There is a commercial for the movie “Paranormal Activity 3” that scares the ever-loving crap out of me. In it there are some little kids standing in front of a bathroom mirror chanting, “Bloody Mary.” They soon decide the chant didn’t work, but as they leave the bathroom you see an evil demon lady in the mirror. Or something like that, I have only watched it once, and ever since then every time the commercial comes on the screen I stick my fingers in my ears, close my eyes, and say “lalalalalalalalala!” until it is over.
The worst part? It’s always on at night! And one entire wall of my bedroom is mirrors! I can’t sleep at night.
I actually used to play this stupid Bloody Mary game when I was a kid. I remember being at a sleepover and someone suggested we try to summon her (you said “Bloody Mary” three times in a dark bathroom while spinning around with your eyes closed; after the third spin she was supposed to appear in the mirror). One of the other girls and I decided it would be hilarious to throw red nail polish on the mirror before everyone opened their eyes. You know…LIKE IT WAS BLOOD. The other girls screamed so loudly I can’t believe I have any hearing left. Two girls were so scared they called their moms to pick them up.
What the HELL were we thinking? I mean…um, it’s obviously one of those urban legends, but what did we think was going to happen? We were trying to conjure a knife-wielding ghost. Did we think it was going to be nice if it actually showed up?
not afraid of scary things or 80s fashions
I was telling Mike the story and he said, “I can’t believe you did that, you’re such a scaredy cat!” And I am…now. But I wasn’t always. When I was younger, I read horror books constantly. I did the Ouija board thing at other sleepovers. I loved telling ghost stories. Mike is constantly surprised by the scary movies I’ve seen. Now? No scary ANYTHING, ESPECIALLY at night. If Mike wants to watch a horror film, he has to watch it when I’m not around, or go to the theater by himself. I never want to hear a scary story because inevitably, I will remember it at 1am when I’m trying to fall asleep.
And yet. Mike thinks it’s hilarious to tell me scary stories. Earlier, he started to tell me all the things that Bloody Mary allegedly does to the people that summon her until I started screaming so loud he thought I’d wake up Annabel. Then he started to tell me about the haunted Toys R Us that was near where he grew up. Again, I started screaming. He just sits there, cackling.
Bloody Mary was probably a pissed off wife whose husband wouldn’t stop teasing her.
Jenn says:
Isn’t it funny how scared we become as adults? I was like you…I LOVED all things horror (I use to LOVE watching Jaws and than go swimming with my friends, and Freddy Kruger was the BEST!!)! I had to laugh at your post b/c now, I am just like you with the SAME commerical! When it comes on, I have to shut my eyes or quickly turn the channel. I don’t even like sleeping alone in my house!!
So, you tell Mike the next time he starts to scares you about a horror show, instead of screaming, the next concert you guys go to you’re going to SING as LOUD as you can!! Maybe that will “scare” him enough to make him stop! ha ha ha Just a thought!!!
Ysaan Proks says:
OMG I saw that preview the other night here in Australia and got goosebumps and cold shivers watching it. I love all things horror so ill be seeing paranormal activity 3 but no doubt ill have nightmares.
I couldnt sleep for a week after seeing the Blair Witch Project and i covered my eyes for most of it lol
Cath @ 7 Million Wonders says:
Blair Witch project totally did me in, too. Yikes!
Amy J says:
You have me a little panicky and I have never even seen the commercial. I hate Halloween commercials/movies/anythings.
Stefani says:
A haunted Toys R Us…now thats a movie I’d want to see.
Shan says:
Lol, I still flick the lights on really quick when I go into our bathroom at night..all because of Bloody Mary..I’m almost 35.
Dawn says:
I don’t like scary movies, stories or anything either. My idea of a good time is NOT having the crap scared out of me.
Where was your cooking post this week? I missed it! I love seeing you learn to cook and if you had a failure, post it anyway. Your failure may help someone else that’s learning to cook.
