Vermont has an eighty-six-year-old ski resort named Suicide Six, but with the growing “awareness” surrounding mental health issues, the venue has decided to rebrand over the summer? Seriously?
A bit of history, well – according to Wikipedia.
Suicide Six is the name of a ski resort in South Pomfret, Vermont. Its claim to historical fame as the earliest ski resort derives from the installation, in January 1934, of an improvised rope tow, the first ski lift (uphill conveyance) in the United States, on a hill located on Clinton Gilbert’s farm. The rope tow was originally powered with a Ford Model T engine. By the following month, Wallace “Bunny” Bertram (a former ski coach at Dartmouth College who had helped build the original rope lift) took over the operation, and installed a more reliable electric motor. A few years later he moved his operation to a steeper hill nearby, shown on the map as “Hill 6”.[1] Bertram once joked that to ski down the nearby Hill No. 6 would be suicide. Two years later the resort was opened using this name and photos of Bertram can be seen in the resort museum in the base lodge.
I would not find any reports indicating there were complaints about the name. That’s what typically leads to this sort of thing. And no one, to the best of my knowledge, has actually committed suicide there – though I did not dig deep to confirm that. So, it looks like the caretakers at S6 have decided to Jump the culture shark before it tries to bite them.
The resort team said it “embraces the increasing awareness surrounding mental health and shares the growing concerns about the insensitive nature of the historical name.”
Officials said the company’s name should better represent and celebrate what makes it a beloved part of the community.
“Though some may find the change difficult, we stand by our conviction that this evolution is warranted for an iconic treasure and, more importantly, necessary to continue its rich history of inclusion and accessibility,” the company said.
I haven’t skied in over 30 years, so I’m agnostic on that part, but as an observer of the declining American Culture, I find this unnecessary and annoying. I’m not surprised. Spinelessness is the new ideal from sea to rising sea. But where once we watched individuals and businesses cave to victim-class pressure campaigns, we now see them caving before anyone says boo.
Related: Land O Lakes “Terminates” Diversity-Hire: Says Goodbye to “Native American” Woman on Company Logo
Not all that long ago, Mutual of Omaha decided to ditch the iconic Indian Chief logo. It was BLM Summer. Land-O-Lakes had announced it would keep the land and ditch the Indian Princess (Mia), while Uncle Ben and Aunt Jamima got the boot. No one asked Mutual of Omaha or even complained. They folded without cause.
And so has the (I’m sure very lovely and thoughtful people) at Suicide 6. If they’d like a suggestion for a name change, how about Janice?
But that begs some further thought. The Movie(s) Suicide Squad will need a name change. Then there’s the suicide vest, suicide seat, Suicide Boys (Hip-Hop), Suicide Forest (Japan), and more.
How about anything with the name Deadman? Drive, curve, bluff, switch. And is it more offensive because of the word dead or man?
And are we suggesting that the name of something is what pushes people “off the ledge” becasue that’s a can of worms too.
In other words, there’s no way to win this game (right, Joshua) so you might as well not play.
