Shutdown Corner - NFL

I'm open to the occasional twisted joke, but this one goes a little far, even for me.

Kings Island, an amusement park in Cincinnati, decided to include dead celebrities in their Halloween display, and one of those displays parodied deceased former NFL quarterback Steve McNair(notes).

A skeleton representing McNair, wearing a No. 9 jersey while sitting on a couch, is holding a Titans helmet with the top blown off, while a woman in red lingerie lays across his lap. There's a gun on the ground, near her body. On July 4th of this year, a woman named Sahel Kazemi killed McNair and herself in a murder-suicide.

Ha?

Word of the McNair display got out, and as you might have guessed, people did not react favorably. A spokesperson for Kings Island told Clay Travis of FanHouse that there would be no McNair display when the park opens its "Halloween Haunt" on Friday, after initially denying that it ever existed.

This article from WLWT in Cincinnati references the McNair display, as well as others of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ted Kennedy and Ed McMahon. You can see pictures of some of the displays here, including McNair.

Now, obviously, the people at King's Island are not the first people in history to make jokes about the recently deceased. Most of us have heard jokes about Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Patrick Swayze. Dead celebrity jokes, for better or worse, are an American tradition.

Most people, though, have the good sense to keep those jokes private. There's a pretty big difference between that, and creating huge displays mocking the dead, making these displays available to the general public and then profiting from them.

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163 Comments

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  1. Q
    1. Posted by Q Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:17 am EDT

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    too soon..
  2. Q
    2. Posted by Q Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:17 am EDT

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    too soon..
  3. ssj3vegeta2001
    3. Posted by ssj3vegeta2001 Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:20 am EDT

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    This is absolutely repulsive. There's really not much else to say about it.
  4. MASTER
    4. Posted by MASTER Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:21 am EDT

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    IT NEEDS A 40 oz COLT 45 AND A CRACK PIPE TOO. Is the OJ display still being made? A giant puddle of blood, two bodies, and him running for the white Bronco while dropping a glove that wasn't his.
  5. Sherry E
    5. Posted by Sherry E Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:21 am EDT

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    That's absolutely despicable and completely tasteless.
  6. David F
    6. Posted by David F Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:26 am EDT

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    Yea, but it's pretty funny in a sick, twisted, not funny at all kind-of way. Isn't it?
  7. dgilby
    7. Posted by dgilby Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:30 am EDT

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    That is pathetic.
  8. mmmmmmhmm
    8. Posted by mmmmmmhmm Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:37 am EDT

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    messed up
  9. Jason
    9. Posted by Jason Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:39 am EDT

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    This is awesome. Screw this country and its love affair with celebrity and sports.
  10. Dynamo38
    10. Posted by Dynamo38 Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:47 am EDT

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    Dang Cletus!
  11. brian b
    11. Posted by brian b Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:47 am EDT

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    Mcnair would be stoked. What an honor.
  12. Sean McBride
    12. Posted by Sean McBride Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:50 am EDT

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    The keep the jokes private or use the jokes as Pub Quiz team names.
  13. John
    13. Posted by John Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:50 am EDT

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    i think this is way to F!@#ed up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  14. Dynamo38
    14. Posted by Dynamo38 Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:51 am EDT

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    MJD,
    "I'm open to the occasional twisted joke, but this one goes a little far, even for me."
    So then you post a link to the other scenes? For real? You're either grossly incompetent or ignorant...possibly both. Keep up the good work though.
  15. HawkeyeGirl
    15. Posted by HawkeyeGirl Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:54 am EDT

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    Wow. I live in Cincinnati and honestly, I was horribly disappointed by the rides the one time I went. Half of them were broken down, and the people on staff were degrading and rude to the park goers.
    It doesn't surprise me at all that Kings Island would do something this classless. One more reason never to go back to that dump!
  16. Mitch
    16. Posted by Mitch Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:56 am EDT

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    Closer to Halloween it would have been fine. As it is, it seems out of context and heartless, but I'll bet there's bound to be guys dressed up as McNair zombies come at Halloween parties and parades.
  17. Phil M
    17. Posted by Phil M Thu Sep 24, 2009 12:06 pm EDT

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    There is no reason to go there at all. What ever happened to respect in this country?
  18. MeredithG
    18. Posted by MeredithG Thu Sep 24, 2009 12:14 pm EDT

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    If they wanted to show something scary that is related to the NFL, why don't they show re-runs of Bengal games? That scares me just thinking about it!
  19. MeredithG
    19. Posted by MeredithG Thu Sep 24, 2009 12:14 pm EDT

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    If they wanted to show something scary that is related to the NFL, why don't they show re-runs of Bengal games? That scares me just thinking about it!
  20. Mr. Z
    20. Posted by Mr. Z Thu Sep 24, 2009 12:24 pm EDT

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    What a warped society we have become. Add this place to the list of places I will never go. There is nothing awesome or funny about this. It is disrespectful to the deceased, but more importantly to the deceased persons family. How do you think Steve McNair's children would react to seeing that? It has nothing to do with this country's love affair with celebrity and sports. It is a lack of common decency which is becoming more and more common in this country.
  21. Broncosox fan
    21. Posted by Broncosox fan Thu Sep 24, 2009 12:33 pm EDT

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    OK, it can be funny to make fun of the recently deceased (Onion is the best at it). But honestly, this is sick AND not funny. Total fail.
  22. Nicholas M
    22. Posted by Nicholas M Thu Sep 24, 2009 12:47 pm EDT

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    I too am all about twisted jokes, and even mocking people "too soon", but that display is too much for me. Not that it's too soon, it's just not funny. Have a McNair exhibit if you want, just make it funny.
  23. David
    23. Posted by David Thu Sep 24, 2009 12:49 pm EDT

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    tasteless but what can you expect from a town that has a team with the ugliest color scheme of all.
  24. Willie Eaterbush
    24. Posted by Willie Eaterbush Thu Sep 24, 2009 1:55 pm EDT

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    Why would you make fun of someones passing? May karma get the correct people in the end
  25. J B
    25. Posted by J B Thu Sep 24, 2009 1:58 pm EDT

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    Tacky, and another reason to never go to Cincinnati. Also, nice job with the Titans flame on backwards. Was that also some attempt at a bad joke?

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