Did you ace the last quiz on pets people could be scared of? This quiz is a bit more challenging as it delves deeper into terms for animal phobias — from fears of chickens to all sorts of insects, check yourself . . . if you're not too scared, that is!
About four percent of the adult, American population has arachnaphobia — a fear of spiders — and of that percentage, women are four times as likely to be afraid.
Researchers concluded that girls have a genetic predisposition to be afraid of dangerous animals like spiders. Coded into our DNA, apparently, is the desire to stay away from dangerous things and protect our children, where men are supposed to be risk-takers and generally less likely to be afraid of spiders. You know — they're the hunters.
The researchers' conclusion seems to be a huge leap to me, but then again, a lot of these studies feel that way! I happen to love spiders and think they're beautiful. If I see one — I consider it good luck and try not to accidentally squish it. Maybe I'm just Goth that way. What about you?
Coulrophobia: An overwhelming fear of clowns. This lady: She's got it — bad. In this heart-stopping clip, Chris, a woman with a crippling fear of clowns, stares down her nemesis in the most dramatic video you'll see all day, possibly the most dramatic video you will see in your lifetime. With an all-star cast including The Psychologist, Mr. Giggles (the man who is at once her tormenter and her savior), and Parsley, the loyal, wisecracking sidekick who will see her through to the end — Operation Send in the Clowns is not a video you will soon forget. (To see if Chris is truly cured, though, we should send in this clown and see what happens.)
Click here to see the unedited video.
Everybody's afraid of something. Me, I'm afraid of the moment when the nachos run out. You'd be surprised what fears are actually documented phobias. See if you can figure out which ones are real and which are fake . . . or at least haven't yet been recognized!
Maury has officially cornered the market on publicly torturing humiliating "helping" people who live with crippling phobias. From cottonphobia, to picklephobia, to peachphobia, to balloonphobia, Maury's covered it. He's now found a woman who's chicken when it comes to chickens, so what unlicensed therapeutic move does Maury use to help? He chases her around the studio with live chickens, dead chickens, people dressed as chickens— whatever makes for good daytime television. Welcome to Old McMaury's funny farm...
Barbara has a phobia of getting locked inside public restroom stalls, so she she avoids them at all costs. But when she must journey into a bathroom, she keeps the door unlocked! Am I the only one frightened by this tidbit of TMI? If I worked on "The View," I'd have a newfound fear of walking in on Barb with her pants down. The woman needs to keep her phobias (and indecent exposure) to herself. Is that asking too much?
When he's not making everyone take a paternity test, Maury's exploring the world of irrational phobias. From peachphobia to cottonphobia to picklephobia, he's been there, done that. And the following phobia will blow your mind: balloonphobia. This woman will suck the life out of any party. Just watch.
This woman takes her distaste of clowns to the extreme. The mere presence of Mr. Giggles makes her burst into tears and nearly hyperventilate. As we've seen before, she's not alone. So who's keeping these balloon manglers in business anyway?
Every once in a blue moon we get a dispatch from the Land Of Weird, aka "The Maury Povich Show," purveyor of bizarre phobias like pickle phobia and peach phobia. Now another weirdo comes out of the woodwork to give us...Cotton Phobia. I love how as soon as she reveals she's had a recurring nightmare about a man made of cotton balls, Maury, naturally, brings one out. Please don't become a therapist, Maury.
So, I've got a thing about spiders -- not only am I scared of them, I'm scared to kill them. Somewhere along the way it got into my head that it's bad luck to end their terrifying little lives. Now, I know both these things are ridiculous, but that doesn't really change my experience! My partner harbors irrational fears about random household fire events, like the water heater suddenly exploding, or the furnace, or the oven. And don't get me started about the "care" he takes with the candles I love in every room.
Do tell, ladies, what are your silly but very real little phobias?
