# What weird thing frightens the bejesus out of you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745 "2009-01-30T18:23:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/41 "2009-01-31T09:24:21Z")
> [@Stauderhorse](#): > > When I was much younger, E.T. used to scare the hell out of me. Yes, [this](http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e165/NERFHERDER1977/ET-1.jpg) thing. I never bought the idea that he was some benign little creature who just wanted a friend; to me, there were some evil intentions behind that shy little grin. Now, though, it’s Chucky from Child’s Play. I don’t care if he’s a little plastic doll from a cheesy horror movie, nor do I care that everyone outside of the Dope would probably laugh at me if I told them this. He runs around wielding a knife, for Og’s sake! He skeeves me, too. I actually shuddered a little when I clicked your link. He never frightened me, exactly, but I never really liked him, or the movie. I never got why people were so attached to him. Plus, I hated that scene where he was all white and sick and…ugh. I’ve never met anyone who actually liked E.T. Maybe no one does and it’s one of those things that we just thought we were supposed to like. Like tie dye or bell bottoms. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/42 "2009-01-31T15:08:57Z")
The planet Jupiter. No, I’m not making that up. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/43 "2009-01-31T15:27:54Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > _I_ scare you? Hey, it sounded funny! 😃 > [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > it’s one of those things that we just thought we were supposed to like. Like tie dye or bell bottoms. Why the tie-dye hate? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/44 "2009-01-31T16:32:01Z")
Do house centipedes count as a weird thing to be afraid of? ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/45 "2009-01-31T16:48:03Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > Horses. Huge skittish animals with tiny brains that want to stomp on and kick me. I can go to the track no problem, but if I had to go into the barn I’d start seriously losing it. A thousand times this. I will never in my life understand how some people (little girls especially) become so attached to those beasts. Just… gah. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/46 "2009-01-31T18:01:28Z")
> [@fluiddruid](#): > > The planet Jupiter. No, I’m not making that up. 😕 I’m terrified of anything getting anywhere near my eyes. Visits to the eye doctor are hell, and I can’t wear contacts or open my eyes underwater. Want to squick me out? Do a Three Stooges-style eye poke and get within two feet of my face. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/47 "2009-01-31T22:10:39Z")
> [@Stauderhorse](#): > > When I was much younger, E.T. used to scare the hell out of me. Yes, [this](http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e165/NERFHERDER1977/ET-1.jpg) thing. I never bought the idea that he was some benign little creature who just wanted a friend; to me, there were some evil intentions behind that shy little grin. Now, though, it’s Chucky from Child’s Play. I don’t care if he’s a little plastic doll from a cheesy horror movie, nor do I care that everyone outside of the Dope would probably laugh at me if I told them this. He runs around wielding a knife, for Og’s sake! A friend sent me a little Chucky doll. He sits in a proud place in my room, but there are times when I have to turn him so he’s not looking at me in order to rest easy. ---
**Author:** ![incidental](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/22d042/32.png) [@incidental](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/incidental)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/48 "2009-01-31T22:51:07Z")
> [@fluiddruid](#): > > The planet Jupiter. No, I’m not making that up. wait…what? why? I’m seriously curious about this one…why the fear of Jupiter? As for me, I suppose bugs. Not sure how unusual that is though. ---
**Author:** ![Elenfair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cc9497/32.png) [@Elenfair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elenfair)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/49 "2009-01-31T23:00:59Z")
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who was traumatized by ET as a kid. Dude, I was cheering for the government guys to shoot the little fucker. I’m still terrified of clowns. Seriously. Hate those bastards. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/50 "2009-01-31T23:04:36Z")
> [@incidental](#): > > wait…what? why? > > I’m seriously curious about this one…why the fear of Jupiter? > > As for me, I suppose bugs. Not sure how unusual that is though. Well, it is a gas giant, so maybe he’s worried about it exploding? Certainly qualifies as weird, tho’. As fear generally incapacitates, my only fear is fear itself. Because I’m a geezer, and I’m hard, see! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/51 "2009-02-01T00:30:41Z")
People wearing giant carnival heads. I have had this fear since I was two years old, and it has never let up. It freaks me the hell out. ---