Dawn says:
Thanks Mike! I missed it somehow. I’ve really enjoyed watching/reading Heather’s journey into the culinary world.
Amy says:
I’m exactly the same as you! Growing up I was all about Bloody Mary, Ouija boards, Freddy Kruger and Jason. Now, I couldn’t tell you the last time I saw a scary movie. I haven’t seen that Paranormal Activity commercial but I think I’ll avoid it if all possible thanktouverymuch.
It’s amazing how much of a chicken I’ve grown up to be. I’m just lucky because my husband is just as scared of that stuff as I am!
Suzanne says:
It’s something about being a mom, I can’t stand scary stuff anymore either. I used to love the Oiuja board, the Freddy and Jason movies, but not so much now. I feel like real scary things happen all the time in real life, I don’t need more. Plus now I feel bad for Freddy’s victims, and think about their poor moms. I can’t just watch the movie for the scare factor anymore.
Stephanie says:
I HATE THAT COMMERCIAL! I saw it last week and freaked out. Now my husband is gone for a week and I thought of it last night as I was turning out the lights. Obviously, sleeping was out of the question.
Laura says:
That commercial scares the living crap out of me. I’ve seen it once and now run into the other room when it comes on. Last night my husband and I started watching The Exorcist (it was on late night TV, which of course makes it okay to watch) and I woke up from a nightmare at 1:47am unable to go back to sleep. And all I could think of was:
1. “Was that a scratching noise in the attic I just heard?”
2. Bloody Mary Bloody Mary Bloody Mary.
I’m 40 btw. Ugh.
Bria says:
I’m totally the same, Heather. I used to be ok with scary stuff but not now. I almost wouldn’t even watch Shaun of the Dead.
bessie.viola says:
Oh no. OH that commercial! I about had a panic attack and was shrieking “TURN IT OFF TURN IT OFF TURN IT OFF!” to my husband. I used to be brave when I was younger as well; we played Bloody Mary in the bathroom of our school gym. It’s SCARY to play it in a room you really don’t know that well!
But now? NO. Like you I totally screen all scary stuff because I am far, far too chicken to deal anymore.
Bella says:
My husband and I saw that commercial last night. We sat and open mouth watched it in it’s entirety. I looked over at him when it was over and all the hair was standing up on his arms. Thank goodness he is as big of a scaredy cat about that stuff as I am. We pinky swore that if the commercial came on again we would immediately turn it. GAH!!!! *shudder*
And I totally and involuntarily do the bloody mary thing if I go into the dark bathroom at night. Did you know bloody mary was actually the daughter of Henry8, sister of queen Elizabeth? She was named such because she killed so many heretics. Cheerful huh?
Tonya says:
I don’t care for gore, but I LOVE “true” haunted stories. Like, cannot get enough of them. The Haunted and A Haunting or whatever those shows are named…..I’m addicted. I’ll watch them and spend the rest of the day afraid of my own shadow and glad I live in a newly constructed home! I’ve also gotten hooked on AmericanHorror Story lately…..creepy! But that’s as brave as I get. I’ve never seen any of the Paranormal Activities, and I won’t start now!
Lauren says:
Well, my imagination is going to do some pretty messed up things with “haunted Toys R Us,” I can tell you that right now.
susanmig says:
i totally want to hear about the haunted toys r us!! sorry heather, i’m a sucker for a scary story. i may not sleep well after, but i still love to be frightened by scary movies and stories. what’s wrong with me?!?
Giselle says:
Ok first of all, I run out of the bathroom almost screaming if I even THINK about you know who without even saying her name once. I get SO scared. I only tried it once as a child at my cousin’s house and I have been terrified ever since.
What’s funny is that I too loved scary stuff – I was an avid Fear Street reader. I still love scary things now, but I can’t take it the same way I used to. If I watch a scary movie, I HAVE to watch a funny/silly/romance or something after.
AND I cannot believe you said you know who’s name like FIVE times in your post. After the first time I was like ‘please don’t say it again please don’t say it again’ in my head. And then bam, bam, bam, BAM!!!
