# Things made/intended for children that scared you to death.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [July 31, 2002, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773 "2002-07-31T23:11:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/1 "2002-07-31T23:11:15Z")
Lady Elaine Fairchild from Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood
That nose, that chin, those red cheeks. Fred Rogers attempting a female voice. I swear I couldn’t sleep at night.
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### Author:  [@DougAB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougAB)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/2 "2002-07-31T23:33:20Z")
Let’s see…well, I supose the car wash isn’t exactly intended for children, so I’ll have to go with Snuffleupegus…I mean really, that dopey voice, the huge wooly mammoth aspect, and those long, feminine eye lashes were really just too much for me to take. And why was he always behind that fence? What did he have to hide? Dead bodies, most likely. Dead, half eaten, rotting bodies.
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### Author:  [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/3 "2002-07-31T23:43:02Z")
The entire _Wizard of Oz_ movie. All of it.
StG
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### Author:  [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/4 "2002-07-31T23:49:25Z")
A rocking chair, made of molded plastic and mounted on an aluminum springed base. This thing had eyes that burned with a deep and bitter malevolence. Worse, it lived in the cellar and had a motion-sensing voice chip. I’d be down there rummaging around for whatever my mother had sent me to fetch, and from the far corner, I’d hear that horrid “clipclopclipclopclipclop… Neeeeiiiigggghhhh!” And I look over, and it would be lurking there in the shadows, staring at me, teeth bared, nostrils flared. That damn thing sent me sprinting up the cellar stair more than once. :eek:
bella
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### Author:  [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/5 "2002-07-31T23:51:19Z")
_Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory_. _shudder_
Especially the Oompah Loompahs.
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### Author:  [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2002, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/6 "2002-07-31T23:58:52Z")
DougAB,
You were right in being terrified of Snuffleupagus. I can’t remember the exact details but there was some controversy at some point over Snuffle’s asking children not to tell adults he existed. It was thought to teach children to obey a pedophile’s entreaties for secrecy. One of the few seemingly anal arguments I actually agree with.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/7 "2002-08-01T00:02:19Z")
**E.T.** Scares the poop out of me to this day!
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### Author:  [@Romola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Romola)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/8 "2002-08-01T00:47:04Z")
My Buddy and his Kid Sister.
Along with having two of the most irritating jingles ever invented, their cold, blank stares caused many a childhood nightmare. I made my mom give them away.
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/9 "2002-08-01T01:15:40Z")
When I was three or four, my Aunt bought me a monkey puppet. She decided to be cute, so she wrapped the arms around her neck, and brought it over to me. It had a little squeeker inside for some reason, so she turned its head and opened and closed the mouth producing a squeek. At which point, to her horror, I burst into fightened tears…
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/10 "2002-08-01T01:18:33Z")
er, frightened.
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### Author:  [@symplicity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/symplicity)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/11 "2002-08-01T01:21:50Z")
clowns, courtesy of poltergiest
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### Author:  [@partly\_warmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partly_warmer)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/12 "2002-08-01T04:45:32Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by StGermain \*
> \*\*The entire _Wizard of Oz_ movie. All of it.
>
> StG \*\*
Heh, heh, heh. Have you seen _Return to Oz_? Prepare to be frightened.
It’s much truer to the books, by-the-way. Very good overall, few flaws. It’s nothing compared to Judy Garland and company in one of Hollywood’s fantastic attempts to break out of its mold, but it ain’t hay.
* * *
G.I. Joe, Transformers. That stuff scares me. Transformers in particular, not my generation. Why would any kid want to have dozens of dolls (they aren’t models, boys) that look like artifical intelligence gone mad?
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### Author:  [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/13 "2002-08-01T05:10:22Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by StGermain \*
> \*\*The entire _Wizard of Oz_ movie. All of it.
>
> StG \*\*
Well, 95% of it, anyway. That’s just a terrible terrible evil movie!
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/14 "2002-08-01T07:34:58Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*\*KidCharlemagne: \*\*I can’t remember the exact details but there was some controversy at some point over Snuffle’s asking children not to tell adults he existed. It was thought to teach children to obey a pedophile’s entreaties for secrecy.
I think that you are confused about that-- Snuffelupagus was “outed” over concerns that a character which only Big Bird could see, and who vanished whenever anyone else showed up, might reinforce “abnormal” psychology in children, (eg; having “imaginary friends.”) Snuffelupagus never told Big Bird “not to tell” – he was just bashful. None of the children on the Sesame Street I grew up with ever saw Snuffy – they thought Big Bird was a Loon.
Personally, I liked the “private” Snuffy – and lots of toddlers have imaginary friends that they “grow away” from.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/15 "2002-08-01T09:35:01Z")
Clowns
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### Author:  [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/16 "2002-08-01T10:35:38Z")
Operation!
“You need a very steady hand!” and a freakin’ steel bladder…
Also, I had this freaky doll that changed expressions if you turned her arm around. I don’t know what it was called, but that thing was pure evil.
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### Author:  [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/17 "2002-08-01T11:09:38Z")
Two words that send a shiver of fear down my spine:
Teddy Ruxpin
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/18 "2002-08-01T11:26:08Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Two words that send a shiver of fear down my spine:
>
> Teddy Ruxpin
"My name is Teddy Ruxpin, _and you’d better be nice to me!!!_
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### Author:  [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/19 "2002-08-01T11:27:43Z")
The damn _Scary Stories_ series of books. They have the freakiest illustrations. Illustrations by Edward Gorey or H.R. Giger didn’t even come close to giving me the same initial chill that those did.
Fortunately, most of the stories were lame.
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### Author:  [@Ssarl\_the\_happy\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ssarl_the_happy_Martian)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2002, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/20 "2002-08-01T12:00:44Z")
Mine also stem from Oz and Sesame Street!
Return to Oz: the point where Princess Mombi removes her HEAD, walks around without a HEAD and then puts on somebody else’s HEAD which she obtained by cutting off their HEAD. Also, there are a lot of stone people without HEADS within this movie. As if this wasn’t enough, one character, the Gump, is made from a HEAD of a decapitated moose and a bunch of junk, which comes to life; and Princess Mombi’s HAED actually is able to talk, glare and bite while it is sitting on its own in a cabinet.
Very scary!
Also, the Wheelers in the same movie; they were mutant humans with wheels for hands and feet, evil laughs, and very creepy clothes and makeup. Many of them die horribly, by turning to sand. Eek!
Drop Dead Fred (an adult’s imaginary friend; as I remember he continually ended up getting run over and dying in other ways yet continuing to exist)
Beatlejuice (actually pretty much Satan!)
Harlequins (courtesy of Doctor Who: Black Orchid, which features one who strangles people).
And finally, walking, talking, man sized Muppets. I have photos of myself, aged 2 or 3, being held by Grover in the presence of Big Bird, and screaming my lungs out in his face.
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