History Horrible / OTher

* [=BotCon=] was the world's largest ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' convention for decades until it was discontinued and replaced by [=HasCon=], a convention dedicated to all Hasbro franchises. '''[=BotCon=] 1996''' was the first and only [=BotCon=] overseen by Men In Black Productions. They announced a ''Film/PulpFiction'' theme, but abandoned it some time after. There was, however, a celebration of the 10th birthday of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersTheMovie'', including a screening on a TV and cake... but the VHS copy of the movie didn't work. The event was only (somewhat) salvaged when one of the guests managed to produce their own VHS copy. Even then, the cake was a generic sheet cake and had no forks, and the only drink was water. Attendees didn't get any lanyards or anything; identification was done with generic "Hi My Name Is..." stickers. While these were easy to forge, no one needed to -- Men In Black managed to run out, leading to people being able to walk in from the street. Website/TFWikiDotNet has more info [[https://tfwiki.net/wiki/BotCon_1996 here.]]

* '''''Theatre/WillysChocolateExperience''''', an unlicensed ''Literature/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory''-themed walkthrough event (and transparent ''Film/{{Wonka}}'' cash-in) held in Glasgow, Scotland in February 2024. The promotional website featured colorful, conspicuously AI-generated images (advertising such things as "[[PerfectlyCromulentWord catgacating]]", "exarserdray lollipops", and "a [[TyopOnTheCover pasadise]] of sweet [[AccidentalInnuendo teats]]") and promised "stunning and intricately designed settings" and "an array of delectable treats... throughout"; well worth the £35 ticket price. What visitors got instead was a dingy, almost bare warehouse with one bouncy castle, a handful of scattered props, and a plastic "chocolate river", with printed tarps and wrinkled bedsheets strung about as backdrops and partitions. The production was [[TroubledProduction/WillysChocolateExperience similarly disastrous]]: the cheaply-costumed actors were given one day to rehearse what one described as "15 pages of AI-generated gibberish", including WordSalad dialogue, impossible special effects, and ridiculous stage directions. No effort was made to provide for the script's rambling specifications; the actors were told to improvise--and, three performances in, to throw the script out completely. This reduced the length of the attraction from 45 minutes to two. One of the few things inexplicably retained from the script was an original character called The Unknown, "an evil chocolate maker who lives in the walls". The character was written as the storyline's antagonist but, in practice, only served to frighten small children. Despite the event's name, there was no chocolate to speak of: the Wonkidoodles (read: [[WritingAroundTrademarks not-Oompa-Loompas]]) were given one bag of jellybeans and a pallet of Tesco store-brand lemonade to portion out amongst all in attendance, at a candy station strewn with random bottles and lab equipment. The event was shut down midway through its first day, when irate customers called the police to report false advertising. Pictures of The Unknown and the [[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/oompa-loompa-bartender Wonkidoodle's actress in-between performances]] went [[MemeticMutation viral]] as symbols of the event's failings. The whole thing has one positive outcome: it allowed the Unknown's performer, Felicia Dawkins, to reprise her role for the Ride/LondonDungeon.

* Pillsbury is generally known for making high-quality food products that, at worst, [[BrokenBase are divisive amongst consumers]]. But one product which is almost unanimously agreed upon to be terrible is their '''2023 Creamy Supreme Cinnamon Bun Icing'''. While previous editions of the icing have been generally well-received, the 2023 batch was decidedly ''not'', with dozens of people going online to complain about knowing it was putrid from the moment they opened it, getting a powerful odor that some compared to walking into a nail salon. The taste only proved to be worse, as nearly everyone that tried it mentioned the chemical-like flavor, something akin to [[{{Squick}} bug repellent or gasoline]]. One reviewer even went so far as to say they would go to the ER to make sure they hadn't been poisoned by the stuff.[[note]]Given that no news reports have surfaced about anyone having to be hospitalized because of the icing, this claim cannot be confirmed.[[/note]] Many retailers were forced to sell the product at increasingly high discounts because of its unfavorable reputation, and even threw massive quantities of it out because it couldn't be moved. Though it's generally theorized that the product was somehow contaminated by chemicals or plastic before it was shipped and sold, it seems unlikely given that the ''entire'' batch of thousands of canisters seemed to be tainted rather than a select few, something that would never get by the FDA or even the company's own quality control, leaving the product's atrocious flavor a mystery.

