LMAO! i JUST said that is why i watch her content even though i have no intention of going to any of these events. LOLOL 😂 i like the way you worded it better though!
Red painted walls are known to make people uncomfortable. It’s why many businesses paint bathrooms red so employees won’t stay in there too long. I can’t imagine why a hotel would chose that scheme.
@@0katsuki0 Red in a familiar space can be warm and engaging. Red in an unfamiliar, especially rentable space can be set off alarms and prompt thoughts of bloody murder scenes. Also The Shining exists so hotels and motels got that to thank for some color associations.
We vended at this and it was a NIGHTMARE. Terrible managment, the owner was so rude, many of us were complaining because we drove 4-5 hours and spent hundreds on hotels and made 60$ the whole weekend. Many of us are also con veterans who usually pull in a couple thousand each event and were told and i qoute "to smile more" and that all of our product was the problem when we had to come together ro make signs directing traffic to vendors. Meanwhile the few people that got to our booth complained they didnt even know there were vendors, that the "celebrity" photos were like 50$ a pop, they weren't even given any schedule of when speakers would be talking, the first day they didn't even have microphones, they didn't let us unload/setup until the morning of which caused HOURS of backup and most of us in our area were still setting up 3 hours into the event, the 250$ spots had 20 people walk by, the attendance tickets were like 200$ and they gave out last years badges with 2022 on them, they flew these horrible drones around spraying everything with mud and dirt, had ONE food vendor with a 1 hour line--when we were promised "many". So many of us complained but were ignored and insulted. They didn't even give us chairs to sit on for 3 hours into the event. The "mid-level" spots were legit rows of banquet tables with dirty table cloths, no display space, (and after we finally got set up the owner threw a fit and tried to force us to vend out from under the giant tent we paid bc there was only room for 25 chairs for the speakers) for many of us were missing from the sign in info--the problems were ENDLESS. Never again. The WORST con i have ever vended. The owner was heinous to ANYONE who said anything negative--this was a disaster. I honestly dont know why anyone even attended--they got nothing for their money but basic overcrowded tours, insane autograph fees, and the same 5 speakers repeated all weekend. Nightmare. And i get the vibe its bc they cut corners by not hiring an ACTUAL event coordinator and tried to do it all themselves--it was like watching a lizard try to repair a jet engine while high. We watched Jack Osborne pulled a crowd of 50 ppl bc no one knew he was speaking. The management acted like we were crazy when alot of their attendees were the ones wandering around and complaining to us. The vendors were having meetings about how awful it was.
@@cantevenandrew thank you!! Me too! I have so many stories about that weekend! The owner spit on the ground at me, people near us had their stuff ruined by the giant holes in the tent leaking everywhere, the vendor fb was HEAVILY moderated/censored, the drone dirt ruined peoples art/product, a seller across from us was selling STOLEN artwork printed off pintrest and IG--truly the worst event i have endured.
Even just the video of the black tent looked like it was a nightmare to be vending under, especially with rain. I hope that you can recover the loss on this event because it's *awful* to have to deal with shitty organizers.
Well, that's a interesting thing to read while living in an 1800s home with scary bad wiring 😮 I'm still more concerned about the fire risk haha, but now I know there's a reason other than "lol ghosts" to buy an emf reader
To your Facebook point, even if they're going to use Facebook they also need to use every other communication channel they've been using for important info. That's basic event planning.
I went to a convention that was entirely advertised and managed through facebook... and the people there were wondering how to get more young people to go. They were so excited when my group's instagram posts alone attracted another small group of people our age who were in the area. Maybe start with a website and also not requiring people *mail in checks* for their tickets.
@@CainXVII If you've ever sent anything through the mail ever it's just like that where you address and stamp an envelope then you just put a check in the envelope and you send it.
It is very refreshing to see Disabled history candidly discussed, (both in the convention and by Amanda). It is so so often just brushed under the rug, and despite the ghost tours, having the horrible parts of disabled history shared and shown and discussed is so important, and something so many shy away from.
Hearing the guides contextualize the behavior of the more notorious wings/patients entirely under the assumption that they were *humans* with unfulfilled needs and strategies that they knew would help get their needs fulfilled made me so happy. The romanticism behind “asylum,” aesthetic is so dehumanizing and cruel, and I love that they refuse to buy into just to sell the vibe. Also the woman who shared her own experience in a facility that provided her with a place to spend some of her most formative years in care she may not have received otherwise was lovely. The history of mental healthcare is extremely rocky and fraught, but it is rarely entirely dark and grim, even if the methods were misguided it is very unlikely that everyone who worked at this facility was disinterested in the wellbeing of their patients/residents. So much room to improve, but if even 2% of the patients benefitted from the facility, that’s worth noting!
I'm a convention vendor, and poor traffic is the bane of my existence--and livelihood. Always make sure the vendor's room is CLEARLY noted (not just "oddities" or "treasures," but "Vendors' Room") and there's signage to it. Make sure it's arranged so traffic flows easily. (I've been in two conventions where they only opened one set of doors, onto a straight alley of vendors. Only that alley saw business.) Events need to remember that people looooove a good vendors' room, even if just to browse, and if the vendors don't make money, we don't come back!
That's a good point! If i was at an event and heard there was an "oddities room", I'd assume it would be artifacts or other things on display, not vendors with things you can buy. So i might be less inclined to go check it out than if it was clearly called a "vendors room"
As someone with a lot of interest in disability history, especially as regards the history of intellectual disability, I started this episode going "they held Paracon *where?!?!* D:" I was really glad to hear that the history was contextualized for the attendees, and especially that they had actual Pennhurst residents talk to the guests. Still too sad about Pennhurst and the immense weight of its history and of places like it to finish the video at this time. For more firsthand information about Pennhurst I really recommend the book "Lost in a Desert World" by disability activist and former Pennhurst resident Roland Johnson.
I'm glad they were respectful. I'm glad they had patients there. History is alive and well, as is the narrative that allowed Pennhurst to happen, unfortunately. We still have a long way to go. I appreciate the video, for a while, as a disabled person, I've wanted to go, but the idea of people gawking at a collective trauma skeeved me out, now that I know it's not the case, I feel far more comfortable with the idea of going. I know you're talking about the organization, or rather disorganization of the con, but the respect for the history lingering in the space really stood out to me.
Same here. Glad Amanda shared that part too because it's always important to raise awareness about the treatment of us disabled folks. History shouldn't repeat itself but that can only happen if we learn and improve for it. I've still faced so much neglect and still do in mental healthcare systems, my friends all have as well. We need people to be more compassionate to our struggles (as well as funding but well that goes without saying). It's nice to know the organization is doing something good with this, instead of just exploitation.
This feels like a dinosaur museum that is scholarly and educational during the weekdays, but then on the weekends they put on the dramatic lights and ambient sounds so you can feel like you're in a prehistoric jungle.
The museum of disability is a great step, but it sounds like the event didn't think about accessibility at all. Maybe I'm wrong and they did include disabled guests, but this feels like an event about disabled people for abled bodied people.
I was wondering that too. Her description of all the walking sounded like a nightmare, not to mention floor hazards, crosstalk during panels, bad labeling, etc. I do really appreciate that they had former residents there, though, to speak to their experiences.
Meh, as a disabled person I've just accepted there's just some things I won't be able to do. Like, some things include walking. If someone can't walk, they can't get mad 💀💀💀
I took a sociology of madness class in my undergrad and it was pretty much just about how unfairly and horribly people with disabilities and/or mental illnesses were treated throughout history and how we paint them to be these horrible and scary people when in reality they were going through something that no one knew how to help them nor had the empathy to figure it out.
Ongoing to this day. A lot of neurodivergent people are pretty sure the only difference between autism, sociopathy/psychopathy, and ADHD is the way the neurodivergence is noticed by or affects caregivers. Adult and female autism diagnoses are incredibly difficult to get, autism is often only diagnosed to explain why a child is difficult to deal with, ADHD is treated almost exclusively like a learning disability, and “psychopath” or “sociopath” is basically just a pejorative for an autistic person that commits a crime or somebody that commits a crime and doesn’t seem to regret it or feel ashamed of it. Even the clinical definitions are these bizarre, extremely overlapping sets of traits and presentations that are often best described as either “neurodivergence” or in terms of specific issues like hyperfixation, overstimulation, frustration with/misunderstanding of social conventions, etc. There’s an almost comical overlap between neurodivergent people and trans people, to the point that some states are specifically attacking trans people by pushing a “compromise” that anyone diagnosed with autism should be barred from receiving gender affirming care. And that’s just my demographic. I’m pretty lucky and well-off. I have a friend with stretchy tissue disease (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome), a brother with Goldenhar syndrome and a hearing impairment, I had a friend with really bad Crohn’s disease in middle school, and the thing that’s been obvious across every person I’ve met and every case I’ve seen is that all of society is built in such a way that it punishes you for not already being bodily equipped to do things the same way as everybody else. Ableism has gotten better, but dear lord is there still a long way to go.
