# Why is "fear of spiders (snakes, etc)" now something to "brag" about? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 21, 2019, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263 "2019-05-21T02:18:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/1 "2019-05-21T02:18:44Z")
Seems to be a recent phenomenon, especially on Facebook. For example, on our neighborhood HOA FB page, occasionally someone will post that they saw a snake, or that the spiders are started to make their webs, or whatever. This is usually followed by responses that consist of some people saying how great they are for the environment, but a lot of people expressing how if they found a snake/spider/etc in their house they’d “torch the house and move.” Okay, so 1) I get it, it’s exaggeration for humor value, and 2) some people really are scared of spiders and snakes. And nobody is actually going to destroy their house to avoid a spider. But what I don’t get is, a lot of the biggest responders saying “they’d blow their house up if they saw a spider” are grown men, and often otherwise tough, “manly” men. So why has it become popular to basically insist that you’re, well, a “wimp”? A “wuss”? Or any other non-“macho” term. I mean, they don’t have to respond at all, after all. Does anybody else know what I mean? Ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/2 "2019-05-21T02:23:32Z")
I dunno. WAG: It’s a way of saying: I’m relatable. I’m human, I have flaws, but not the kind that make me a jerk. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/3 "2019-05-21T02:52:29Z")
It’s similar to how if you post a picture of a woman with big breasts on a forum now half the comments are people declaring they are sorry for their back problems or how they’ll sag in 10 years. Why does any of that matter to the picture at hand? We’re you going to run out and marry them up until you saw their big boobs? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/4 "2019-05-21T02:52:36Z")
This ties into the various “Toxic Masculinity” threads. It’s because men don’t actually care about what “society” tells them they should feel, and it’s okay to say “Fuck spiders!” even if you are a man. The increasing amount of men who say that is their way of pushing back on what TV and Movies tell them to be. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/5 "2019-05-21T03:20:25Z")
I think there’s a danger of reading too much into stuff like this. It’s nice to reply to stuff and get involved, and tell a semi-joke at the same time. Otherwise what are you supposed to reply? “I ain’t fraid o no spiders”? (actually that would be good response, but you take my point) Whether a response makes one look less manly has little significance on the internet. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/6 "2019-05-21T03:26:58Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > I think there’s a danger of reading too much into stuff like this. > > It’s nice to reply to stuff and get involved, and tell a semi-joke at the same time. > Otherwise what are you supposed to reply? “I ain’t fraid o no spiders”? > (actually that would be good response, but you take my point) > > **Whether a response makes one look less manly has little significance on the internet.** Re: my bold You must be on a different internet than me. But I agree it really shouldn’t have any significance. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/7 "2019-05-21T04:27:28Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Re: my bold > > You must be on a different internet than me. But I agree it really shouldn’t have any significance. I mean because of anonymity – I’ve admitted to a lot more things online than I would in person. But also, yeah I don’t really see manliness being a big deal on interwebs. Take this forum for example. Of course US conservative websites are probably all about that BS, but don’t be under the impression that they represent half of the world’s population or public discourse. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/8 "2019-05-21T04:29:55Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > It’s similar to how if you post a picture of a woman with big breasts on a forum now half the comments are people declaring they are sorry for their back problems or how they’ll sag in 10 years. > > Why does any of that matter to the picture at hand? We’re you going to run out and marry them up until you saw their big boobs? What? I’m failing to see the connection? ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/9 "2019-05-21T06:48:01Z")
You are seeing more people sharing that sort of thing because more people are sharing in general. That’s it. By definition you aren’t going to notice the increased number of people who _aren’t_ sharing that sort of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/10 "2019-05-21T08:00:18Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > … and it’s okay to say “Fuck spiders!” even if you are a man… Going off topic – but this reminded me irresistibly of the bit in a history of one of World War I’s more obscure campaigns, featuring a wonderful dismissive insult. It involves two British officers of some seniority, who totally failed to hit it off: they were arguing with increasing heat over some point of “what should be done next” – one of the pair totally lost it, and ended up shouting at the other, “Ah, go to hell and commit unnatural offences with spiders !” ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/11 "2019-05-21T10:59:05Z")
If men are saying they’d blow up a house, sounds like they’re ironically using macho threats to exaggerate the lengths they’d go to for their “wimpy” fear of spiders, for humorous effect. Which makes me think they are just joking about all of it. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/12 "2019-05-21T13:05:38Z")
I’m with the opinion that too much is getting read into that. Someone somewhere made a joke about nuking a spider or burning down the house, and people just continue it. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/13 "2019-05-21T18:31:27Z")
I would venture a guess that it is a _safe_ topic so people feel comfortable responding, insofar as no one is going gang up on you and roast you for saying spiders are icky. The same can’t be said for politics, or commenting on women’s attractiveness, or chiming in about vaccinations. So those not looking for arguments stick to topics like spiders, cute cats and the amount of coffee they drink. At least on my FB wall they do. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/14 "2019-05-21T18:49:09Z")
IMO, the “I don’t kill spiders” attitude is now seen as a Politically Correct & Environmentalist. So the “I hate spiders” is part of the overall anti-PC movement. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/15 "2019-05-21T19:58:58Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > IMO, the “I don’t kill spiders” attitude is now seen as a Politically Correct & Environmentalist. So the “I hate spiders” is part of the overall anti-PC movement. It’s like how when Donald Trump said he liked Cinco De Mayo everybody in the world suddenly decided Cinco De Mayo wasn’t a real holiday and no Mexican in history has ever celebrated it. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/16 "2019-05-21T20:18:36Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > It’s like how when Donald Trump said he liked Cinco De Mayo everybody in the world suddenly decided Cinco De Mayo wasn’t a real holiday and no Mexican in history has ever celebrated it. The backlash had started _well_ before this. Trump’s tweet just confirmed that the poorly based cultural appropriation had maxed out. This was always going to be a rise-and-fall bit. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/17 "2019-05-21T20:46:08Z")
What if you kinda like spiders, like I do? ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/18 "2019-05-21T22:43:41Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > I’m with the opinion that too much is getting read into that. > > Someone somewhere made a joke about nuking a spider or burning down the house, and people just continue it. “I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure. “ ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/19 "2019-05-21T22:56:59Z")
Because people (in the US at least) are so fearful that it becomes a point of pride. It’s not just spiders and snakes; it’s innocuous things like clowns. People even seek out ways to be “scared” (it’s often being startled, not scared). Then they brag about how terrified they were. I find that attitude incomprehensible. Being scared is no fun, and it pisses me off when people try to scare me. But we live in a culture where fear is a point of pride. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263/20 "2019-05-21T22:59:15Z")
I’m not sure that claiming you’ll blow up your house is unmanly - that’s a man’s man’s ‘reasonable tactical response to an invader’. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-fear-of-spiders-snakes-etc-now-something-to-brag-about/834263.md?page=2)