by Bella Black
My favourite movie of all time is Jaws. It’s Spielberg’s original summer blockbuster and one of the most recognizable thrillers. One thing about it being my favourite is that my body instinctively knows when to crouch into my seat, bringing my knees up to my chest, so that I can avoid the Ben Gardner jumpscare, seconds away from floating onto the screen. I could never tolerate other horror films. They felt too real to me. The intense gore, the expressions. It’s a compliment to the work that goes into these projects, but I could never sit through one to fully praise it. A rubbery shark is my boundary. Despite its legacy in the genre, Jaws, to me, is relaxed. Its suspense lies in the dilemmas of the characters and Williams’s iconic score lurking under the surface. Its occasional gore is eerily tolerable to that of Terrifer or Saw. This fear of jumpscares or slashers kept me cautious around Spirit Halloween animatronics, and I always kept to the edge of the curb along Clifton Hill, nervous that my relatives would want to tug me into its haunted houses.
I am an incredibly anxious person. My body is rigged with sensitive lasers, and when one jolt trips it up, my brain blares like a siren rushing down Richmond. Despite my caution around the scare aspects, Halloween has to be one of my favourite holidays. I love it for its pop culture, its art, its overall aesthetic. Being independent in University gave me more chances to fully experience the Halloween I wanted as a kid. The costumes, the festivals, even a chocolate box to myself. But I’m still not free from how guarded I feel when I attend these events. The quick steps past its haunted house, eyes wide and looking for movement in that dark-tarp opening. So when I found out about No Boo Necklaces, I was relieved…. partly.
No Boo Necklaces are a relatively new concept being established for the relief of guests during Halloween attractions. Notable events such as Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights and Canada’s Wonderland’s Halloween Haunt utilize these light up lanyards that are easily identifiable to tell scare actors that its wearer would not like to be scared. These events don’t just confine their terror to designated houses or mazes, but instead have actors roaming the park, immersing guests in the experience. Canada’s Wonderland states on their site that the usage of these lanyards is only permissible in these walkable scare zones; if a guest would like to try braving a house or maze, the necklace is turned off for the purpose of the experience.
I said that I was only partly relieved by this because these necklaces have caused a debate on online platforms like Reddit and TikTok. There’s the argument that wearing these defeats the purpose of attending. Some believe the demographic that wears these are children who have been brought by their horror-enthused parents and should be left at home. On the side of the necklaces, some advocate for disabled and neurodiverse guests who are passionate about Halloween and have sensory sensitivities that would be harmed during these scares. Being a magazine that connects students to information, I decided to set up a student poll, to see what our community thinks of these lanyards. The poll had garnered 16 responses. When I asked if they knew prior of these necklaces, 50% had not heard of them while the other 50% were aware. When asked about scares at prior halloween events, 74% did not enjoy being scared.
Just like the opinions online, I asked the participants for their views on the debate: did they think it defeated the purpose of attending, or do they successfully accommodate guests? All participants agreed that it did not defeat the purpose.
“I don’t think it defeats the purpose, it’s quite innovative since everyone tolerates different levels of fear,” one answered. One even replied that these necklaces help the actor with “improving” in these scenarios and add “depth” to their characters. Despite agreeing, one response worries that these necklaces may not work due to an actor scaring from behind. Another states that there should be responsibility from both parties, as most of the “scare factor” starts after sunset and guests should know what they’re getting into. Most of the perspectives shared my exact feelings on these events. Many attend for the costumes, the atmosphere, the food, the activities, the films. In thinking about what I wrote earlier, this response summed it up.
“It should be enjoyable for everyone. Even those who don’t enjoy being scared for whatever reason. I feel like the fear you feel when watching a scary movie at home is much different than that of someone running up to you and scaring you. I can handle movies, not the real life experience.”
It begs the question: Is the act of being scared a core part of the Halloween holiday? Although horror films are a large pillar in its celebration, most of these responses didn’t singularly focus on it but mentioned a wide variety of activities. In the end, 56% voted that they would not use a No Boo Necklace despite their appreciation of it. I guess I’ll have to boost up that 43% who would, so this Halloween Haunt I’ll see you there…
By the Count Snoopy meet and greet.