I live in Philly and when you first announced you were going there, I was very skeptical. As you mentioned, it has such a horrible reputation around here, especially after the first group of investors didn't respect its history whatsoever. Glad to hear they're making a point of exploring the history more.
i dont think facebook is an east coast thing- i think it’s an age bracket thing. events for younger people in PA dont use facebook, but ones for millennials absolutely do
Yep- I organize in the midwest and our main group's Facebook is way busier than our Instagram because our community is mostly 40+. I also organize for some groups that are younger and that's when you see it switch.
Millennials? Lol uhh think you're in the wrong bracket. Boomers or Gen x? Absolutely, but most Millennials have migrated elsewhere right along with Gen z. I say that as a middle of the pack Millennial based on my own experience, when I look it up the demographics of Facebook also line up with this. Facebook is boomers and their children.
i agree its an age bracket thing, but also lots of events use facebook primarily. i was surprised when all my undergrad friends used facebook to coordinate parties and events bc none of us regularly use facebook in this day in age
RE: “I’m an adult, someone will shoot me for exploring” Come to Scotland. We’ve got 1. No guns for the most part, 2. The right to roam law but look it up cos I’ve never cared enough to know what it means for abandoned buildings and 3. 90% of our land is castles and countryside. I think you’d love it. Aside from the flight pretty cheap too, though I reckon you’d be staying in B&Bs run by elderly women who’s husbands died centuries ago. But, again, I think you’d like that.
And folk people who like spooky shit in the city, edinburghs river was drained to reveal 300 witch bodies that were pardoned by Sturgeon a couple of years ago. The streets look like dark academia. And there’s loads of haunted tours that take you underground. I hear they’re good 🤷♀️
@@Noradriel Unfortunetly free roaming doesn’t include abandoned buildings (at least in Sweden) since it’s most likely still someone’s property, which makes it breaking and entering. For normal buildings it’s most likey a fine, but if it’s old military buildings it’s up to 14 days in prison
As someone that works in disability policy and deinstitutionalization, it was pleasantly surprising to hear them address the humanity of people that were kept there. We had an institution in my state that was closed and put into a trust for those that had been made to live there.
I was there as a supernatural vip. First day I saw that you could get in at 10am in the ticket description when I bought on the website, so I left my city at 5am in the morning. I was turned away by a very cranky employee that told me no, it was 5 freaking pm. I had to beg to check into my hotel early. Second day they wouldnt let me at 10am when they said they would. I had to stand in line at 11am, I asked 3 people when I could get in, they said no, stay in line. Finally after standing for 20 minutes a guy started shouting that VIPs could come to front of the line. I didnt have my wrist bracelet because they had never said the night before that I had to keep it on. The woman at the booth yelled at me about it even though I told her that I didnt get told to keep it on. I barely made my mini ghost hunt. I did have a experience in the Limrick building but I had to trade my car keys for a cat ball, which... ok fine but why not take my badge instead? I did the other 3 tours, and what sucks is that the maintence building was just 2 open rooms and they were empty and super lit. I asked if they had activity there and they said they had none. We werent told we couldnt go to after hours both nights so that sucked. And I couldnt line skip at all because the crew just shrugged and said it wasnt possible. It. Was. Awful. Did I have fun? Yes I had fun, but was I super annoyed that I paid for the top ticket? Yes. Will I go next year? Hell yes, Im mad I was so tired that I left at 11pm instead of staying till 1am. Also I saw you in my group filming but had no idea you made videos, so hello!
Just so you know high EMF can cause the feelings of being watched and tightness in your chest or lightheadedness. Probably just some improperly shielded wiring. I find it so funny that those EMF readers went from trying to find a logical explanation (looking for high EMF spots from wiring) to look there is high EMF so there must be a ghost.
Disability thoughts - I am SO happy they took the time to share the real histories and remind everyone to be respectful in the space. I grew up not understanding my own mind and the reality of being mentally ill, but I certainly understood from a young age that if I were to 1) behave the way I felt and 2) lived in a previous time period, asylum or "institution" would have been a very real possibility. These spaces being involved in haunted/horror/supernatural themed entertainment has always given me gross feelings for this reason, but I can really appreciate the care and effort that ParaCon went to in presenting the space honestly and compassionately. Ghost thoughts - I identify as a skeptic and am partnered with someone who has had multiple personal supernatural encounters. We recently attended a ghost hunter panel where local ghost hunters spoke about their methods and their explorations in our area. They specifically stated they value having a skeptic on every team, because the excitement for those who are not skeptics can overcome logic in some cases. It reminded me of the "10th man" concept, where in every debate the 10th man has a responsibility to disagree basically to reduce the occurrence of echo chambers. They also admitted at least 9/10 orbs are just dust, and it's a common mistake for amateur or overly zealous ghost hunters to misconstrue natural phenomenon as supernatural. Although some of these "mistakes" are just for the views.
I met Amanda a few months ago at a local mall in Orange County, she was checking it out for a potential meetup and she was as lovely and genuine as you'd imagine! She really has the personality to be great at this kind of "out of comfort zone" content 😊 its important to me that the creator of this kind of content approaches every event respectfully like her, otherwise it feels really unethical and gawk-ish. Thanks for being chill like that amanda!
I do respect the way they handled the history:) empathizing with the patients, having former patients speak. That was classy and handled with dignity ❤
On the subject of the food trucks, I vend at big weekend events like this as a craft vendor and I've listened in to my mother's conversations with food truck vendors, local events here make every vendor pay *months* in advance. Food truck vendors here are *required* to pay their full booth rent when they pay for their space, same goes for regular vendors, we pay our full booth rent up front when the event organizers mail us booth rental information. So if the event organizers for Paracon did not do that I would be *shocked* because that would just be stupid on their part. So what most likely happened is that the vendors decided to just not show up, or they double booked their weekend (we've done it before as vendors) and they decided that their alternate event would overall be more profitable instead.
"graffiti from kids that just found a cool spot to hang out, or, ya know, graffiti from people who are trying to make you think like they're doing human sacrifices there, ya know" ...well THAT went a direction I didn't expect xD
Depending on what the graffiti is I know who did it and I can certainly say no real rituals were performed but just artists trying their hand at fun occult shit
Oh Amanda.....I live in Pennsylvania and I feel so bad for you! That is probably one of the sketchiest places to be! They do a Haunted House every year at Pennhurst and they hype it up to be haunted. I wouldn't even be surprised if they turned off the lights thinking you were a paranormal investigator and wanted to 'give you an experience' They're protective of the asylum and it's messy up there. Our Hotels are hit and miss. Some are dirty and some are clean.
I watched a lot of ghost hunters when I was younger, 9/10 in those instances of feelings of paranoia, are caused by uninsulated or improperly insulated wiring.
THANK YOU for talking about the historical tour, wether you believe in ghosts or not i believe it is so so important to treat places you “ghost hunt” with absolute respect. the way some of these “ghost hunters” talk about the past of a building, especially an institution or asylum, are so disrespectful of the people who lived and died in there. Mentally ill, disabled, or neurodivergent folks deserve respect. I think its incredibly important that you and that tour guide pointed out that alot of their “acting out” was a way to get care from people who otherwise would have ignored them and let them die. Alot of youtube/tv show ghost hunters, wether they say it out loud or not, just imply that these people were just “crazy patients” and try to antagonize reactions from them, and it pisses me the fuck off.
I HAVE stayed in a creepy hotel room, I was 100% convinced shouting and running in the hallway woke me up in the middle of the night in this place I was staying at with some friends. When I asked them and other guests about it the next day, no one had heard ANYTHING, and this continued on for 3 nights in a row....maybe less creepy hotel room and more haunted hotel room...there were also creepy paintings on the wall with faces on them staring at me in my bed, I turned all of them around the first 10 minutes I was in that room 😂😂
Even though I’m almost thirty, I feel like a teenager again whenever I do any haunted/urban exploring. It’s so exciting! I’m glad you got a kick out of it!!
Is it excitement in adventuring into an unknown environment? One of my favorite things to do anytime I am some where new is to getting lost and finding my way back to my hostel.
@@LizStaples Are you allowed to bring your own snacks and drinks? I always thought that was a no-no! Didn't stop me from sneaking in a box of Swedish Fish, though.
