 

Again, just my opinion and I completely respect other's who disagree.


----------



## moony_1 (Sep 25, 2009)

Know your audience is definitely the beat advice. I have a dry sense of humor so it wouldn't bother me. That said, it could be very upsetting to someone if they have had a miscarriage or still birth etc. So again it all comes back to knowing your audience.


----------



## pumpkinking30 (Aug 27, 2012)

I don't think your idea is offensive at all. I tend to have a very dry, sarcastic sense of humor, so this makes perfect sense for me at a zombie prom. It pokes fun at a social issue that everyone knows about, but keeps under wraps regarding prom in general. Halloween has always been a time to poke fun at social issues (that's why we have politician masks) That said, I will repeat what others have already said, know your audience. If the people you plan to invite are super sensitive about this kind of thing, and you value their friendship, tone it down a bit (maybe leave the baby out of the equation), but if they are cool with it, and get the sense of humor there, go for it.


----------



## GiggleingGhost (Aug 10, 2014)

I don't think your idea is offensive but I do think it could have repercussions you may not realize could happen. Here's what happened to me and see what you think.

I worked in a Haunted House several years ago and my set was a grimy old kitchen. On the stove was a big old soup pot and in it was a skeleton of a child. I didn't think anything about it but a customer came in and burst into tears. She'd lost a child about a year ago and this was too shocking to her. She almost collapsed and had to be carried out. 

I for one would be concerned only because someone coming to the party may've unbeknownst to you and everyone else just miscarried or know of a child that has recently passed away. This is just me and only me . . . I don't want to take a chance on upsetting someone over something I could've left out. One thing I can sure tell you is that as long as I live I'll never forget the look of pain and soul crushing anguish on that woman's face. To this day I feel bad even though there was no way neither she nor I could've seen this coming.

That's just my .02 worth and I agree that you should know you're audience. I'm so glad you brought this topic up. It's good to have these discussions in an open and safe environment. 

GiggleingGhost . . . aka . . . GG


----------



## The Auditor (Apr 2, 2006)

Personal opinion...if you have to ask, you already know the answer.


----------



## Haunt On A Dime (Jul 28, 2015)

pumpkinpie said:


> View attachment 242069
> 
> 
> Here's the costume I posted about, by the end of the post I almost cancelled the party. I didn't do this costume but most of my guests found out what I was supposed to b and we're actually disappointed I didn't do it...
> ...


I'm not offended by that costum at all...disgusted due to the extreme graphic nature? Sure. But it is very creative and grossly done lol. I'd probably give it the grosest award at a costume contest. I say go for it this year. It makes me queasy.


----------



## frostytots (Jul 3, 2014)

That sounds awesome, and as long as your friends would dig it I think it would go great.


----------



## McBernes (Mar 10, 2015)

A lot of good points have been made, and I'll try not to repeat them. But to give you another opinion to increase your sample base to help decide to go for it or not here is mine. Since the dead baby scene in Trainspotting dead babies have freaked me out and i haven't watched that movie again in the 10+ years since I first saw it. Having said that, I later saw Brain Dead. It has a zombie baby in it. I thought it was hilarious. Later still I saw part of Z Nation, where the guy who played Link in one of the matrix movies (Harold Perrineau) is killed by a zombie baby. It was SO preposterous and poorly conceived I turned the show off right there.It wasn't scary, disturbing, or incensing to me; it was just lame. The big difference is the presentation and intent here. So for me a costume of a pregnant woman with a whole in her belly and a zombie baby reaching out, or bursting out isn't something I find horribly shocking. I've seen enough of that sort of theme done in enough different ways.
Now a Baby Drop Box is another matter. I think that intending for it to have a zombie theme; like it's a drop box for zombie babies, not unwanted babies who then become zombies could be Brain Dead-funny or Trainspotting disturbing. And either one of those is cool with me. My thinking is that few people are going to get past "Baby Drop Box". The mind will stop there without going into zombie anything and it could be perceived as trivializing dropping off unwanted babies and or abortion. Someone mentioned that it might be wise to be aware of local news about a baby being abandoned or anything similar. If you don't mind the chance that you might step into a local controversy including social media hate behaviour over perceptions of your display then go for it.
You could still incorporate zombie babies though in a less chancy way. Consider this idea: A zombie baby play area. It would be a cage for zombie teen mothers to keep their little bundles of evil out of the way while they party. A chicken wire or similar enclosure with some straw strewn about, some zombie baby props, some random gory body parts laying around in case they need a snack would be great. And again it be gory-funny, or gory-disturbing.


----------



## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

"Know your audience".. will you know the very personal feelings about child conception,miscarriages and their emotional state after the fact? I doubt it very much.
I know that i have a fairly different outlook on gore and the rest. I feel that unfortunately,many of us will be very close to those things at some point in our lives that i really don't need to see realistic phoney examples.
I have operated my Haunted House very well for 28 years without bloody displays or costumes or movie monsters or special effects purchased from someone else.
I guess I just like to do things my way?
If something here truly offends someone, i apologize as soon as i realize this, and mean it and hope I have not lost a customer for what i do here.
Do people become scared here? Yes. They also sometimes ask me to "Quit". Quit making them laugh so much because their face HURTS!
(This happened again just two nights ago.)


----------



## ichasiris (Aug 8, 2014)

Probably really depends on your friends and if one of the brings a sensitive guest, you'll just never know. I personally know my friends would think it was funny, they get my twisted sense of humor. I know a few people in my life that would not find it funny, but those people don't get invited, haha.

And I don't think it is offensive.


----------

