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Top American fears not the stuff of haunted houses

At Netherworld, characters don’t wait until you’re inside the haunted house to scare you. The experience starts in the parking lot.
At Netherworld, characters don’t wait until you’re inside the haunted house to scare you. The experience starts in the parking lot.
By Matt Kempner
Oct 28, 2016

What Americans most fear isn't the kind of stuff you'd find inside the typical haunted house, according to a new survey.

Number 1 on the list of what Americans say they are afraid of or very afraid of: Corrupt government officials.

Next were terrorist attacks and not having enough money for the future, according to a national survey by Chapman University in California. More than 1,500 people were queried on 79 different fears

And what about the kind of stuff you find portrayed inside a haunted house? Reptiles ranked 13th, between biological warfare and government tracking of personal data.

Ben Armstrong rolled his eyes at the idea of incorporating some of those fears in Netherworld, a sprawling metro Atlanta haunted house he co-owns.

“We are selling a fantasy here,” he said. “That’s reality.”

Find out more about fear and human nature from 20 years of running a top haunted attraction, in my latest Unofficial Business column on MyAJC.com.

About the Author

Matt Kempner is an award-winning journalist who seeks out intriguing twists about people and subjects beyond what the AJC might typically cover. A former columnist and editor, his past assignments have included business investigations, energy, the economy, entrepreneurs, big business, consumer spending, politics, government and the environment.

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