@@RealBradMiller depends on the venue, often when they block food and drink it is because they have vendor contracts on site. I live in Texas and it often depends on size of the space something like this would allow ppl to bring water just to cover their liability for ppl passing out from heat stroke, probably not as major a concern up north
I once stayed in a motel and found a tiger print speedo in the bathroom and my mom just said "sleep with your clothes on kids" . I was having fun but it was definitely a haunted experience for my mum
Lmao it wasn't paranormal, she told you that maybe but the actual reason was the speedo told her that sex had been had there very recently and who knows what could still be all over those sheets, so sleep with your clothes on so you don't lay in bodily fluids all night. Bravo to her tho for masking that. Lol
About the whole facebook thing: I personally still use it daily, but exclusively for groups. They're fun and VERY active. It is the only place I can go to, to discuss HOTD and other shows as they air. Twitter is a nightmare and sometimes you just want to write an essay and I dont feel like doing a thread most of the time. It's like tumblr but a lot less unhinged.
You said the demographic skewed older than us who are mid-20s, so Facebook sort of makes sense especially if these enthusiasts are in Groups on the platform. But I agree. Facebook cannot be the only method of communication. I think an email is a must for anything vital.
I am so glad to hear that the tour guides presented a nuanced view that acknowledges how the residents may have developed behaviors to survive; I work in social services and recently did a training that frames maladaptive coping behaviors from trauma as “skillful adaptations for survival”. I think that is a good perspective instead of “ooooo mental illness is spooky”
We were present at Paracon getting drone footage personally for Pennhurst. We flew inside the majority of the floors in most buildings, even buildings that you can not physically walk in. Wildest experience we have ever been a part of.
I think they should do the historical tour as part of the event and have people pay extra for the nighttime ghost hunt. More people will be willing to pay extra for that, and then they'll ensure that everyone has the valuable historical context and the real story of the place. Switch it around, make more money, spread more info.
00:58 some hotels have a policy where they have to check your room daily for security reasons so someone probably popped in. Some of this came about after the Las Vegas shooting
I think the families ghost hunting is so sweet!! I don’t think I personally could ever go ghost hunting (I’m very much a scaredy cat and jumpy) but the thought of my family trying to ghost hunt together made me laugh
I lived less than a half mile from there. I went to Pennhurst more than once, but never had the urge to go to the con. These kinds of cons are garbage, and there are a lot of crap people at them.
This sounds like a really fun convention tbh. I was into urban exploration when I was a dumb kid, which alone makes me feel like I'd also enjoy this even though I'm not really a "ghost" believer. I'm more paranormal agnostic. Its possible, but I think it's unlikely. 😂
OOF as someone who sold at artist alleys from 2005-2017, I have experienced: 1) Being in separate buildings/areas from the rest of the con with NO SIGNAGE telling attendees where we were. At the worst con for this I had a girl shop at my booth and then call her friends on her phone: "GUYS I FOUND THE ARTISTS!!" That's never good. Everybody - including the huge vendors - started packing up halfway through the last day at that one because it was DEAD in there. All of the artists were shopping at each other's tables and doing trades which was cool but holy shit triscuits. I was lucky to break even at that one. 2) Zero communication between staff, attendees, and vendors so you have no idea what the fuck is going on when and where. 3) Having to fix MAJOR issues for the entire alley at one con toward the end of my "career" even though I wasn't on staff and it wasn't my job; the person whose job it was just completely fumbled the ball and I was there before he was because I come early to get all my ducks in order and _prevent things like whatever I fixed from happening._ and 4) Potential customers being caught up in hours-long registration and pre-reg lines. It was a plague at one con every single year with an attendance of 20,000+ causing lines up to FIVE HOURS LONG. I was always so thankful to get my badges through the AA so it was like five minutes and that's it. And all I can say when ANY of those things happen let alone multiples in a single con (I have horror stories) is _woof._ I feel for those vendors. Hopefully the heads of the con will get their shit together for the next show now that they've experienced that attendance spike.
Given the name I thought this was going to be a paramore based fan convention. I was going to be impressed that they did something like that. Oh well, this works too!
I've had that bad feeling before around another asylum when doing research for a history project. As a skeptic, I think we pick up on things that tell us we are in an unsafe space. For me, I realized I was near a newly collapsed area. Maybe for you, it was something in the room that was telling you the building or ceiling was unstable or there were areas for regular people or animals to hide. It's fun to walk through those areas, though. Great video as always, btw.
I'm from NJ, so Pennhurst isn't a super long trek for me, but the last time I went was in college, in 2011 or 2012. A friend and I went around Halloween for their haunted house attraction, but after we went through the "haunted house" with the paid actors, we were able to explore some other buildings with a tour guide and just our flashlights, and that was by far the most interesting part. Pennhurst is a really interesting place, albeit with a sad history. I'm really happy to hear that they're doing the history tours though. I may go back and take one of their history tours again since it's been so many years since I was last there.
Some places will make people feel uncomfortable and there's nothing supernatural about it, nor necessary. We're as sensitive to our environment as any other animal. Regardless of what I believe, I really enjoy paranormal content from a skeptic perspective. I also love long-form content where it feels like I'm chatting with a friend about what they've been up to so please make the videos as long as you need. Thanks for keeping me company :)
There was actually a documentary shot at eastern state disproving a lot of common “supernatural” evidence and anecdotal experiences. For instance they sent two groups into a cell block and had certain rooms set up to “feel” haunted one room was colder than the others and one had a low frequency noice in it, nonbelievers remarked on the experience but those who did believe in ghosts said the rooms were definitely haunted. Old buildings like these have a way of carrying low frequency noises we can’t hear but can feel which causes an uncomfortable sensation.
I'm glad the event talked about disability rights. Yes this is a part of history but many people don't know that these places still exist. Canada and the UK for example still have government-funded mental institutions that are being used to oppress people with disabilities and separate them from their families.
8:22 I appreciate this, too many think mentally ill are just violent animals that need to be locked in cages, the takes I've seen online are horrendous and some even call to have these types of institutions brought back.
Families were shamed by their doctors and priests for having disabled children and essentially forced to give up kids from time immemorial until the 1970’s. There are older adult now who never knew they had siblings until their parents passed away and others where the families went every weekend to see their loved ones. It’s so varied and such a history steeped in ableism
dang that sucks that this con is a big bag of farts. Pennhurst is so rich in history and I'd attend the con JUST to visit Pennhurst. idc about the "ghost" hunt. I'd love to visit it to learn more and actually see it. I hate when people try to paint these buildings as haunted and spooky for cash grabs. it sucks that they didn't do it justice
Loved this one! I really love that they covered the correct history, and had people that were actually there at one point. That gives the whole experience a different feel. Also, as someone in the disabled community, I appreciate that they had disability history. There was so much depth to this experience. With a few adjustments to management, communication, and customer service it could be an absolutely amazing experience.
I AM SO ENVIOUS, Paracon is one of those conventions I am DYING to do but have never had the chance. A lot of my ghost hunting idols attend it! Not ones that you mentioned, but there's John L Tenny; Ami, Adam, and Chip from Kindred Spirits; and especially the Newkirk Paranormal Museum. Did you go into the Oddities tent at all? Did you get to meet Billy? Honestly, I think if you were to sign up with a local ghost hunting purely as a videographer interested in urban exploring, they'd love to have you. And once you've done one, it does become a little bit of an addiction. The curiosity and desire to like. See and experience things drives a lot of people interested in the Paranormal, and skeptics are an important part of a group for keeping things grounded.
The comment the other person who replied to you is probably talking about is pretty high up in the comments, so if you want to know more you should be able to find it pretty easily :)
To help subside your fuse, if the lights were randomly turned off in your room it may be that a fuse blew in the hotel, it would get fixed quickly but lights would randomly get turned off due to that
Feel like you’d absolutely love the hard hat tours over at Ellis Islands hospital. I used to be a guide there, SO much history that’s just not explored by the majority of visitors
12:11 One thing I think is INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT for disability history especially is to note how disgustingly recent everything is. Not only is it recent but it is ONGOING. We are nowhere near where we need to be and disabled people STILL face horrific conditions. Section 504 which I owe everything to wasn’t passed until 1973. The ADA wasn’t passed until 1990. Disability rights have not reached their goal nor are we close at all to a satisfactory place.
the thing about penitentiaries and asylums are automatically uncomfortable and awful knowing the history. i recommend 10 days in a madhouse by nellie bly to learn more about how terrible these places were. haunted or not, i could never feel comfortable here knowing the levels of human suffering.
