# Things made/intended for children that scared you to death. **URL:** \ **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:** 2
**Author:** ![king\_of\_spain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7cd45c/32.png) [@king\_of\_spain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/king_of_spain)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/21 "2002-08-01T14:00:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Larry Mudd \* > \*\*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. \*\* Not according to _Sesame Street Unpaved_. (Does anyone in child psychology think imaginary friends are “abnormal”?) The concern was that, since the adults didn’t believe Big Bird when he told people about Snuffy, kids might start thinking that adults wouldn’t believe them if they had something important to tell (like “a bad man touched me”). ---
**Author:** ![Broken\_Doll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@Broken\_Doll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broken_Doll)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/22 "2002-08-01T15:11:33Z")
**Alice In Wonderland**. Just plain scary [the mad hatter? Scary. The crazy queen? SCARY! Everything else? JUST PLAIN SCARY]. I could never watch or read the whole thing, so I don’t really understand the story that well today. I might sit down and watch a movie of it and see if it’s not as scary as I used to think. ---
**Author:** ![Phoebestar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Phoebestar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phoebestar)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/23 "2002-08-01T18:49:22Z")
First, let me state that I love roller coasters. Until recently I’d never found one that scared me. I’ve been riding them since I was four years old, several a year. However, there’s this new kid-geared roller coaster at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom called [Road Runner Express Express](http://www.sixflags.com/parks/kentuckykingdom/rides/roadrunner.html). My roommate and I looked at it from the tall ferris wheel; it looked harmless. A single car with four seats, going up and down a pretty bright yellow track. Then we rode it. I’ve never experienced such unimaginable fear in my life. I thought we were going to go over the edge, at every corner. It felt like the car was about to go off the tracks. I hated every single moment of it. Whomever dreamed up that ride needs to have their nosehairs plucked one by one by Wile E. Coyote himself. ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/24 "2002-08-01T19:03:31Z")
The Santa Claus at the mall scared the crap out of me when I was a toddler. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/25 "2002-08-01T19:36:45Z")
When I was a kid there was a doll family called “The Sunshine Family”. They were supposed to be kind of hippieish, with their big ugly brown plastic sandals and their ,“sunshine van”, right down to their big spaced-out zombie eyes. I got the whole set one Christmas. From then on, I made sure my parents had a list to choose from. ---
**Author:** ![seawitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@seawitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seawitch)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/26 "2002-08-01T20:02:37Z")
I’ve never gotten over the stupid Jack-In-The-Box my grandparents bought me as a toddler. A lot of kids are already afraid of clowns - who’s the Einstein that thought it would help to have the creepy little bastard _jump out at us?!_ Bleeaaurgh. ::shiver:: ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Bianca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@Miss\_Bianca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Bianca)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/27 "2002-08-01T20:03:26Z")
When I was little, there was nothing I hated more than a jack-in-the-box. Worst. Toy. Ever. First there would be the creepy music, and then when the clown (or whatever) suddenly POPPED UP OUT OF THE BOX, I’d shriek and practically jump right out of my skin. I refused to play with jacks-in-the-box, but for some reason I seem to have a lot of memories of other kids playing with them in my presence. Argh! Later on, I became the best Perfection ™ and Superfection ™ player in my neighborhood out of sheer terror – I was absolutely driven to finish getting all the pieces into their differently shaped holes and then hit the “off” button before the timer ran out, the obnoxious buzzer sounded, and the pieces were violently popped up out of their holes. I guess you could say I was a little high-strung. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/28 "2002-08-01T20:20:38Z")
Balloons. They squeak. They pop. They burst. They explode. They make loud and horrible noises. They are pure and sadistic evil. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/29 "2002-08-01T20:29:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KidCharlemagne \* > \*\*Lady Elaine Fairchild from Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood > \*\* Lady Elaine scares the crap outta me to this day! Actually, so does Punch and Judy (though they’re rather antiquated now and you rarely see them.) I always hated the Count on _Sesame Street_ because of the freaky rubber bats that shook (“flew”) around him. But what did me in one day, scared me so bad I never went back to that kindergarten class, was some TV show that had a skeleton as a narrator. I don’t remember it well (_no,_ it was NOT the _Tales from the Crypt_ guy – it was something much more innocent/insidious). I just remember that it was an old black and white TV show and the skeleton “welcomed the children” to the show, then opened up an old pirate’s treasure chest to pick out the book that had the day’s story. I burst into tears at the sight of it and the following morning I jumped out of a moving car to escape my fate of returning to that scary kindergarten class. ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/30 "2002-08-01T21:22:29Z")
The Child catcher on ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’. Even now! ---
