# What were people scared of in the past that now seems funny? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 28, 2010, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653 "2010-10-28T13:24:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/41 "2010-10-28T16:35:28Z")
SOCIALISTS! Actually no they are still scary. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/42 "2010-10-28T16:36:07Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > Of masturbation making you blind. Or draining your life force. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/43 "2010-10-28T16:42:25Z")
The cloudships of [Magonia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magonia_%28mythology%29). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/44 "2010-10-28T16:44:56Z")
Quoth **Annie-Xmas** : > [@](#): > > When the first astronaunts came back from the moon, they were put in quarentine in case they brought back any moon diseases. I’ve heard that this is actually incorrect. They were put in quarantine because NASA was afraid that the stresses of being cooped up in a small space together for days, plus microgravity, plus cosmic radiation, might have suppressed their immune systems to the point where they’d be particularly vulnerable to ordinary Earthly bugs. It was to protect them, not the rest of the Earth. But moon germs make an easier headline, so that’s what the media ran with. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/45 "2010-10-28T16:56:48Z")
An earlier thread on the Apollo astronaut quarantines: [Why did they quarantine the returning Apollo astronauts? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=525155) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/46 "2010-10-28T16:57:50Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > Drowning in molasses. Watch your step there, me boyo: [Great Molasses Flood - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molasses_Flood) ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/47 "2010-10-28T17:02:53Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Yeah, those great humanitarians Lenin, Stalin & Mao! The millions of slaughtered bourgeoisie had it coming! I don’t recall millions of Americans being slaughterd by communists. Looks like we escaped that fate by the skin of our teeth. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/48 "2010-10-28T17:05:13Z")
> [@tullsterx](#): > > SOCIALISTS! Actually no they are still scary. Witches too! And ghosts! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/49 "2010-10-28T17:09:48Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > Witches too! And ghosts! Milk! Rectangles! ---
**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:** [October 28, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/50 "2010-10-28T17:15:18Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > I don’t recall millions of Americans being slaughterd by communists. Looks like we escaped that fate by the skin of our teeth. Millions of people were. Fortunately, we had the good sense not to let the bastards in power. Really, “communists” is as stupid as “Nazis” as an answer. I don’t recall millions of Americans slaughtered by them either. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/51 "2010-10-28T17:25:17Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Really, “communists” is as stupid as “Nazis” as an answer. I don’t recall millions of Americans slaughtered by them either. Just half a million. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/52 "2010-10-28T17:27:46Z")
[Invaders from Mars!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Worlds_%28radio%29) (72 years ago this week). ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/53 "2010-10-28T17:31:56Z")
Martians ETA: Damn beaten to it (need to refresh more regularly) ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/54 "2010-10-28T17:38:44Z")
The gold standard is and will always be [vampire melons](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire_pumpkins_and_watermelons). ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/55 "2010-10-28T18:03:45Z")
[Incubi.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incubus) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/56 "2010-10-28T18:06:47Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Marijuana. From Reefer Madness to meh, in 70 years. Well, meh for most people. > > . Maybe Meh out here in CA and some other areas, but in the Heartland, any Candidate suggesting any liberalization of any drug laws has little chance of being elected. As to quicksand, I was actually caught in some once. It \*was \*scary. I was in no danger of drowning, but I did sink in well over my rubber boots and it was messy and hard to get myself out. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/57 "2010-10-28T18:56:04Z")
I just listened to a short story by George Eliot wherein a dead body was revived via a blood transfusion long enough to accuse a character of attempted murder. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/58 "2010-10-28T19:00:51Z")
Cats sucking the breath out of babies. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/59 "2010-10-28T19:13:01Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Originally Posted by **FriarTed** > > Really, “communists” is as stupid as “Nazis” as an answer. I don’t recall millions of Americans slaughtered by them either. > > Just half a million. I’m trying to think of the 400,000 after you’ve counted Korea and Vietnam. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653/60 "2010-10-28T20:29:51Z")
> [@MonkeyMensch](#): > > I’m trying to think of the 400,000 after you’ve counted Korea and Vietnam. I think he meant the Nazis. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-people-scared-of-in-the-past-that-now-seems-funny/558653.md?page=4)