My brief experience with paranormal enthusiasts was that they were extremely disorganized. I’d try to help with tips and advice but egos got in the way and I was roundly ignored. I eventually got tired of my time being wasted on cancelled meetups with no notice and quit. Ghost hunting seems like it would be fun but the reality of the personalities you encounter when you try to make it social is not my cup of tea. I’m honestly not surprised this event wasn’t organized well but hopefully they’ll have learned how to make it go smoother next year. It does sound like a really fun idea!
Here in MN, ive noticed it's pretty typical to have a Facebook event as the main form of communication for an event. Although I've never seen it be used as the ONLY form.
Generally speaking, i keep a distance from the paranormal community because most of them are absolutely nuts and it's hard to find a person who will use logic and not reach.
This! I want to indulge in it but I want people who do it realistically. Which usually means admitting that most things aren't paranormal and most investigations won't catch anything. I dont think I'm a skeptic, but they treat me like one!
I don't even believe in ghosts but I could never do this, the ghost hunt footage is absolutely terrifying to me lol. Major props to you for not only having the courage to attend this but attending ALONE at that, you have courage that I will never have lol
@@Badusername2000 I've stayed in more cheap hotels than days since you've been born youngin', and ain't none of them been as creepy as that one Swell survived in this video.
i'm an event coordinator and we ALWAYS charge a vendor fee for the exact purpose of not having people pull out at the last minute - 27:50 people don't care if your vendors pulled out, it's not "oh this vendor didn't show up so there's no food" it's "this festival did not have any food" or at the very least we make the fee refundable if they show up and if they don't show up they don't get their money back. watching your videos on events has been really helpful actually, though i worry that one day you'll end up doing a video like this on one of my events...i work for the Parks & Rec department of my city government and while we're growing fast i doubt you'll ever end up in my area of A State In The South lol. your videos help put into perspective some of the stuff that's basically second nature to those working the event but not necessarily for those attending the event. as a side note along with coordinating events i also oversee a food truck plaza...vendors are special, food vendors are a different breed altogether. if you've dealt with vendors you K N O W
i'm so glade you were able to highlight the real history of pennhust and its impact on people. it's not talked about enough on ghost hunting/searching shows
Assuming there wasn’t any off-camera context I was missing, I think it was extremely disrespectful for one of the institution’s former residents to state that she never observed anyone being mistreated. It’s not contested that a substantial number of the intellectually and developmentally disabled residents died or otherwise suffered as a result of the horrific conditions they were subjected to. If she personally did not experience or observe mistreatment and looks back on her time there fondly, that’s her lived experience; but she doesn’t have the right to invalidate the experiences of those who were mistreated by defending the facility’s abhorrent practices. I also think turning the site into a haunted attraction and letting tourists wander around and search for ghosts is wrong, despite the museum trying to educate visitors about what happened there. I’m developmentally disabled myself, and if I or a loved one died in that wretched facility, I wouldn’t want thrillseekers traipsing around in the ridiculous hope of seeing my tortured soul appear before them. It’s completely disrespectful.
Yeah like having it as a museum would be the only acceptable way to make money off this place. The haunted aspect is really distasteful and shows a lot of privilege that people who would never have to worry about things like this have. The fact that over half of the 10,000 patients died is horrific and should make it a somber place of reflection on history and a reminder of the pain and suffering disabled people have been put through for hundreds of years , not a fun romp trying to find ghosties.
I was there for the VIP event and honestly, I have never been more confused as to what was going on at an event. Waiting in line, so many people got turned away cause their ticket weren’t specific enough as per when they could or couldn’t be there. My ticket wouldn’t scan because of when I bought it, that was anxiety inducing. The history tour was great, but the event as a whole was just…mismanaged.
I appreciate so much the work you put into these events even when they aren’t the best for yourself. You do it so we don’t have to and we love you for it
Amanda's hotel room seems like it should be on a episode of Dan Bell's Another Dirty Room. If fact it kinda of reminds me of a room that's been feature on a episode of Dan Bell's Another Dirty Room and or Another Dirty Room Live. I would have check that bed for seman stains and bedbugs and taken a blacklight to make sure their no big p-shaped vomit smears or other questionable bodly fluid stains on those very enraging and ugly red painted walls. I want to stay in the hotel room to feel relaxed these red painted walls don't make me feel relaxed they make me feel stressed.
I just saw the short last night and I’m so happy the full video is up already!!👻🙌 I truly love how diverse the activities, attractions, events and conventions you go to are and always love your take on them😊
It's funny you talk about how there's a lot of couples and families, my husband is a ham radio operator (I am not) and he and I went recently to the biggest ham radio convention in the country recently and I noticed a similar thing there - a lot of couples as well as quite a few families. Additionally, while my husband and I don't share hobbies, he and I regularly accompany each other to events and things for each other's hobbies (like I went to the hamvention) and often still find things to do or that are interesting to us personally also.
Super interesting commentary! My only issue was that the microphone kept making noises when you moved you hand, which was difficult for me sensory-wise. I've noticed it before on your other out of town setups, so maybe there's a way to stabilize the mic somehow? Glad you talked about the rehabilitation of the place and the emphasis on the people affected!
So, what you're telling me...is that the REAL ghosts were the communication problems we encountered along the way 🤔🤔
😂
😅😅😅😅😅
Best comment. 10/10. No others can top this.
I guess more people should have brought Spirit Boxes with them.
@@SummerAlleriaWindrunner oh wow thanks xD
I feel like Amanda goes outside so I don't have to, and I appreciate that
Those who have agoraphobia can absolutely relate 😭
lowkey me 🫣
This .... the amount of feels here haha
LMAO! i JUST said that is why i watch her content even though i have no intention of going to any of these events. LOLOL 😂 i like the way you worded it better though!
literally during watching this vid I thought to myself "wow I wouldn't have the energy to do that"
Please go outside. The sun loves you and wants to give you a warm hug.
Red painted walls are known to make people uncomfortable. It’s why many businesses paint bathrooms red so employees won’t stay in there too long. I can’t imagine why a hotel would chose that scheme.
really? we had red walls in my childhood home. maybe i just was used to them?
The effects of colour psychology, depends also on the shade, right?
@@0katsuki0 Red in a familiar space can be warm and engaging. Red in an unfamiliar, especially rentable space can be set off alarms and prompt thoughts of bloody murder scenes. Also The Shining exists so hotels and motels got that to thank for some color associations.
Color psychology is way too complex for the charts you see. It's just not that simple. And mostly poppycock from a business operations standpoint
Because it looks good in pornos.
We vended at this and it was a NIGHTMARE. Terrible managment, the owner was so rude, many of us were complaining because we drove 4-5 hours and spent hundreds on hotels and made 60$ the whole weekend. Many of us are also con veterans who usually pull in a couple thousand each event and were told and i qoute "to smile more" and that all of our product was the problem when we had to come together ro make signs directing traffic to vendors. Meanwhile the few people that got to our booth complained they didnt even know there were vendors, that the "celebrity" photos were like 50$ a pop, they weren't even given any schedule of when speakers would be talking, the first day they didn't even have microphones, they didn't let us unload/setup until the morning of which caused HOURS of backup and most of us in our area were still setting up 3 hours into the event, the 250$ spots had 20 people walk by, the attendance tickets were like 200$ and they gave out last years badges with 2022 on them, they flew these horrible drones around spraying everything with mud and dirt, had ONE food vendor with a 1 hour line--when we were promised "many". So many of us complained but were ignored and insulted. They didn't even give us chairs to sit on for 3 hours into the event. The "mid-level" spots were legit rows of banquet tables with dirty table cloths, no display space, (and after we finally got set up the owner threw a fit and tried to force us to vend out from under the giant tent we paid bc there was only room for 25 chairs for the speakers) for many of us were missing from the sign in info--the problems were ENDLESS. Never again. The WORST con i have ever vended. The owner was heinous to ANYONE who said anything negative--this was a disaster. I honestly dont know why anyone even attended--they got nothing for their money but basic overcrowded tours, insane autograph fees, and the same 5 speakers repeated all weekend. Nightmare. And i get the vibe its bc they cut corners by not hiring an ACTUAL event coordinator and tried to do it all themselves--it was like watching a lizard try to repair a jet engine while high. We watched Jack Osborne pulled a crowd of 50 ppl bc no one knew he was speaking. The management acted like we were crazy when alot of their attendees were the ones wandering around and complaining to us. The vendors were having meetings about how awful it was.
Omg me too! It was AWFUL!
I hope swell sees your comment!!
