Some women fear spiders and snakes. Â I fear clowns and bunnies. Â Sure I’m frightened like the best of ’em when it comes to things that go slither and have eight legs. Â However, my fear of clowns and bunnies is quite irrational. Â Let’s start with the clowns shall we?
I believe it all started with the movie Poltergeist and the scene where the clown jumps out in the brother’s bedroom. Â You know the one. Â It gives me the shivers just thinking about it. Â Well, then a few years later someone had the bright idea to get me one of those laughing clowns for my birthday. Â Here’s a video of one just like mine:
Super creepy, right? Â Keep in mind that this is not a video of MY clown. Â My clown was thrown out just as fast as I could get rid of him! Â Here’s the thing about the laughing clown. Â I swear to you… One night that clown just started laughing. Â All. Â On. Â Its. Â Own. Â I kid you not. Â He was hidden on the very top of my bookshelf under a bunch of stuffed animals. Â That way I would never, ever have to see him from where my bed was. Â I mean how would I ever fall asleep if the thing was staring at me??? Â He just started laughing. Â I’m sure it had absolutely nothing to do with a malfunction or anything. Â After the laughing incident I think I had my parents remove his batteries. Â Buh-bye, creepy clown.
Next up: Â Creepy bunnies. Â As in bunnies of the Easter variety. Â Ready for the background on this one? Â When I was about 5 years old my family and I went camping to Meramec State Park over Easter weekend. Â It started raining a ton and we were awakened in the middle of the night by a park ranger saying that the river was flooding and everyone needed to get out fast! Â So we quickly packed up and arrived back home in the wee hours of the morning. Â I remember lying awake, quite concerned that the Easter Bunny would go to our campsite looking for me and only find a massive flood. Â While my overactive imagination was coming up with all of these horrendous scenarios of what would happen to the Easter Bunny in the muddy waters of the Meramec… I saw a shadow land on my open bedroom door. Â To my very own horror I watched as the head of the shadow grew these long rabbit shaped ears. Â From that moment I was creeped out by the big, ‘ole bunny. Â I mean seriously. Â What kind of earless bunny goes into people’s homes and then peeps in on little children who are supposed to be sleeping? Â Years later I learned that my dad was the “earless bunny” and when he saw me rustling around he made the bunny ears shadow. Â Trying to keep the magic of the Easter Bunny alive, but in the process scaring the daylights out of me!
What else do I find nightmare provoking about the bunny of the Easter variety? Â Bunnies are supposed to be ultra cute, soft creatures that hop around the yard all day and eat up the strawberries in your garden. Â Every. Â Single. Â Strawberry. Â (Another story for another day.) Â Bunnies are not supposed to look like this:
So who had the bright idea to make the Easter Bunny look like an abominable monster anyway?
Obviously the daughter of my friend Holli Ann (of An Ordinary Blog) is going to be traumatized for quite some time.
(Disclosure: Â All of the Easter Bunnies in this posting are actually from my friend’s personal pictures. Â I like to keep things all personal like that. *wink*)
Then you have Spray Tan Bunny.
I mean really. Â Who here has ever seen an orange bunny? Â They do not exist in nature I tell you!
And this bunny? Â He clearly has a perma smile that says, “That’s right. Â I get my kicks scaring little kids.”
It’s like he’s laughing about it!
Then…
The bunny without a soul.
(Provided by Nancy of Initials, Inc.)
Look deep into his creepy, soulless eyes. Â More shivers.
Finally…  Here is my Banjo with the clown looking bunny.
We have now come full circle.
For all those who observe this holiday… Â I wish you a Happy Easter full of religious celebrations, good cheer, and a time of reflection spent with loved ones. Â May we remember that this day is not about creepy bunnies, egg hunts, or even chocolate mini eggs. Â It’s about a sacrifice so great and above all else that we have been given. Â The ultimate gift. Â I’m truly humble and grateful. Â May we all have a blessed holiday weekend.
About Tara
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Linda Meyers-Gabbard says:
the poor children. the younger ones have no clue as to what is going on. they have to be terrorized just so mommy and daddy can have a picture of them with the bunny.. They should ” PUT THE BUNNY BACK IN THE BOX”
My children no longer visit or take pictures with the mall bunny. Sad, but true. 🙂
This is a good thing. But what about the stinky mall Santa’s?
I will never look at them the same since watching Bad Santa.
Wanna sammich?
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That’s hilarious! I grew up on a farm & remember being very young and looking out one Easter morn to see a real live bunny sitting in the yard, outside our kitchen window. Hence, I always new the “real” Easter bunny came to my house…and it wasn’t some oversized character taking pictures with kids at the store. 😉 Happy Easter, gf. Christ is risen!!
Happy Easter to you! 🙂 Banjo just asked me this morning about the Easter Bunny… How the big bunny suited guy gets in the house, etc. I had to level with him, so he wouldn’t grow up terrified of the freaky thing. I didn’t want to ruin the magic either, though. So I told him that the bunny suit guy is just to take pictures with, because the little bunnies in the backyard (the real Easter Bunnies) are too fast and won’t stay still for a picture. Ha! I think he bought it. 😉
LOL Tara. You going to get it for lying to your child.
Didn’t you know that for every lie a child is told comes back tenfold when they become teens. …karma.
Just put the bunny back in the box.
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I was laughing through this whole post! Thank you for that. I actually worked for Cherry Hill Photos (the bunnies with the vests) in high school with the easter bunny, it was endless days of screaming traumatized children, and angry parents mad at ME for being unable to get a good photo. I skirt quickly past the easter bunny display when I see it at the mall or I might grab and squeaky toy and start squealing “SMILE” to all the unhappy children.
Awww thanks, Christine! I don’t know how you worked there. I would have had anxiety attacks left and right. 😉
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I had a creepy string puppet given to me as a kid…my dad thought I should hang it from this shelf where it dangled and stared at me all night. I think that’s when I started sleeping face down with the blanket over my head.
Great. Just great. I’m now going to have nightmares tonight of creepy Pinocchios dancing around! 😉
Going to visit the Easter Bunny was never something my family did growing up, so I don’t do it now with my kids. I think it may be impossible to make a humans-sized bunny suit that isn’t creepy.
See my below reply, Sarah. Ha! Maybe there is a reason for the bunny looking creepy. But I think all children are cute, so maybe that’s not a good example. Ha!
I love looking at photos like these! I do feel bad when the children are scared though and some of the characters are quite scary. But I enjoy seeing the happy children too!
The photos are pretty funny! Maybe they create a scary looking bunny on purpose just to make all the children look better than the bunny? Not that children have to try hard to look better than the bunny… Just maybe kind of like bridesmaids in ugly dresses so they won’t detract from the bride?
haha ok that clown is terrifying! i get the easter bunny thing too, some of them can be pretty creepy. my daughter loves all things in costumes though, so we also go see them haha.
Right, Meagan? He’s the creepiest clown I’ve ever seen. What would possess a toy company to create such a thing???