**Author:** ![beanpod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9adbd/32.png) [@beanpod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beanpod)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/52 "2009-02-01T01:02:12Z")
Worms, slugs, eels, squid… ew ew ew! Just thinking about it gives me the heebie jeebies. I shriek and run away. I’ve never had a leech on myself, and I don’t even want to think about it. The idea of parasites larger than bacteria makes me want to crawl into a sealed plastic bubble and never ever come out. Snakes, strangely, I’m not afraid of. Ok, non-poisonous snakes I’m not worried about. Also, eyes. Anything touching mine, anybody touching their own. Those…scenes…in Kill Bill I and II? No. I just knew it was gonna happen, and I hid my eyes until it was over. My husband sometimes corners me in the bathroom and forces me to watch him take out his contacts. I scream and hide and he cackles maniacally. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/53 "2009-02-01T01:29:07Z")
Aliens, like the creepy X-files kind. ---
**Author:** ![Gwyen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/858c86/32.png) [@Gwyen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gwyen)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/54 "2009-02-01T01:36:35Z")
belly button lint Deep water Anything with more than 6 legs ---
**Author:** ![Liddle\_Lamsy\_Divey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Liddle\_Lamsy\_Divey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liddle_Lamsy_Divey)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/55 "2009-02-01T01:59:17Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Balloons > > Moreso, dogs chasing balloons > > Even moreso, children with balloons > > _shudder_ Balloons and firecrackers, for their sudden, loud noise. I’m less afraid of Mylar balloons, though. standing on something high with nothing to hold onto: My swim teacher didn’t help much when she had me thrown off of the diving board (okay, it was the low diving board, but still, it was into the 11-foot part of the pool. And I don’t have good depth perception as it is, so it was a nightmare.) owls: What’s weird is that this is fairly recent; I didn’t have much of a problem with them when I was younger, but now just looking at one creeps me out. ---
**Author:** ![Gwyen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/858c86/32.png) [@Gwyen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gwyen)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/56 "2009-02-01T02:02:48Z")
owls are not what they seem ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/57 "2009-02-01T02:21:09Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > I fear mold. I am allergic to it so maybe it’s a survival instinct. I think fungi (like mushrooms) are pretty cool, but mold is some kind of malevolent growth from hell. That makes two of us (though I’m not allergic). The thought of reaching into the produce drawer and encountering a mushy, furry cucumber with my bare hands is the stuff of nightmares. I inspect all food for visible traces of mold and throw out anything remotely suspicious, yet I eat blue cheese. I know that is not rational. I don’t care. One of the most horrible things I’ve ever seen was a science project I judged. The student had put slices of bread in disposable lidded pie pans and soaked them with different liquids to see what would grow. The orange juice pan was completely filled with a forest of multicolored mold. It made me want to run screaming from the gymnasium. At least the thing that creeps me out the most can’t come running after me or crawl in my sleeping bag at night. ---
**Author:** ![lynne-42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lynne-42/32/3138_2.png) [@lynne-42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lynne-42)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/58 "2009-02-01T02:37:11Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Well, nothing frightens me _that_ much. But I am _uneasy_ around: > Clowns & Mimes (and dolls thereof) > Large spiders > Heights with nothing to hang on to. > > I think the last two are fairly reasonable and the first may be just an intense hatred of. A total match on that one. Clowns and mimes, and that includes Santa Clauses for me. As a child it was fear, now it is just uneasy. Spiders were a real phobia, but I cured it, overdid the cure and am now obsessed by them. Heights without support don’t need to be very high. My sense of balance is dreadful - so I figure I’ll keep that fear and stay alive. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/59 "2009-02-01T03:09:30Z")
I’m weird about whatever car I own. I’m really paranoid it’s not going to start, and I won’t know what to do other than pay someone hundred’s of dollars to fix it. Other people’s cars, or rental cars don’t freak me out. The very first brand-new car I ever owned started failing to start after less than a month. Whenever I’m driving I freak out over every strange sound or odd smell. I’m pretty sure the car is going to blow up. Again, only if it’s my car. I’ve loved the periods of my life when I didn’t have to own a car. I never worried about my motorcycle, though. ---
**Author:** ![Nautilus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nautilus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nautilus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745/60 "2009-02-01T03:43:45Z")
Ladybugs. They just freak me out. When I was younger Fantasia scared me. To this day parts of it still make me very uneasy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-weird-thing-frightens-the-bejesus-out-of-you/483745.md?page=4)