@@cantevenandrew thank you!! Me too! I have so many stories about that weekend! The owner spit on the ground at me, people near us had their stuff ruined by the giant holes in the tent leaking everywhere, the vendor fb was HEAVILY moderated/censored, the drone dirt ruined peoples art/product, a seller across from us was selling STOLEN artwork printed off pintrest and IG--truly the worst event i have endured.
That sounds like such a stressful nightmare
Even just the video of the black tent looked like it was a nightmare to be vending under, especially with rain. I hope that you can recover the loss on this event because it's *awful* to have to deal with shitty organizers.
Fun fact: Old, poorly insulated wiring can give off tons of EMF, which causes symptoms such as paranoia and discomfort 🙃
Yooooo😳😳🫢🫢🫢
Well, that's a interesting thing to read while living in an 1800s home with scary bad wiring 😮 I'm still more concerned about the fire risk haha, but now I know there's a reason other than "lol ghosts" to buy an emf reader
Only if you’re around it for a long time period though, right?
I learned this from Ghost Hunters back in the day! That’s why basements tend to give people the creeps
@@allisoncastle it depends on the person, some people are effected by it faster and more intensely than others.
To your Facebook point, even if they're going to use Facebook they also need to use every other communication channel they've been using for important info. That's basic event planning.
And when buying the ticket it should say all schedule information will be posted on our Facebook so people know where to look!
everything on facebook might be why the age range was what it was too. not many people below 30 are active on facebook or on it at all.
I went to a convention that was entirely advertised and managed through facebook... and the people there were wondering how to get more young people to go. They were so excited when my group's instagram posts alone attracted another small group of people our age who were in the area. Maybe start with a website and also not requiring people *mail in checks* for their tickets.
@@LyricNearmail in checks?? I wouldn't know how to do that even
@@CainXVII If you've ever sent anything through the mail ever it's just like that where you address and stamp an envelope then you just put a check in the envelope and you send it.
It is very refreshing to see Disabled history candidly discussed, (both in the convention and by Amanda). It is so so often just brushed under the rug, and despite the ghost tours, having the horrible parts of disabled history shared and shown and discussed is so important, and something so many shy away from.
I care
@Ville i care and so do everyone else whose history is ignored and hidden
Hearing the guides contextualize the behavior of the more notorious wings/patients entirely under the assumption that they were *humans* with unfulfilled needs and strategies that they knew would help get their needs fulfilled made me so happy. The romanticism behind “asylum,” aesthetic is so dehumanizing and cruel, and I love that they refuse to buy into just to sell the vibe.
Also the woman who shared her own experience in a facility that provided her with a place to spend some of her most formative years in care she may not have received otherwise was lovely. The history of mental healthcare is extremely rocky and fraught, but it is rarely entirely dark and grim, even if the methods were misguided it is very unlikely that everyone who worked at this facility was disinterested in the wellbeing of their patients/residents.
So much room to improve, but if even 2% of the patients benefitted from the facility, that’s worth noting!
I'm a convention vendor, and poor traffic is the bane of my existence--and livelihood. Always make sure the vendor's room is CLEARLY noted (not just "oddities" or "treasures," but "Vendors' Room") and there's signage to it. Make sure it's arranged so traffic flows easily. (I've been in two conventions where they only opened one set of doors, onto a straight alley of vendors. Only that alley saw business.) Events need to remember that people looooove a good vendors' room, even if just to browse, and if the vendors don't make money, we don't come back!
That's a good point! If i was at an event and heard there was an "oddities room", I'd assume it would be artifacts or other things on display, not vendors with things you can buy. So i might be less inclined to go check it out than if it was clearly called a "vendors room"
This, this, this. I sold in artist alleys from 2005-2017 and some of the shit I experienced due to management and traffic flow was just _woof._
Buying stuff is half the fun
As someone with a lot of interest in disability history, especially as regards the history of intellectual disability, I started this episode going "they held Paracon *where?!?!* D:" I was really glad to hear that the history was contextualized for the attendees, and especially that they had actual Pennhurst residents talk to the guests. Still too sad about Pennhurst and the immense weight of its history and of places like it to finish the video at this time. For more firsthand information about Pennhurst I really recommend the book "Lost in a Desert World" by disability activist and former Pennhurst resident Roland Johnson.
thank you for the recommendation! :)
Time to get needlessly invested in an event I didn't know existed until 12 minutes ago :)
Me right now 😭
I'm glad they were respectful. I'm glad they had patients there. History is alive and well, as is the narrative that allowed Pennhurst to happen, unfortunately. We still have a long way to go. I appreciate the video, for a while, as a disabled person, I've wanted to go, but the idea of people gawking at a collective trauma skeeved me out, now that I know it's not the case, I feel far more comfortable with the idea of going. I know you're talking about the organization, or rather disorganization of the con, but the respect for the history lingering in the space really stood out to me.
Same here. Glad Amanda shared that part too because it's always important to raise awareness about the treatment of us disabled folks. History shouldn't repeat itself but that can only happen if we learn and improve for it. I've still faced so much neglect and still do in mental healthcare systems, my friends all have as well. We need people to be more compassionate to our struggles (as well as funding but well that goes without saying). It's nice to know the organization is doing something good with this, instead of just exploitation.
@Ville_x Not a**holes ☺️ So not you 💖
As a Pennsylvanian, I apologize for some of the sketchy hotels/motels we have. Pennhurst is on pretty grounds.
I had the same reaction here in West Philly. It's like we let her down, man, lol...
Hopefully Amanda gives the Commonwealth another shot.
Same here I’m in state college PA and most of PA is sketchy old hotels and motels tbh
Nice to see they brought the woman who actually stayed at pennhurst. And gave her her voice. That was good to see :)
Who doesn't include a schedule when doing an event?
This feels like a dinosaur museum that is scholarly and educational during the weekdays, but then on the weekends they put on the dramatic lights and ambient sounds so you can feel like you're in a prehistoric jungle.
The museum of disability is a great step, but it sounds like the event didn't think about accessibility at all. Maybe I'm wrong and they did include disabled guests, but this feels like an event about disabled people for abled bodied people.
I was wondering that too. Her description of all the walking sounded like a nightmare, not to mention floor hazards, crosstalk during panels, bad labeling, etc. I do really appreciate that they had former residents there, though, to speak to their experiences.
Meh, as a disabled person I've just accepted there's just some things I won't be able to do. Like, some things include walking. If someone can't walk, they can't get mad 💀💀💀
I had the same thought, it didn't sound or look very accessible.
They didn’t consider able bodied people either, like actual human beings accessing and perhaps mildly enjoying the day was not a priority.
@@nickoffury Its nice you accepted it, others do not have to nor should. Maybe learn to not speak for all of us : ]
I took a sociology of madness class in my undergrad and it was pretty much just about how unfairly and horribly people with disabilities and/or mental illnesses were treated throughout history and how we paint them to be these horrible and scary people when in reality they were going through something that no one knew how to help them nor had the empathy to figure it out.
Ongoing to this day.
A lot of neurodivergent people are pretty sure the only difference between autism, sociopathy/psychopathy, and ADHD is the way the neurodivergence is noticed by or affects caregivers. Adult and female autism diagnoses are incredibly difficult to get, autism is often only diagnosed to explain why a child is difficult to deal with, ADHD is treated almost exclusively like a learning disability, and “psychopath” or “sociopath” is basically just a pejorative for an autistic person that commits a crime or somebody that commits a crime and doesn’t seem to regret it or feel ashamed of it.
Even the clinical definitions are these bizarre, extremely overlapping sets of traits and presentations that are often best described as either “neurodivergence” or in terms of specific issues like hyperfixation, overstimulation, frustration with/misunderstanding of social conventions, etc.
There’s an almost comical overlap between neurodivergent people and trans people, to the point that some states are specifically attacking trans people by pushing a “compromise” that anyone diagnosed with autism should be barred from receiving gender affirming care.
And that’s just my demographic. I’m pretty lucky and well-off. I have a friend with stretchy tissue disease (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome), a brother with Goldenhar syndrome and a hearing impairment, I had a friend with really bad Crohn’s disease in middle school, and the thing that’s been obvious across every person I’ve met and every case I’ve seen is that all of society is built in such a way that it punishes you for not already being bodily equipped to do things the same way as everybody else.
Ableism has gotten better, but dear lord is there still a long way to go.
I live in Philly and when you first announced you were going there, I was very skeptical. As you mentioned, it has such a horrible reputation around here, especially after the first group of investors didn't respect its history whatsoever. Glad to hear they're making a point of exploring the history more.
Thank you for the thoughtful discussion of the history of the institute and empathy for those who lived there.
Fun fact: Facebook is the most used social media app here in denmark and no one uses twitter. I think tumblr is more used, but i might be biased.
