Shoot the Freak

I was at Coney Island a few weeks ago, and I saw the most bizarre thing, a big pit with "Shoot the Freak" written above it, where you actually shot at a guy running around in there. So awful! I can't believe they'd even have something like that! And then, a week later, I was reading the NYTimes, and there was an entire article about it. Here's some excerpts:

From 'It's a Living: Acting Like a Freak and Getting Shot' by Corey Kilgannon

"Jose Pico, 17, just became a freak. So far, it's working out well. 'My cousin was working here as a freak, and he got fired, so they hired me,' said Jose, who has been working for only a week at Shoot the Freak, a popular game on the Coney Island Boardwalk. Customers pay to shoot paint balls at a young man in full pads, scurrying around a vacant lot. Jose said he picked up the job right away. His twin brother, Eric Pico, also works as a freak there, and helped train him. 'It's not that hard,' Jose said Wednesday. 'You run around and act freaky so people will want to shoot you more. Not much to learn...I was working at a beauty products store, doing inventory, but my brother said, "Yo, they need another freak: you should do it"', he said, still texting. 'It definitely pays more than the beauty products store. I was making $7.50 an hour. Plus, you're outside. I meet a lot of girls out here, even though I'm wearing the costume and I'm the freak. They're interested in meeting the freak."

Okay, by this point in the article, I was laughing out loud. I had to make sure something from the Onion hadn't been accidentally slipped into the Times. I mean, honestly. He meets a lot of girls here? Seriously?? Umm...yeah. Can you imagine?
"Gee, Stef, who are you dating these days?"
"Well, I met this really freaky guy. Literally. He's a freak."
"Wow, Stef, that's really mean, you shouldn't call your boyfriend a freak! That's horrible!"
"No, seriously, he IS a freak. THE freak, in fact. And it was love at first shot..."

I could go on, but I'm already annoying myself with that dream sequence. The article continues:

"The owner of Shoot the Freak, Anthony Berlingieri, said his freaks earned $100 to $200 a day. He said Jose's cousin was fired because he could not wake up early enough to get to work on time, at 11 a.m. The barker, [the guy who calls out to people, "Hey, don't you want to shoot the freak?"etc.] appropriately named Tommy Conwell, tried to draw in customers. Mr. Conwell, 24, of Bensonhurst, has a Brooklyn accent that should be donated to the Smithsonian. Using a headset microphone, he invited anyone within hearing distance to step right up and shoot the freak. Asked about the latest addition to the freak staff, he looked over at Jose and shrugged.
'He's good,' Mr. Conwell said. 'Some days he moves around and acts like a freak, which is good. Unless you get shooters who want him to stand still. A freak can stand still, too. Either way, people love shooting the freak, and they always will'. His point was borne out momentarily, as two young women, tourists from Italy, walked up. One asked about the prices.
'Just read the wall', Mr. Conwell said, ever the gentleman...[He] lead the women to the guns and showed them how to shoot the new freak. 'Bang, you just shoot him in the head, see?' he said. The women giggled and began pelting Jose with pellets."

I get the feeling that the author and editors were probably laughing quite hard when they put this article together. It just drips with subtle ridicule. But really, I can't say that I blame them. I truly can't believe that people would find enjoyment out of shooting someone, much less someone called a freak?!? No one should ever be shot at, and if someone is really what would be considered a 'freak', he should be treated with compassion and care, not be shot at. Perhaps I'm too much of a bleeding heart, but honestly! This is nuts.