Monday, June 13, 2011

so this is it then

I recently learned something about Stephen that I believe has brought us much closer as a couple and to a higher plane of understanding and equality. As a child, he too was terrifed of ET.
I think I watched ET for the first time at an age just slightly too young (my parents are not to blame for this, I'm fairly confident I snuck out of bed and watched it from the doorway of the living room). I now realize that ET is meant to be an endearing, sweet, and lovable friend from another planet. But when I was four, ET was the scariest, ugliest, most unholy creature to be depicted on film. I would close my eyes at night and ET's face with those bulging eyes and disproportionate neck would stare at me. And I would cry. Our local library had a poster of ET holding a book as part of the READ campaign (maybe you saw the Michael Jordan version). I saw it once and flipped out, then refused to step foot in the library again until Mom called and requested that the poster be removed from the wall. I reluctantly agreed to attend story time again, but only after thoroughly inspecting the empty spot on the wall where my worst fear previously hung.
It was a long time before I gave ET another chance. I think I was 15 before I sat down and watched the entire movie. And while I didn't have nightmares or check beneath my bed that night, I still felt unsettled and I haven't watched it since. There's just something not right about that dude. Does that make me racist? Or specist rather?

5 comments:

  1. our family copy of E.T. is still in the plastic wrap in the basement cupboard because we were all too scared to watch it. To this day, 0 of the 5 Horman children have seen it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That movie is terrifying, for reals. What is with that scene in the white tents with all the wires? I think the boy and et are both sick or something? Scariest part of the whole movie for me. I still refuse to watch it now that I am an adult.

    Additionally, my dad once compared me to et because of my long fingers. Talk about giving me a complex.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

    ReplyDelete
  4. i was more afraid of gremlins. they still creep me out.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi. Mine was not ET, though it honestly creeped me out as well. Edward Scissorhands nearly made me crap my pants all the time. I was totally terrified of the scissor-handed dude. He was just SO WEIRD. And the scars. And all the cutting. I just couldn't take it.

    ReplyDelete

Don't be shy.