Did you guys get a lot of news about elon vs Haraldur Thorleifsson lol
Same in Vietnam bc Facebook and instagram are most used here. Twitter has a bad reputation bc most Vietnamese people use it for fwb and 18+ purposes
dude I'm pretty sure it's Instagram
I feel like this whole thing was just a great example of why an event coordinator is *ALWAYS* worth it 😅
i dont think facebook is an east coast thing- i think it’s an age bracket thing. events for younger people in PA dont use facebook, but ones for millennials absolutely do
Yep- I organize in the midwest and our main group's Facebook is way busier than our Instagram because our community is mostly 40+. I also organize for some groups that are younger and that's when you see it switch.
Millennials? Lol uhh think you're in the wrong bracket. Boomers or Gen x? Absolutely, but most Millennials have migrated elsewhere right along with Gen z. I say that as a middle of the pack Millennial based on my own experience, when I look it up the demographics of Facebook also line up with this. Facebook is boomers and their children.
i agree its an age bracket thing, but also lots of events use facebook primarily. i was surprised when all my undergrad friends used facebook to coordinate parties and events bc none of us regularly use facebook in this day in age
“You have a VIP pass, follow me to the porta potties” had me cracking up.
RE: “I’m an adult, someone will shoot me for exploring”
Come to Scotland. We’ve got 1. No guns for the most part, 2. The right to roam law but look it up cos I’ve never cared enough to know what it means for abandoned buildings and 3. 90% of our land is castles and countryside. I think you’d love it. Aside from the flight pretty cheap too, though I reckon you’d be staying in B&Bs run by elderly women who’s husbands died centuries ago. But, again, I think you’d like that.
And folk people who like spooky shit in the city, edinburghs river was drained to reveal 300 witch bodies that were pardoned by Sturgeon a couple of years ago. The streets look like dark academia. And there’s loads of haunted tours that take you underground. I hear they’re good 🤷♀️
Or anywhere northern Europe; Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland!
@@Noradriel Unfortunetly free roaming doesn’t include abandoned buildings (at least in Sweden) since it’s most likely still someone’s property, which makes it breaking and entering. For normal buildings it’s most likey a fine, but if it’s old military buildings it’s up to 14 days in prison
@@sabinajoh Booo!
Right to roam doesn’t include buildings in Scotland abandoned or otherwise
As someone that works in disability policy and deinstitutionalization, it was pleasantly surprising to hear them address the humanity of people that were kept there. We had an institution in my state that was closed and put into a trust for those that had been made to live there.
I was there as a supernatural vip. First day I saw that you could get in at 10am in the ticket description when I bought on the website, so I left my city at 5am in the morning. I was turned away by a very cranky employee that told me no, it was 5 freaking pm. I had to beg to check into my hotel early. Second day they wouldnt let me at 10am when they said they would. I had to stand in line at 11am, I asked 3 people when I could get in, they said no, stay in line. Finally after standing for 20 minutes a guy started shouting that VIPs could come to front of the line. I didnt have my wrist bracelet because they had never said the night before that I had to keep it on. The woman at the booth yelled at me about it even though I told her that I didnt get told to keep it on. I barely made my mini ghost hunt. I did have a experience in the Limrick building but I had to trade my car keys for a cat ball, which... ok fine but why not take my badge instead? I did the other 3 tours, and what sucks is that the maintence building was just 2 open rooms and they were empty and super lit. I asked if they had activity there and they said they had none. We werent told we couldnt go to after hours both nights so that sucked. And I couldnt line skip at all because the crew just shrugged and said it wasnt possible. It. Was. Awful. Did I have fun? Yes I had fun, but was I super annoyed that I paid for the top ticket? Yes. Will I go next year? Hell yes, Im mad I was so tired that I left at 11pm instead of staying till 1am. Also I saw you in my group filming but had no idea you made videos, so hello!
I'm a vendor and I do dislike it if we're in the same space as a speaker or panel. It kills the vibe.
Just so you know high EMF can cause the feelings of being watched and tightness in your chest or lightheadedness. Probably just some improperly shielded wiring. I find it so funny that those EMF readers went from trying to find a logical explanation (looking for high EMF spots from wiring) to look there is high EMF so there must be a ghost.
Disability thoughts - I am SO happy they took the time to share the real histories and remind everyone to be respectful in the space. I grew up not understanding my own mind and the reality of being mentally ill, but I certainly understood from a young age that if I were to 1) behave the way I felt and 2) lived in a previous time period, asylum or "institution" would have been a very real possibility. These spaces being involved in haunted/horror/supernatural themed entertainment has always given me gross feelings for this reason, but I can really appreciate the care and effort that ParaCon went to in presenting the space honestly and compassionately.
Ghost thoughts - I identify as a skeptic and am partnered with someone who has had multiple personal supernatural encounters. We recently attended a ghost hunter panel where local ghost hunters spoke about their methods and their explorations in our area. They specifically stated they value having a skeptic on every team, because the excitement for those who are not skeptics can overcome logic in some cases. It reminded me of the "10th man" concept, where in every debate the 10th man has a responsibility to disagree basically to reduce the occurrence of echo chambers. They also admitted at least 9/10 orbs are just dust, and it's a common mistake for amateur or overly zealous ghost hunters to misconstrue natural phenomenon as supernatural. Although some of these "mistakes" are just for the views.
Glad you're safe, the amount of horror stories from hotels are insane.
Going on a ghost hunt and the hotel ends up being your sketchiest destination lmao
I met Amanda a few months ago at a local mall in Orange County, she was checking it out for a potential meetup and she was as lovely and genuine as you'd imagine! She really has the personality to be great at this kind of "out of comfort zone" content 😊 its important to me that the creator of this kind of content approaches every event respectfully like her, otherwise it feels really unethical and gawk-ish. Thanks for being chill like that amanda!
I do respect the way they handled the history:) empathizing with the patients, having former patients speak. That was classy and handled with dignity ❤
On the subject of the food trucks, I vend at big weekend events like this as a craft vendor and I've listened in to my mother's conversations with food truck vendors, local events here make every vendor pay *months* in advance. Food truck vendors here are *required* to pay their full booth rent when they pay for their space, same goes for regular vendors, we pay our full booth rent up front when the event organizers mail us booth rental information. So if the event organizers for Paracon did not do that I would be *shocked* because that would just be stupid on their part. So what most likely happened is that the vendors decided to just not show up, or they double booked their weekend (we've done it before as vendors) and they decided that their alternate event would overall be more profitable instead.
I love the historical perspective, and the living memory of past patients. That is truly fascinating.
I love it when Amanda tears some shit asunder but her actually having a good time is just as enjoyable.
"graffiti from kids that just found a cool spot to hang out, or, ya know, graffiti from people who are trying to make you think like they're doing human sacrifices there, ya know" ...well THAT went a direction I didn't expect xD
Depending on what the graffiti is I know who did it and I can certainly say no real rituals were performed but just artists trying their hand at fun occult shit
@@eyesofivy 😁😁
Oh Amanda.....I live in Pennsylvania and I feel so bad for you! That is probably one of the sketchiest places to be! They do a Haunted House every year at Pennhurst and they hype it up to be haunted. I wouldn't even be surprised if they turned off the lights thinking you were a paranormal investigator and wanted to 'give you an experience' They're protective of the asylum and it's messy up there.
Our Hotels are hit and miss. Some are dirty and some are clean.
But your libraries are AMAZING and super scary too🙀
@Ville What’s your problem?
@Ville_x Alphabet Inc.'s engagement algorithm, obviously.💠
I watched a lot of ghost hunters when I was younger, 9/10 in those instances of feelings of paranoia, are caused by uninsulated or improperly insulated wiring.
so one out of ten could be ghosts
THANK YOU for talking about the historical tour, wether you believe in ghosts or not i believe it is so so important to treat places you “ghost hunt” with absolute respect. the way some of these “ghost hunters” talk about the past of a building, especially an institution or asylum, are so disrespectful of the people who lived and died in there.
Mentally ill, disabled, or neurodivergent folks deserve respect. I think its incredibly important that you and that tour guide pointed out that alot of their “acting out” was a way to get care from people who otherwise would have ignored them and let them die. Alot of youtube/tv show ghost hunters, wether they say it out loud or not, just imply that these people were just “crazy patients” and try to antagonize reactions from them, and it pisses me the fuck off.
