In keeping with a creepy sort of theme I thought I would write about something that creeps me out more than anything else, ventriloquist dummies. Not all ventriloquist dummies though, just the kind that fit that super stereotypical dummy profile. Here’s a pic of what I mean *shivers as she unleashes evil upon this post*

I’m literally cringing as this thing stares at me. Yuck, I hate dummies. Okay, so while his evil dead wooden eyes bore into my soul I should explain what first triggered my intense disgust of these things.

My dad is a huge fan of The Twilight Zone and one day while we were watching the show an episode called The Dummy started playing. I honestly don’t know how old I was when I saw this episode for the first time, I have watched it since then and can maintain a level of calm now, but it scared the heck out of me then. The episode starts with a ventriloquist named Jerry Etherson performing a show with his dummy Willie. During the show the dummy acts a bit strangely, but the audience assumes it’s just Jerry. After the show Jerry insists the dummy is alive and while no one believes him, anyone watching the episode will. Willie is shown talking to Jerry and even destroys another puppet out of rage. We get to see Willie in random places that Jerry didn’t leave him, but Willie is never actually shown walking. Near the end of the episode Jerry is running into an alley where Willie is shown in silhouette and we hear the dummy’s eerie laugh. The episode ends with something that still gives me the willies, yes I’m making puns to deal with the horror of this post. I don’t want to reveal the ending, but if you want to know why I was so freaked out you should totally watch the episode. I know you can find it online, Twitter and Hulu both have it I think, and I’m guessing there are other places that have it.

There is another Twilight Zone dummy named Caesar and even though he is shown sort of walking, Willie is definitely way scarier. I still hate ventriloquist dummies and I once actually refused to take a photo next to a Christmas tree at a mall that had one under it. I mean who gives someone something that evil for Christmas? There are a few other things that creep me out, but ventriloquist dummies will always give me the shivers. I am a huge Twilight Zone fan though, so even though Willie scared me half to death I still love the show.

Want to share your own fears, tell me what you think about mine, or just talk about The Twilight Zone? Please comment below or tweet at us, @thenerdygirlexp, or at me specifically, @kleffnotes. We’d love to hear from you!