Sherri says:
I took my girls to see PA#3 on Friday night…it was SCARYYYY!! Interestingly enough, though, the scene with the two girls in the bathroom never even occurs in the movie. Oh, there is a Bloody Mary bathroom scene, but it is a little girl and a grown up who do it. And it is SCARYYYYYYY!! I like to be scared by movies like this, but keep the slasher flicks away from me…ick!
ldoo says:
This is my life. I can not watch or hear any scary stories/movies anymore. Those commercials scare the ever living bejesus out of me. I also “lalalalala” through them. And I lay there in bed at 1 a.m. willing myself not to be scared of ghosts that are most assuredly laying next to me in bed. Ahhhh!
Carrie says:
Well at least it’s just your imagination. My house (we live on an old military base) is actually haunted, and the neighbours house have had ghostly visitors too…which is kinda nice…because now I know im not just a nutjob.
I’ve seen black shadows walk up my stairs, a big black shadow man staring at my through my glass french doors. My husband and I have both heard disembodied voices. The lights flicker at night, sometimes our Ipod doc that plays music randomly turns on. And my three year old hates having his blinds up because he says “People sit in the trees and watch me” which is probably the creepiest thing ever.
So now I refuse to watch scary movies too…or scary shows like paranormal state, and when my son tells me about the woman in his room, or the man on the stairs I also feel the need to plug my ears and hum really loudly.
Julie says:
OH! Was that the haunted Toys R Us in Sunnyvale/Mt. View?? I’ve been there.
Mike says:
Yes! It was the one in Sunnyvale! Growing up in the 80s I loved going there to get my haunted toys! And of course I always thought I had a paranormal experience every time I shopped. This was in the wake of the release of my then favorite movie, Poltergeist, so it may have shaded my feelings.
Julie says:
Your favorite movie was Poltergeist when it first came out?? I’m a few years older than you are and that movie scared the CRAP out of me as a kid. I think I was in Jr. High at the time and I still had to sleep in my parents bed for a week after that movie! I’ve watched it as an adult and it seems silly that it ever scared me, but it was SCARY back then. I think I even watched it as an older teen and wasn’t near as scared.
Mike says:
I was a weird kid… I loved getting scared! The clown on the chair freaked me out the most!
Caroline H. says:
i was the exact same way! i always picked out horror books on library day at school, loved movies like poltergeist and the exorcist, played bloody mary and with ouija boards. i’m 28 now. i have to shut my eyes when those damn paranormal activity trailers come on tv. i still enjoy shows like “a haunting” and “my ghost story” but i have to watch them in the middle of the afternoon. also, i can no longer work at the summer camp where i spent 13 summers because my BFF and several other people claimed to have seen ghosts there. not. happening.
Procrastamom says:
I’m 39 and I have NEVER been brave enough to chant for Bloody Mary in the mirror. Gaaah, I have to go to the bathroom right now, but I’m going to delay it because…what if she’s in there?!!!
Meyli says:
Me and my friends tried the whole Bloody Mary thing at school once!
I don’t know how we managed, but 3 of us went into a bathroom, SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS and said her name 3 times. One girl yelled “I think I see blood on the mirror!!!!” and I couldn’t look. We all screamed, and ran out. How did teachers not come running to see what was going on?!
Kids are WEIRD.
Casey says:
we used to do this as kids too! In elementary school, we would sneak inside during recess to do it, our school was three old houses turned classrooms back then, so it was really creepy. I still have to make sure the light is on in the bathroom before I walk in and I refuse to look at the mirror if it’s not, Bloody Mary pops into my head the second I look at the mirror
Paula says:
I love to be frightened by scary movies, always have. I don’t care if it’s going to be difficult to sleep, if I’m going to spend the entire movie half-closing my eyes, I just love it.
The funny thing? I watched PA1 for the first time last week and I thought Katie looks a lot like you… But please, don’t be scared!