* '''[=McKamey=] Manor''', at first, was a fairly typical haunted house experience that was popular in its neighborhood for many years, with a dog food entry fee to be donated to a dog shelter. In 2013, after the success of ''Blackout Haunted House'' due to its RefugeInAudacity and expansion to Los Angeles, the man running it, Russ [=McKamey=], retooled it with a focus for patrons to "experience a real horror movie". Like ''Blackout'', guests signed a waiver releasing them of legal liability-except there was a huge difference. Whereas ''Blackout'', while being physical and having themes of sexual assault, took the patrons' safety seriously, ''[=McKamey=] Manor'' hyper-focused on extremity to the point where ''very few people have experienced the whole haunt'', especially when it's [[MarathonLevel 4-7 hours long]]. They are also not allowed to leave freely. [[note]]By contrast, those at ''Blackout'' can shout "SAFETY!" if they want to leave, at which time the attraction stops immediately and they get escorted out of the maze by a guide.[[/note]] This retool was divisive, but also gained a cult following. However, it only got [[SerialEscalation more and more extreme]], with its 2016 iteration '''''The Chamber''''' being where it went too far. It took everything to downright unethical extremes, such as [[WaterTorture waterboarding]], forced haircuts, legit punching and choking, and '''''much''''' worse. Severe injuries, up to bone fractures and one person getting knocked unconcious, were reported. Several people accused it of "legal torture", and its reputation was worsened with Russ going on the warpath against its detractors, losing almost all supporters left as a result. In 2017, Russ moved to Tennessee and used [=GoFundMe=] to move the manor with him, and announced it with a twist, a $20,000 dollar reward for whoever makes it through the entire thing. [[note]]Despite asking for help with moving through a gofundme and also owing the city of San Diego over a quarter million in taxes.[[/note]] However, due to a combination of the State of Tennessee [[ScrewedByTheLawyers severely restricting the new version]] and seemingly being [[NoBudget out of money]], this version was so pathetic that Russ [=McKamey=] resorted to a "You're not fit to continue" excuse to not pay anyone. Primink made an in depth retrospective on its rise and fall [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFbjglH-vrU here]], J Aubrey [[https://youtu.be/Ozf3zpYTC7s unfavorably compares it]] to ''Series/SquidGame'', and Wendigoon also goes in depth on its history, as well as read out (what was likely) the actual 40-page waiver being (mostly) read out with very strange, contradictory clauses being noted out [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFjUMezv2bE here.]]

* '''[=McKamey=] Manor''', at first, was a fairly typical haunted house experience that was popular in its neighborhood for many years, with a dog food entry fee to be donated to a dog shelter. In 2013, after the success of ''Blackout Haunted House'' due to its RefugeInAudacity and expansion to Los Angeles, the man running it, Russ [=McKamey=], retooled it with a focus for patrons to "experience a real horror movie". Like ''Blackout'', guests signed a waiver releasing them of legal liability-except there was a huge difference. Whereas ''Blackout'', while being physical and having themes of sexual assault, took the patrons' safety seriously, ''[=McKamey=] Manor'' hyper-focused on extremity to the point where ''very few people have experienced the whole haunt'', especially when it's [[MarathonLevel 4-7 hours long]]. They are also not allowed to leave freely. [[note]]By contrast, those at ''Blackout'' can shout "SAFETY!" if they want to leave, at which time the attraction stops immediately and they get escorted out of the maze by a guide.[[/note]] This retool was divisive, but also gained a cult following. However, it only got [[SerialEscalation more and more extreme]], with its 2016 iteration '''''The Chamber''''' being where it went too far. It took everything to downright unethical extremes, such as [[WaterTorture waterboarding]], forced haircuts, legit punching and choking, and '''''much''''' worse. Severe injuries, up to bone fractures and one person getting knocked unconcious, were reported. Several people accused it of "legal torture", and its reputation was worsened with Russ going on the warpath against its detractors, losing almost all supporters left as a result. In 2017, Russ moved to Tennessee and used [=GoFundMe=] to move the manor with him, and announced it with a twist, a $20,000 dollar reward for whoever makes it through the entire thing. [[note]]Despite asking for help with moving through a gofundme and also owing the city of San Diego over a quarter million in taxes.[[/note]] However, due to a combination of the State of Tennessee [[ScrewedByTheLawyers severely restricting the new version]] and seemingly being [[NoBudget out of money]], this version was so pathetic that Russ [=McKamey=] resorted to a "You're not fit to continue" excuse to not pay anyone. Primink made an in depth retrospective on its rise and fall [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFbjglH-vrU here]], J Aubrey [[https://youtu.be/Ozf3zpYTC7s unfavorably compares it]] to ''Series/SquidGame'', and Wendigoon also goes in depth on its history, as well as read out (what was likely) the actual 40-page waiver being (mostly) read out with very strange, contradictory clauses being noted out [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFjUMezv2bE here.]]

