Tag Archives: fears

Matt Damon Hates Snakes, Plus 15 Other Strange Celeb Phobias

Julie GersteinDecember 14, 2011 //
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Matt Damon and I are pretty much not alike at all, but one thing we could bond over: we both hate snakes. Apparently Damon was so squeamish around the reptiles on the set of his new movie “We Bought a Zoo,” that his co-star Scarlett Johansson made fun of him.  “He was definitely sweating a bit, and maybe the sweat formed in the corner of his eye,” she told People. “I said, ‘Matt, these kids are practically juggling the snakes. Hold it together.’” Johansson recalled watching Damon “cry like a baby and rock back and forth when the snakes were spread all over the set.”

Hey, lay off him Scarlett! I’m right there with you, Matt. Snakes are just not right. Click through to check out some other notable — and notably strange — celeb phobias.

Thoughts From Guys On Our IM: What Are Your Pre-Date Nerves?

Julie Gerstein & Amelia McDonell-ParryAugust 2, 2011 //

Guys — they’re just like us! In this episode of “Thoughts From Guys On Our IM,” the boys who make up our chat list confess what makes them nervous before and during a date. Yes, dudes get nervous. Shocking, I know. Read onward! Keep reading »

This Woman Is A Balloon-O-Phobe

Ami AngelowiczApril 18, 2011 //

Poor Yvonne is deathly afraid of balloons, so much so that she was homebound for 10 months due to her phobia. She doesn’t trust the way they float, runs in fear at the sight of them, and believes that a balloon will lead her to untimely death. How? I’m not sure. What happened to her when she was a kid? But more importantly, what was Maury thinking when he decided it would be a good idea to ambush her with a bouquet of balloons. Sick bastard. Now can we hear more about the woman who is afraid of mustard and pickles? [Effington] Keep reading »

Girl Talk: I Want To Be The “Fun Girlfriend”

Jessica WakemanSeptember 23, 2010 //

When I was in college, I dated a guy who went to college in Ithaca, New York. The town is filled with gorges and bridges that run over rivers. One afternoon as we were walking along with a picnic basket and passed over a bridge, he declared he wanted to strip down to his undies and jump in a river. Other swimmers had made the 10-foot jump and were laughing and splashing, but I just … couldn’t. I am not afraid of heights and I know how to swim. He kept calling at me to jump in and offering to hold my hand and jump with me, but my mind kept circling around my fears: “I’m going to sink straight to bottom. Hit a rock. And break my neck. I will be paralyzed. All because someone wanted me to jump off a bridge to go swimming.” I stood at the edge of the bridge for a whole damn hour, even starting to cry, terrified to jump in.

Eventually we walked on and had our picnic. He ate psychedelic mushrooms while I sat and watched, because that’s another thing I’m afraid to do. I felt like … well, I felt like a pussy. And worse, I felt like I wasn’t being a fun girlfriend. Keep reading »

Jessica Simpson Clowns Around

Amelia McDonell-ParrySeptember 3, 2010 //

Jessica Simpson recently faced her biggest fear: clowns. The actress was chased by one for an upcoming commercial for Macy’s (promoting her clothing line), which the singer/designer says helped her get over her fear. “I was deathly afraid of clowns before the commercial,” Jessica told JustJared.com. “But I faced my fear head on!” What’s your biggest fear? Keep reading »

Salma Hayek Is Not A Fan Of Snakes

Amelia McDonell-ParryJune 9, 2010 //


Fun, newly learned fact about Salma Hayek: she is terrified of snakes. No, seriously, terrified. Like, will practically s**t her Gucci if she sees one, and is willing to climb over chairs in stilettos and maybe even dive into a lake to escape. Here is proof. Guess she won’t be starring in “Snakes on a Plane 2″? [via BuzzFeed] Keep reading »

My 20 Biggest Worries

Wendy AtterberryJune 7, 2010 //

There’s a new video from my favorite series, Tales of a Mere Existence, called “Things I Have Worried About” (watch it after the jump). I’m at once sad that these fears are so familiar (well, with the exception of the ones about “not getting it up”) and comforted that I’m not alone in my needless worries. In an effort to shed some of the burden of the fears I carry around (some all the time, some only every once in awhile), I’d like to share a few with you. Maybe you’ll relate. Maybe you’ll just think I’m a neurotic mess (you wouldn’t be entirely wrong). After the jump, my 20 biggest (and silliest) personal worries. Keep reading »

Mouse In My House!

Wendy AtterberryApril 16, 2010 //

So, I’m an independent woman and everything and even though I’m married, I’d like to think I’d be just fine without a man in my life. I mean, don’t get me wrong: I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to Drew, but if, God forbid, it did, or if I had never met him in the first place and were still single, I could survive. At least, that’s what I naively thought until this morning when the worst thing ever happened. You guys, there was a mouse in my house! My cat found it. And then he dropped it at my feet like a gift as I sat down at my desk this morning to start my work for the day. A MOUSE! Keep reading »

Are You Afraid Of Weird Stuff?

Susannah BreslinSeptember 2, 2009 //

Some people are afraid of “normal” stuff: dying, war, rejection. Some people are afraid of “weirder” things: dust, meteors, sushi. Whether your fear is odd or not, it may have a weird name. Mamapedia rounds up “25 Fears You Never Knew Existed,” and some of the names for phobias are as weird as the fears they describe. Take, for example, hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. It means you’re afraid of … long words. Peladophobia is the opposite of this — a fear of bald dudes. If you’re an arachibutyrophobiac, you’re afraid of peanut butter (which is understandable if you’re allergic). And phobophobes? They’re afraid of phobias. What strange things give you anxiety attacks? Tell us in the comments! [Mamapedia] Keep reading »

What Would You Do If You Knew You Couldn’t Fail?

Amelia McDonell-ParryFebruary 20, 2009 //

Over at The Huffington Post, Dr. Judith Rich poses an interesting question: what would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? Often we stop ourselves from pursuing our desire to try something, because of fear that we won’t succeed. But if you took that out of the equation — if failure wasn’t possible — what would you do? Initially when I read this question, I thought, “Fly!” I always was a dreamer. But realistically speaking, there’s so much I would do if I knew my fears were misplaced. I would take up surfing, finally master that headstand in yoga, and, obviously, ask Ryan Gosling out on a date. So what would YOU do? Keep reading »

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