Pattie says:
Ah, watching horror movies was family time when I was growing up, so I’m pretty jaded about horror movies. Although the commercial for Paranomal Activity 2 scared the ever-loving snot out of me since I’d only ever see it late at night when I was up nursing my baby — I could barely stomach that scene with the baby being pulled out of his crib. Although I admit the Bloody Mary bit in the PA3 commercials is also creepy as all get-out.
Gamanda says:
I am the same way now. I used to love them when I was younger. I think what changed is that now we’re the adults. We’re the ones who have to be in charge and fend off pissed off ghosts. When we were younger we had someone to take care of us. I hate this whole adulthood crap.
terri says:
that commercial freaks me out – any horror movie commercial and i turn the channel immediately. my brother once dressed up as jason from friday the 13th and jumped out from behind a chair while we were watching the movie. back in college we watched candyman and then said it three times and our friends cam running up to the window at the middle of the night yelling candyman…so nut funny!
by the way – does reading ‘bloody mary’ three times to yourself from your blog do the same thing??!
love your blog and your family!
Kelly says:
I was the kid who would be bawled up crying while everyone did Bloody Mary, and told horrible stories. Such a wimp. I never slept at slumber parties. I was too afraid of what would happen if I fell asleep, either by my friends, or by the scary ghouls who we had accidentally woke up.
Glenda says:
As a kid I was a chicken and hated scary movies. Couldn’t fall asleep at night and wanted in my parent’s bed….and then I got married and had kids… no more time for being scary
Megan@TrueDaughter says:
You sound SO MUCH like me! I used to love scary stories, movies, books, all that stuff. Now I am a HUGE chicken. I can only watch Food Network at night, because I know they don’t run scary commercials. One night I was watching Jay Leno (years ago) and he had delicious Denzel on there, promoting some movie. The runner they showed scared me silly. I couldn’t move out of my chair until my husband came home at 1am from work! He laughed at me, but I just can’t do scary anymore!
Issa says:
I’ve always been a wuss. You couldn’t pay me to see that crap.
I’ve seen that commercial and each time I shout at my TV: DON’T DO IT LITTLE GIRLS!!!!!
abby says:
I know Mike has told parts of the story in other comments, but I would love a post with the whole Haunted Toys R Us story.
Paige says:
We did Bloody Mary, seances, watched every horror movie when I was a kid. Even as an adult I enjoyed a good horror movie until I saw House of 1000 corpses while I was pregnant. That was a turning point for me. There is something about motherhood that has made me unable to deal with horror and even violence in films.
tara! says:
that commercial scares the beejeezus out of me every time! as a bonus, i live alone so i get to drive up the electric bill by sleeping with the lights on. i miss the days when i was fearless…
Amy - Hamlet's Mistress says:
Yeah, right up until she hacked him to bits. And I totally get this. I’m scared of the dark. Wasn’t always. I don’t know when it started. But now? The haunted house rides… you know the ones for little kids. I can’t even do them. I feel like my heart is going to explode out of my chest. Not when the things jump out or when you go by the scary scenes… nope… for me it’s right at the beginning and right at the end with the pitch black tunnels. I cry. Like a big weepy 4 year old.
I’ve lived with a ghost and it’s definitely not all it’s cracked up to be. Though I do watch Ghost Hunters religiously. But dude, if they record a scary voice? Guess what I’m hearing when I’m outside with the dogs at last outs before bed. Yeah. Oh and there’s a show on after Ghost Hunters called like Paranormal Eyewitness or something like that… I have to change the channel immediately after Ghost Hunters and not see even a SECOND of it. Scares the bejeezus out of me.
Jodi says:
Oh man! That commercial scared the crap out of me, and now here I sit, home alone with the baby sleeping, and I’m picturing that darn commercial! Thanks a lot, Heather!
“I am Legend” freaked me out…I had nightmares for weeks after that, and even now can’t watch a commercial for it!
I’m sure I’m going to have nightmares tonight because I’ve allowed those thoughts back into my head…I’m a chicken that way! But, like you, was a very brave youth!