I HAVE stayed in a creepy hotel room, I was 100% convinced shouting and running in the hallway woke me up in the middle of the night in this place I was staying at with some friends. When I asked them and other guests about it the next day, no one had heard ANYTHING, and this continued on for 3 nights in a row....maybe less creepy hotel room and more haunted hotel room...there were also creepy paintings on the wall with faces on them staring at me in my bed, I turned all of them around the first 10 minutes I was in that room 😂😂
Even though I’m almost thirty, I feel like a teenager again whenever I do any haunted/urban exploring. It’s so exciting! I’m glad you got a kick out of it!!
Is it excitement in adventuring into an unknown environment? One of my favorite things to do anytime I am some where new is to getting lost and finding my way back to my hostel.
Im really glad they let the woman speak on her life there and I’m glad she had a positive experience
$10 for just hamburgers?! That's ludicrous!
At the tulip festival in Oregon the burgers were 17... I was starving but absolutely not
@@CourtneyRC You have standards.
It’s basically festival/concert pricing its kinda a given, important to plan ahead pack a snack.
@@LizStaples Are you allowed to bring your own snacks and drinks? I always thought that was a no-no! Didn't stop me from sneaking in a box of Swedish Fish, though.
@@RealBradMiller depends on the venue, often when they block food and drink it is because they have vendor contracts on site. I live in Texas and it often depends on size of the space something like this would allow ppl to bring water just to cover their liability for ppl passing out from heat stroke, probably not as major a concern up north
I once stayed in a motel and found a tiger print speedo in the bathroom and my mom just said "sleep with your clothes on kids" . I was having fun but it was definitely a haunted experience for my mum
Lmao it wasn't paranormal, she told you that maybe but the actual reason was the speedo told her that sex had been had there very recently and who knows what could still be all over those sheets, so sleep with your clothes on so you don't lay in bodily fluids all night. Bravo to her tho for masking that. Lol
About the whole facebook thing: I personally still use it daily, but exclusively for groups.
They're fun and VERY active. It is the only place I can go to, to discuss HOTD and other shows as they air. Twitter is a nightmare and sometimes you just want to write an essay and I dont feel like doing a thread most of the time.
It's like tumblr but a lot less unhinged.
You said the demographic skewed older than us who are mid-20s, so Facebook sort of makes sense especially if these enthusiasts are in Groups on the platform.
But I agree. Facebook cannot be the only method of communication. I think an email is a must for anything vital.
I am so glad to hear that the tour guides presented a nuanced view that acknowledges how the residents may have developed behaviors to survive; I work in social services and recently did a training that frames maladaptive coping behaviors from trauma as “skillful adaptations for survival”. I think that is a good perspective instead of “ooooo mental illness is spooky”
Welcome to PA! Home of hotels that look like the set of a horror movie!
It’s sad knowing that people who were abused there are still alive and don’t get any of the money off of there stories though. :(
We were present at Paracon getting drone footage personally for Pennhurst. We flew inside the majority of the floors in most buildings, even buildings that you can not physically walk in. Wildest experience we have ever been a part of.
I think they should do the historical tour as part of the event and have people pay extra for the nighttime ghost hunt. More people will be willing to pay extra for that, and then they'll ensure that everyone has the valuable historical context and the real story of the place. Switch it around, make more money, spread more info.
I appreciate the history tour trying to give more context to Pennhurst. Eastern State Penitentiary does a similar thing.
00:58 some hotels have a policy where they have to check your room daily for security reasons so someone probably popped in. Some of this came about after the Las Vegas shooting
I think the families ghost hunting is so sweet!! I don’t think I personally could ever go ghost hunting (I’m very much a scaredy cat and jumpy) but the thought of my family trying to ghost hunt together made me laugh
I lived less than a half mile from there. I went to Pennhurst more than once, but never had the urge to go to the con.
These kinds of cons are garbage, and there are a lot of crap people at them.
sending all my love to margret 😭 i hope she’s doing well
This sounds like a really fun convention tbh. I was into urban exploration when I was a dumb kid, which alone makes me feel like I'd also enjoy this even though I'm not really a "ghost" believer. I'm more paranormal agnostic. Its possible, but I think it's unlikely. 😂
I feel the same! I also enjoy ghost stories/tours when they're respectful as a lense to history.
Paranormal agnostic perfectly sums up how I feel about that stuff! And most other stuff, tbh.
I doubt what was happening at paracon was anything similar to actually exploring the buildings
OOF as someone who sold at artist alleys from 2005-2017, I have experienced:
1) Being in separate buildings/areas from the rest of the con with NO SIGNAGE telling attendees where we were. At the worst con for this I had a girl shop at my booth and then call her friends on her phone: "GUYS I FOUND THE ARTISTS!!" That's never good.
Everybody - including the huge vendors - started packing up halfway through the last day at that one because it was DEAD in there. All of the artists were shopping at each other's tables and doing trades which was cool but holy shit triscuits. I was lucky to break even at that one.
2) Zero communication between staff, attendees, and vendors so you have no idea what the fuck is going on when and where.
3) Having to fix MAJOR issues for the entire alley at one con toward the end of my "career" even though I wasn't on staff and it wasn't my job; the person whose job it was just completely fumbled the ball and I was there before he was because I come early to get all my ducks in order and _prevent things like whatever I fixed from happening._
and
4) Potential customers being caught up in hours-long registration and pre-reg lines. It was a plague at one con every single year with an attendance of 20,000+ causing lines up to FIVE HOURS LONG. I was always so thankful to get my badges through the AA so it was like five minutes and that's it.
And all I can say when ANY of those things happen let alone multiples in a single con (I have horror stories) is _woof._ I feel for those vendors. Hopefully the heads of the con will get their shit together for the next show now that they've experienced that attendance spike.
Given the name I thought this was going to be a paramore based fan convention. I was going to be impressed that they did something like that. Oh well, this works too!
They used to do a boat tour called Parahoy, I’ve wanted to go forever, but I missed the window :(
I've had that bad feeling before around another asylum when doing research for a history project. As a skeptic, I think we pick up on things that tell us we are in an unsafe space. For me, I realized I was near a newly collapsed area. Maybe for you, it was something in the room that was telling you the building or ceiling was unstable or there were areas for regular people or animals to hide. It's fun to walk through those areas, though.
Great video as always, btw.
I'm from NJ, so Pennhurst isn't a super long trek for me, but the last time I went was in college, in 2011 or 2012. A friend and I went around Halloween for their haunted house attraction, but after we went through the "haunted house" with the paid actors, we were able to explore some other buildings with a tour guide and just our flashlights, and that was by far the most interesting part. Pennhurst is a really interesting place, albeit with a sad history. I'm really happy to hear that they're doing the history tours though. I may go back and take one of their history tours again since it's been so many years since I was last there.
Some places will make people feel uncomfortable and there's nothing supernatural about it, nor necessary. We're as sensitive to our environment as any other animal. Regardless of what I believe, I really enjoy paranormal content from a skeptic perspective.
I also love long-form content where it feels like I'm chatting with a friend about what they've been up to so please make the videos as long as you need. Thanks for keeping me company :)
There was actually a documentary shot at eastern state disproving a lot of common “supernatural” evidence and anecdotal experiences. For instance they sent two groups into a cell block and had certain rooms set up to “feel” haunted one room was colder than the others and one had a low frequency noice in it, nonbelievers remarked on the experience but those who did believe in ghosts said the rooms were definitely haunted. Old buildings like these have a way of carrying low frequency noises we can’t hear but can feel which causes an uncomfortable sensation.
I'm glad the event talked about disability rights. Yes this is a part of history but many people don't know that these places still exist. Canada and the UK for example still have government-funded mental institutions that are being used to oppress people with disabilities and separate them from their families.
18:35 was such a hard cut I wasn’t ready and I was sewing so with that pitch I thought my sewing machine was breaking and I panicked
8:22 I appreciate this, too many think mentally ill are just violent animals that need to be locked in cages, the takes I've seen online are horrendous and some even call to have these types of institutions brought back.
Families were shamed by their doctors and priests for having disabled children and essentially forced to give up kids from time immemorial until the 1970’s. There are older adult now who never knew they had siblings until their parents passed away and others where the families went every weekend to see their loved ones. It’s so varied and such a history steeped in ableism
dang that sucks that this con is a big bag of farts. Pennhurst is so rich in history and I'd attend the con JUST to visit Pennhurst. idc about the "ghost" hunt. I'd love to visit it to learn more and actually see it. I hate when people try to paint these buildings as haunted and spooky for cash grabs. it sucks that they didn't do it justice
Loved this one!
I really love that they covered the correct history, and had people that were actually there at one point. That gives the whole experience a different feel. Also, as someone in the disabled community, I appreciate that they had disability history. There was so much depth to this experience. With a few adjustments to management, communication, and customer service it could be an absolutely amazing experience.
