Shark Attack
News of American Idol's Ryan Seacrest being bitten by a shark last weekend reminded me of a particularly horrifying memory from my youth.
When I was ten years old, I witnessed a series of vicious, bloody shark attacks that left four people dead and a community in shock.
Um, yeah, it was on the big-screen.
Summer, 1975.
Jaws.
I don't know what my mom was thinking, letting me go see that.
Or maybe I snuck in with a friend when we were supposed to be in theater 2 watching The Apple Dumpling Gang.
Steven Spielberg's epic shark tale scarred me for life. Thirty years later I still can't swim in the ocean. Heck, I can't even swim in the lake without the brief, but completely irrational, thought that something might nibble on me.
So, what did I let my 10-year-old son watch the other night?
Jaws.
He's not one to let a movie scare him, though. He only jumped once (the head in the boat scene), and talked through most of the scary parts, analyzing the special effects and camera work.
Will the movie have a lasting effect on my son?
In a few weeks, we're taking a family trip to the ocean beaches of Washington.
We'll see how close he gets to the water.
When I was ten years old, I witnessed a series of vicious, bloody shark attacks that left four people dead and a community in shock.
Um, yeah, it was on the big-screen.
Summer, 1975.
Jaws.
I don't know what my mom was thinking, letting me go see that.
Or maybe I snuck in with a friend when we were supposed to be in theater 2 watching The Apple Dumpling Gang.
Steven Spielberg's epic shark tale scarred me for life. Thirty years later I still can't swim in the ocean. Heck, I can't even swim in the lake without the brief, but completely irrational, thought that something might nibble on me.
So, what did I let my 10-year-old son watch the other night?
Jaws.
He's not one to let a movie scare him, though. He only jumped once (the head in the boat scene), and talked through most of the scary parts, analyzing the special effects and camera work.
Will the movie have a lasting effect on my son?
In a few weeks, we're taking a family trip to the ocean beaches of Washington.
We'll see how close he gets to the water.
Permalink posted by Idaho Dad at 12:02 AM
16 Comments:
Just let other people go out further so they get bit first. You'll be okay.
My boys haven't seen Jaws, but are enjoying Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. I do have to keep an eye on that, though. Some of the shows about shark attacks are pretty scary.
Darren's right. As long as you swim faster than the guy lolling around on the air mattress with his arms and legs dangling seductively in the water, you're fine.
"We're gonna need a bigger boat."
My husband let my kids watch Indian Jones (The first one) and the whole time they would yell out "that's so green screen" "Stunt double" and "Prop Blood!" Kids these days are so jaded.
I blame Myth Busters.
Same thing. My parents didn't let us watch it, but I remember it coming on TV-probably in 1978 or 79...and being scared to be in any body of water where I could not clearly see the bottom. That included bathtubs with bubbles!
I am mostly over it now.
I had a real close encounter with a shark at San Onofre State Beach in California when I was in high school. It was extremely frightening. Now I don't like to be in any water where I can't see what's lurking below me.
Good lord, my son would have nightmares until he was 80s.
My wife is still like that. She won't go in water she can't see through. That's why she wants to move to Hawaii.
Forget about the sharks, watch out for the sneaker waves!!!
I also want to say that I love Idaho, I lived in Kuna for seven years, would have loved to live way up where you are, wherever that is,. Anywho, now Im stuck back in the nasty so,California. :(
Just this evening I read a story about "10 things we should not worry about" and there at #10 was shark attacks. There was only one fatal shark attack last year. One.
But still, I can't get that music out of my head when I'm swimming in the water.
I wouldnt even get in the bath after watching that film..... and it took me a good 5 years before I could venture into the sea....
There was a basking shark spotted off the coast of Cornwall (West England) one year whilst we was on holiday there.... its all anyone could do to get me to paddle LOL.... and I dont think basking sharks even bite :) but I was NOT taking any chances lol.....
x
Remember, go for the eyes. My son still won't watch Sid on Toy Story. May be a while before we move up to Jaws.
There were some shark sightings out here on the East coast a few weeks back...right around where they actually filmed "Jaws". Naturally they shut the beaches down for a while! I hadn't heard that about Seacrest...shows you how blissfully out of touch I am...
Great classic flick! Just tell him that Jaws definitely likes his water warmer than it is off the coast of Washington.
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