Lanie says:
I have to switch the channel immediately when those previews come on tv. I am with you – no scary entertainment necessary, real life is scary enough.
Lissa says:
I never enjoyed scary stuff. And then when I was 15-ish, we put the deposit down to rent a house. I went to take my best friend over to show her and she’s all “whose house is this? Don’t you remember? This is the HAUNTED HOUSE. ” I’m all poo-pooing her. We walk into the empy vacant house and start down the stairs to the finished basement. I flick the light switch at the BOTTOM of the stairs (she’s all wigging out behind me) and in the middle of the floor is a Ouija board. All by itself in this totally empy house. I lost all the blood in my face and we couldn’t get out of that house fast enough. I couldn’t go anywhere by myself, couldn’t be in the dark, just shook for like a week. Made my mom rent a different house.
Then when I was 20 I lived in a haunted house…but not really scary haunted. I made a deal with the ghost when I moved in to not do anything scary and it never really did. Though apparently it would do stuff to my roommates when I was pissed at them. HAH!
When I bought my own house out in the woods, my real estate agent says as we are driving up the windy road: “It’s like Deliverance!” Gee, comforting. Good thing I had never seen the movie I guess. I spent the next 6 years living alone in the woods with no exterior lighting on the place. I don’t do scary.
Also, I think if you’ve ever been truly afraid for your life in reality, that feeling isn’t such a thrill anymore. It’s just scary.
Melinda says:
Bloody Mary is actually Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry the VIII and first female queen of England. Because Henry in order for henry to divorce Mary’s mom and marry Elizabeth’s mom, he had to break from the Catholic church. But Mary’s claim to the throne rested on England being Catholic so her short 4 year reign was spent killing anyone who refused to convert back to Catholicism. Burning hundreds at the steak. Earning her the name Bloody Mary. The legend is she’s looking for people to burn. Another close ghost story is of Mary’s step mother Anne Bolyne who is said to walk the Tower of London with her head under her arm to this very day looking for Henry.
Trisha Vargas says:
I’m so with you. I loathe scary anything. My husband thinks it hilarious and likes to spook me by turning out the lights and hiding on me. I don’t think it’s funny and one of these days my reflexes are going to hurt him when he startles me.
Sara says:
Wow, did you bring back a memory! I used to play that “bloody mary” game when I was a kid too and I had totally forgotten about it! But right now, I’m all by myself in the house and wish I hadn’t read your post!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy crap–I just jumped out of my chair! The dishes just fell!!!
Anyway, I also loved reading scary stuff–loved Stephen King–as a kid, but I never could watch the horror movies. I’ve never seen any of the Jason or Freddy movies–I don’t think that I would ever sleep again! I haven’t seen the commercial for Paranormal Activity 3 and I don’t think that I want to!
Emily says:
Ugh I was always the kid who got picked up at sleep overs from being too afraid! I remember one sleep over (which I still have YET to live down!) I actually cried myself to sleep because my friend’s dad told everyone about how the downstairs toilet was haunted (apparently an old woman died on it!) and the toilet would randomly flush. People still tease me about it!
I am also terrified of the Paranormal Activity 3 trailers. For some crazy reason, I went with my boyfriend to see the movie mirrors, which I do NOT recommend to anyone remotely afraid of scary things and wants to ever look into a reflective surface ever again!
KathyL says:
Oh my gosh, I’m 50 years old and going through this exact same thing!! My daughter is in her last year of college and is commuting from home this year, so she’s home every night. For the last 4 years, I’ve not watched ONE spooky thing, and hated the commercials too, because my husband works midnights and I’d be home alone and had to have all the lights on all night!! So the college girl, doing what I did at that age, is watching all the spookiest stuff she can find on TV each evening. I’m adjusting, but its hard. And I cannot even tell you what happened with the Ouija board when I was 14—it made my mom ban it from the house and that night we had to put it in the garage. It was awful.