When you talked about Facebook and hot dogs and burger tent I was like "this is midwest con"
You already *are* a cultural anthropologist. A degree might help, but you are already doing the work!
Amanda, as an East Coast girlie, let me tell how much we do NOT use Facebook anymore. I really can’t imagine why they used that to show the schedule.
I AM SO ENVIOUS, Paracon is one of those conventions I am DYING to do but have never had the chance. A lot of my ghost hunting idols attend it! Not ones that you mentioned, but there's John L Tenny; Ami, Adam, and Chip from Kindred Spirits; and especially the Newkirk Paranormal Museum. Did you go into the Oddities tent at all? Did you get to meet Billy?
Honestly, I think if you were to sign up with a local ghost hunting purely as a videographer interested in urban exploring, they'd love to have you. And once you've done one, it does become a little bit of an addiction. The curiosity and desire to like. See and experience things drives a lot of people interested in the Paranormal, and skeptics are an important part of a group for keeping things grounded.
Going off the comment I just saw of someone who vended there, save your money.
The comment the other person who replied to you is probably talking about is pretty high up in the comments, so if you want to know more you should be able to find it pretty easily :)
To help subside your fuse, if the lights were randomly turned off in your room it may be that a fuse blew in the hotel, it would get fixed quickly but lights would randomly get turned off due to that
Feel like you’d absolutely love the hard hat tours over at Ellis Islands hospital. I used to be a guide there, SO much history that’s just not explored by the majority of visitors
12:11
One thing I think is INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT for disability history especially is to note how disgustingly recent everything is. Not only is it recent but it is ONGOING. We are nowhere near where we need to be and disabled people STILL face horrific conditions. Section 504 which I owe everything to wasn’t passed until 1973. The ADA wasn’t passed until 1990.
Disability rights have not reached their goal nor are we close at all to a satisfactory place.
the thing about penitentiaries and asylums are automatically uncomfortable and awful knowing the history. i recommend 10 days in a madhouse by nellie bly to learn more about how terrible these places were. haunted or not, i could never feel comfortable here knowing the levels of human suffering.
I'd be worried about cameras in a room like that! Lol. You should invest in a hidden camera scanner for sure!
Not gonna lie, I read the title and thought this was a Paramore convention.
Lmao same
My brief experience with paranormal enthusiasts was that they were extremely disorganized. I’d try to help with tips and advice but egos got in the way and I was roundly ignored. I eventually got tired of my time being wasted on cancelled meetups with no notice and quit. Ghost hunting seems like it would be fun but the reality of the personalities you encounter when you try to make it social is not my cup of tea. I’m honestly not surprised this event wasn’t organized well but hopefully they’ll have learned how to make it go smoother next year. It does sound like a really fun idea!
as much as you hated that hotel room, the red background really made you stand out! and also you looked very pretty in this video 😌💕
i find places like that to be less spooky and more sad, really. it sounds like you had a good time though!! yay!!
Here in MN, ive noticed it's pretty typical to have a Facebook event as the main form of communication for an event. Although I've never seen it be used as the ONLY form.
This sounds so interesting, especially the history tour and the former patients.
Generally speaking, i keep a distance from the paranormal community because most of them are absolutely nuts and it's hard to find a person who will use logic and not reach.
I feel like the reach and absurd things some of these people say is part of the fun.
@@CourtneyRC I would do it just to people watch. 😅
This! I want to indulge in it but I want people who do it realistically. Which usually means admitting that most things aren't paranormal and most investigations won't catch anything. I dont think I'm a skeptic, but they treat me like one!
Is this shane madej's burner account?
@@CourtneyRC I don't doubt that but I also don't doubt that people take that stuff seriously.
I don't even believe in ghosts but I could never do this, the ghost hunt footage is absolutely terrifying to me lol. Major props to you for not only having the courage to attend this but attending ALONE at that, you have courage that I will never have lol
@Ville what’s your problem?
That's so cool Swell, thanks for sharing. Glad you survived the creepy motel room!
normal motel room, you mean, theres nothing creepy about that place
@@Badusername2000 No, that motel room was creepy af.
@@winterburden then youve never stayed in a cheap motel, ive stayed in rooms like that my whole, life, thats just what cheap roadside motels look like
@@Badusername2000 I've stayed in more cheap hotels than days since you've been born youngin', and ain't none of them been as creepy as that one Swell survived in this video.
i'm an event coordinator and we ALWAYS charge a vendor fee for the exact purpose of not having people pull out at the last minute - 27:50
people don't care if your vendors pulled out, it's not "oh this vendor didn't show up so there's no food" it's "this festival did not have any food"
or at the very least we make the fee refundable if they show up and if they don't show up they don't get their money back.
watching your videos on events has been really helpful actually, though i worry that one day you'll end up doing a video like this on one of my events...i work for the Parks & Rec department of my city government and while we're growing fast i doubt you'll ever end up in my area of A State In The South lol. your videos help put into perspective some of the stuff that's basically second nature to those working the event but not necessarily for those attending the event.
as a side note along with coordinating events i also oversee a food truck plaza...vendors are special, food vendors are a different breed altogether. if you've dealt with vendors you K N O W
i'm so glade you were able to highlight the real history of pennhust and its impact on people. it's not talked about enough on ghost hunting/searching shows
Assuming there wasn’t any off-camera context I was missing, I think it was extremely disrespectful for one of the institution’s former residents to state that she never observed anyone being mistreated. It’s not contested that a substantial number of the intellectually and developmentally disabled residents died or otherwise suffered as a result of the horrific conditions they were subjected to. If she personally did not experience or observe mistreatment and looks back on her time there fondly, that’s her lived experience; but she doesn’t have the right to invalidate the experiences of those who were mistreated by defending the facility’s abhorrent practices.
I also think turning the site into a haunted attraction and letting tourists wander around and search for ghosts is wrong, despite the museum trying to educate visitors about what happened there. I’m developmentally disabled myself, and if I or a loved one died in that wretched facility, I wouldn’t want thrillseekers traipsing around in the ridiculous hope of seeing my tortured soul appear before them. It’s completely disrespectful.
Yeah like having it as a museum would be the only acceptable way to make money off this place. The haunted aspect is really distasteful and shows a lot of privilege that people who would never have to worry about things like this have. The fact that over half of the 10,000 patients died is horrific and should make it a somber place of reflection on history and a reminder of the pain and suffering disabled people have been put through for hundreds of years , not a fun romp trying to find ghosties.
I was there for the VIP event and honestly, I have never been more confused as to what was going on at an event. Waiting in line, so many people got turned away cause their ticket weren’t specific enough as per when they could or couldn’t be there. My ticket wouldn’t scan because of when I bought it, that was anxiety inducing. The history tour was great, but the event as a whole was just…mismanaged.
as a event planner this is very good information thanks Amanda :D
@Ville What’s your problem?
I appreciate so much the work you put into these events even when they aren’t the best for yourself. You do it so we don’t have to and we love you for it
Amanda's hotel room seems like it should be on a episode of Dan Bell's Another Dirty Room. If fact it kinda of reminds me of a room that's been feature on a episode of Dan Bell's Another Dirty Room and or Another Dirty Room Live. I would have check that bed for seman stains and bedbugs and taken a blacklight to make sure their no big p-shaped vomit smears or other questionable bodly fluid stains on those very enraging and ugly red painted walls. I want to stay in the hotel room to feel relaxed these red painted walls don't make me feel relaxed they make me feel stressed.
I just saw the short last night and I’m so happy the full video is up already!!👻🙌
I truly love how diverse the activities, attractions, events and conventions you go to are and always love your take on them😊
Amanda gives us the “female solo event-goer” representation that I desperately need 🙏
I'm sorry.... you were 30 minutes away from me at one of my favorite places and I had no idea?!? Crying inside.
Ouch! Pure parasocial pain😿
It's funny you talk about how there's a lot of couples and families, my husband is a ham radio operator (I am not) and he and I went recently to the biggest ham radio convention in the country recently and I noticed a similar thing there - a lot of couples as well as quite a few families. Additionally, while my husband and I don't share hobbies, he and I regularly accompany each other to events and things for each other's hobbies (like I went to the hamvention) and often still find things to do or that are interesting to us personally also.
I like the respectful way they framed the historical tour
Super interesting commentary! My only issue was that the microphone kept making noises when you moved you hand, which was difficult for me sensory-wise. I've noticed it before on your other out of town setups, so maybe there's a way to stabilize the mic somehow? Glad you talked about the rehabilitation of the place and the emphasis on the people affected!
you would honestly be a brilliant anthropologist i think. Your fieldwork is already really great!