* '''''Theatre/WillysChocolateExperience''''', an unlicensed ''Literature/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory''-themed walkthrough event (and transparent ''Film/{{Wonka}}'' cash-in) held in Glasgow, Scotland in February 2024. The promotional website featured colorful, conspicuously AI-generated images (advertising such things as "[[PerfectlyCromulentWord catgacating]]", "exarserdray lollipops", and "a [[TyopOnTheCover pasadise]] of sweet [[AccidentalInnuendo teats]]") and promised "stunning and intricately designed settings" and "an array of delectable treats... throughout"; well worth the £35 ticket price. What visitors got instead was a dingy, almost bare warehouse with one bouncy castle, a handful of scattered props, and a plastic "chocolate river", with printed tarps and wrinkled bedsheets strung about as backdrops and partitions. The production was [[TroubledProduction/WillysChocolateExperience similarly disastrous]]: the cheaply-costumed actors were given one day to rehearse what one described as "15 pages of AI-generated gibberish", including WordSalad dialogue, impossible special effects, and ridiculous stage directions. No effort was made to provide for the script's rambling specifications; the actors were told to improvise--and, three performances in, to throw the script out completely. This reduced the length of the attraction from 45 minutes to two. One of the few things inexplicably retained from the script was an original character called The Unknown, "an evil chocolate maker who lives in the walls". The character was written as the storyline's antagonist but, in practice, only served to frighten small children. Despite the event's name, there was no chocolate to speak of: the Wonkidoodles (read: [[WritingAroundTrademarks not-Oompa-Loompas]]) was given one bag of jellybeans and a pallet of Tesco store-brand lemonade to portion out amongst all in attendance, at a candy station strewn with random bottles and lab equipment. The event was shut down midway through its first day, when irate customers called the police to report false advertising. Pictures of The Unknown and the [[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/oompa-loompa-bartender Wonkidoodle's actress in-between performances]] went [[MemeticMutation viral]] as symbols of the event's failings. The whole thing has one positive outcome: it allowed the Unknown's performer, Felicia Dawkins, to reprise her role for the Ride/LondonDungeon.

* '''''Theatre/WillysChocolateExperience''''', an unlicensed ''Literature/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory''-themed walkthrough event and transparent ''Film/{{Wonka}}'' cash-in held in Glasgow, Scotland in February 2024. The promotional website featured colorful, conspicuously AI-generated images (advertising such things as "[[PerfectlyCromulentWord catgacating]]", "exarserdray lollipops", and "a [[TyopOnTheCover pasadise]] of sweet [[AccidentalInnuendo teats]]") and descriptions promising "stunning and intricately designed settings" and "an array of delectable treats... throughout"; well worth the £35 ticket price. What visitors got instead was a dingy, almost bare warehouse with one bouncy castle, a handful of scattered props, and wrinkled tarps bearing AI-generated images strung about as backdrops and partitions. The production was [[TroubledProduction/WillysChocolateExperience similarly disastrous]]: the cheaply-costumed actors were given no more than a day to rehearse a script one referred to as "15 pages of AI-generated gibberish" featuring nonexistent props, impossible special effects, and ridiculous stage directions. No effort was made to provide for the script's rambling specifications; the actors were told to improvise, and, three performances in, to throw the script out. This reduced the length of the attraction from 45 minutes to two. One of the few things inexplicably retained from the script was the original character The Unknown, "an evil chocolate maker who lives in the walls". The character was written as the storyline's antagonist but, in practice, only served to frighten small children. Despite the name, there was no chocolate to speak of; the Wonkidoodle (read: [[WritingAroundTrademarks not-Oompa-Loompa]]) was given one bag of jellybeans and a pallet of Tesco storebrand lemonade to portion out among all in attendance, at a candy station strewn with random bottles and lab equipment. The event was shut down midway through its first day when irate customers called the police to report false advertising. Pictures of The Unknown and the [[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/oompa-loompa-bartender Wonkidoodle's actress in-between performances]] went [[MemeticMutation viral]] as symbols of the event's failings. The whole thing has one positive outcome: it allowed the Unknown's performer, Felicia Dawkins, to reprise her role for the Ride/LondonDungeon.