**Author:** ![MachV](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@MachV](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MachV)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/31 "2002-08-01T21:49:49Z")
When I was about five years old, I begged my mom for an outdoor water toy I saw on tv. It was some kind of creature that had big eyes and long tentacles. When connected to a running water hose, the thing would start bobbing up and down, flinging water and tentacles every which way. I remember how excited I was when we got it home and hooked it up. When it rose up into the air for the first time, I remember the sheer terror I felt as the thing came at me. I screamed & ran. Never played with it again. On Sesame Street - Nothing, and I mean _nothing_ was scarier than those damn aliens. ---
**Author:** ![knarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@knarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/knarf)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/32 "2002-08-01T22:02:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hillbilly queen \* > \*\*When I was a kid there was a doll family called “The Sunshine Family”. They were supposed to be kind of hippieish, with their big ugly brown plastic sandals and their ,“sunshine van”, right down to their big spaced-out zombie eyes. I got the whole set one Christmas. From then on, I made sure my parents had a list to choose from. \*\* I think my sister had those - their eyes popped out pretty easily, and they were even creepier looking. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/33 "2002-08-01T22:41:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Romola \* > \*\*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. \*\* My Buddy, [My Buddy], My Buddy, [My Buddy] Wherever I go, he goes My Buddy, [My Buddy], My Buddy, [My Buddy] My Buddy and Me! Kid Sister, [Kid Sister]…and so on I don’t know that they scared me, but I could never stand baby dolls. They weren’t cuddly, and they smelled like plastic. Those life-sized Barbies, on the other hand, were incredibly scary. The Count from Sesame Street always sent me running from the room screaming at the top of my lungs. I have no idea why. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/34 "2002-08-01T23:10:29Z")
I don’t know that it was really intended for children, but the opening theme to “My Three Sons” always scared the life out of me. I could never stand seeing those disembodied hands opening and closing like an accordion to show the opening credits. Gave me nightmares!! :shudder: ---
**Author:** ![typhoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed8c4c/32.png) [@typhoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typhoon)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/35 "2002-08-01T23:35:14Z")
Teletubbies. Oh God, Teletubbies. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/36 "2002-08-01T23:47:06Z")
I was slightly older than the target age but I was always freaked out by Morgan Freeman’s dracula character on The Electric Company. There was a dark nook in our living room and I had nightmares that he was lurking there, ready to come out and be mean and evil to me. ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@Lady\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Ice)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/37 "2002-08-01T23:51:50Z")
When I was a toddler, I had a Sesame Street Little Golden Book [sup]tm[/sup]. It was called The Monster at the end of this Book. That thing scared the crap out of me. I actually threw it in the garbage, and my mother picked it back out at one point. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/38 "2002-08-02T00:33:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ssarl the happy Martian \* > \*\*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! > \*\* [Oz Trivia] I only saw the movie **Return to Oz** once a while ago, but I think you may have the names mixed up here. (Or else the movie not only mixes up parts of various books, it also swaps character names around.) Mombi, in the book **The Land of Oz** is the evil witch who keeps Tip captive (Tip later turns out to be Ozma transformed into a young boy). He brings Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse to life, and they travel around, have adventures, bring The Gump to life, and so forth. In a later Oz Book, which I _think_ was **Ozma of Oz** , Dorothy returns to Oz (she was absent from **The Land of Oz** ), but first stops in one of the mysterious lands across the deadly desert, wherein dwell the Wheelers, and the princess with the multiple heads, whose name, unless I’m confusing her with someone from a different pantheon entirely, was Languidere. (A quick check around the net informs me that it’s actually Langwidere). [/Oz Trivia] ---
**Author:** ![Myrnalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Myrnalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrnalene)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/39 "2002-08-02T01:10:42Z")
I knew an **18 year old man** (well, boyman may be more descriptive for that age, he was still in high school) who could not handle the Gollum in the Rankin/Bass movie of _The Hobbit_. I was at his house once and suggested we watch it and he became nearly hysterical. His little brother used to torture him by chasing him around and lisping, “My precious!” Me, I was never afraid of any of that kind of stuff. Well, the was the time I was reading a book of scary stories, heard a noise in my room and ran screaming into the night……my parents were not pleased. ---
**Author:** ![partly\_warmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@partly\_warmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partly_warmer)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773/40 "2002-08-02T04:24:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MaxTheVool \* > \*\* > > [Oz Trivia] > I only saw the movie **Return to Oz** once a while ago, but I think you may have the names mixed up here. (Or else the movie not only mixes up parts of various books, it also swaps character names around.)[/Oz Trivia] \*\* You’re right, the movie draws mostly from “Ozma of Oz”, but Mombi’s taken from “The Land of Oz”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-made-intended-for-children-that-scared-you-to-death/121773.md?page=3)