Parents Pay Man To Scare Their Children
There’s no shortage of ways to make a living, but this is one of the most bizarre. Brantley Gerhardt has an unusual side hustle thanks to parents who want to give their kids a fright. The 32-year-old farmer from Pell City, Alabama is getting paid to dress up as Michael Myers, the serial killer from the “Halloween” movies, and scare children kids at photo shoots.
It sounds insane but it’s actually all in good fun. According to the New York Post, Gerhardt started offering his services last year when he decided to get a Grinch costume with hopes of distracting youngsters from the pandemic. He went to the local Walmart, creeped around, and somehow didn’t get arrested. Then, one day, a dad asked him if he’d take $20 to scare his kid. Since that auspicious day, Gerhardt has traveled all over frightening children at Christmas parties, family gatherings, and other holiday events, but now he charges $30 a pop.
This time of year, he’s dressing up as Michael Myers with the trademark mask. Recently, he booked 40 photo sessions for one day and says 10 of them were all grown-ups who “just want to have fun and forget about the world.” Gerhardt also dresses up as the much less frightening Easter Bunny in March and April, and says he’s made some serious cash wearing costumes for the thousands of families he’s met.
Kids of all ages seem to love it, but a few appear to be genuinely terrified. I hope the parents who are paying for the scares are also prepared to pay for the therapy that might follow. You can see some of Brantley Gerhardt’s work HERE.