** LetsPlay/{{Critikal}} highlighted everything wrong with the Juicero [[https://youtu.be/PCRx78Zhj7s while watching its instructional video.]]

* '''''Theatre/WillysChocolateExperience''''', an unlicensed ''Literature/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory''-themed walkthrough event and transparent ''Film/{{Wonka}}'' cash-in held in Glasgow, Scotland in February 2024. The promotional website featured colorful, conspicuously AI-generated images (advertising such things as "[[PerfectlyCromulentWord catgacating]]", "exarserdray lollipops", and "a [[TyopOnTheCover pasadise]] of sweet [[AccidentalInnuendo teats]]") and descriptions promising "stunning and intricately designed settings" and "an array of delectable treats... throughout"; well worth the £35 ticket price. What visitors got instead was a dingy, almost bare warehouse with one bouncy castle, a handful of scattered props, and wrinkled tarps bearing AI-generated images strung about as backdrops and partitions. The production was [[TroubledProduction/WillysChocolateExperience similarly disastrous]]: the cheaply-costumed actors were given no more than a day to rehearse a script one referred to as "15 pages of AI-generated gibberish" featuring nonexistent props, impossible special effects, and ridiculous stage directions. No effort was made to provide for the script's rambling specifications; the actors were told to improvise, and three performances in, to throw the script out. This reduced the length of the attraction from 45 minutes to two. One of the few things inexplicably retained from the script was the original character The Unknown, "an evil chocolate maker who lives in the walls". The character was written as the storyline's antagonist but, in practice, only served to frighten small children. Despite the name, there was no chocolate to speak of; the Wonkidoodle (read: [[WritingAroundTrademarks not-Oompa-Loompa]]) was given one bag of jellybeans and a pallet of Tesco storebrand lemonade to portion out among all in attendance, at a candy station strewn with random bottles and lab equipment. The event was shut down midway through its first day when irate customers called the police to report false advertising. Pictures of The Unknown and the [[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/oompa-loompa-bartender Wonkidoodle's actress in-between performances]] went [[MemeticMutation viral]] as symbols of the event's failings. The whole thing has one positive outcome: it allowed the Unknown's performer, Felicia Dawkins, to reprise her role for the Ride/LondonDungeon.

* '''''Theatre/WillysChocolateExperience''''', an unlicensed ''Literature/CharlieAndTheChocolateFactory''-themed walkthrough event and transparent ''Film/{{Wonka}}'' cash-in held in Glasgow, Scotland in February 2024. The promotional website featured colorful, conspicuously AI-generated images (advertising such things as "[[PerfectlyCromulentWord catgacating]]", "exarserdray lollipops", and "a [[TyopOnTheCover pasadise]] of sweet [[AccidentalInnuendo teats]]") and descriptions promising "stunning and intricately designed settings" and "an array of delectable treats... throughout"; well worth the £35 ticket price. What visitors got instead was a dingy, almost bare warehouse with one bouncy castle, a handful of scattered props, and wrinkled tarps bearing AI-generated images strung about as backdrops and partitions. Not only was the presentation disastrous, so was the [[TroubledProduction/WillysChocolateExperience production]]: the cheaply-costumed actors were given no more than a day to rehearse a script one referred to as "15 pages of AI-generated gibberish" featuring nonexistent props, impossible special effects, and ridiculous stage directions. No effort was made to provide for the script's rambling specifications; the actors were told to improvise, and three performances in, to throw the script out. This reduced the length of the attraction from 45 minutes to two. One of the few things inexplicably retained from the script was the original character The Unknown, "an evil chocolate maker who lives in the walls". The character was written as the storyline's antagonist but, in practice, only served to frighten small children. Despite the name, there was no chocolate to speak of; the Wonkidoodle (read: [[WritingAroundTrademarks not-Oompa-Loompa]]) was given one bag of jellybeans and a pallet of Tesco storebrand lemonade to portion out among all in attendance, at a candy station strewn with random bottles and lab equipment. The event was shut down midway through its first day when irate customers called the police to report false advertising. Pictures of The Unknown and the [[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/oompa-loompa-bartender Wonkidoodle's actress in-between performances]] went [[MemeticMutation viral]] as symbols of the event's failings. The whole thing has one positive outcome: it allowed the Unknown's performer, Felicia Dawkins, to reprise her role for the Ride/LondonDungeon.