Moms object to gory billboards

Orlando, Fla. -- A group of Orlando, Fla., mothers are protesting Universal Orlando billboards that they claim are too graphic to be seen by children.

Metro Orlando Mommies said Universal's "Bloody Mary" campaign, which is based on the urban legend of a ghost that can be summoned through mirrors, uses violent and bloody images that are too graphic for public display, the Orlando Sentinel reported Thursday.

The campaign, which also includes TV ads, is designed to attract visitors to the resort for its Halloween Horror Nights festivities.

"Each year, I grow more frustrated and disappointed by the choices Universal makes in advertising this event, which glamorizes violence and human cruelty," Erin Heston, 33, a mother of two young children and member of Metro Orlando Mommies, wrote in a letter to Universal. "This year, I find the billboards truly unacceptable to our community."

The group is asking Universal to tone down the 80 billboards it has erected to promote the event.

However, Universal said complaints about the advertisements have yet to reach a high volume.

"We want them to be fun and entertaining -- and communicate what the event is about," spokesman Michael Lewellen said. "Our approach is consistent with what we've done throughout the 18-year history of Halloween Horror Nights."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.