Scariest Pair of Pants – Ever

scariest running pair of pants in american history - dr. seuss

Whenever I am asked for my estimation as to the scariest pair of pants in American pop culture history, I’m ready with the answer. Most frightening pants: the pea-green pair o’pants which terrorized the wooded Seuss neighborworld in the classic story ‘What Was I Afraid Of?’

Can A Pair of Pants Be Scary?

I have fond memories of reading Dr. Seuss as a young man, despite the fact these pants creeped me out a bit. Sometimes I wondered how I might react if such a thing ever took chase of me - a scary thought, indeed. Then, with a shoulder shudder, I’d quickly move on to ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ or some other benign tale.

scariest running pair of pants ever - dr. seuss

I have always found it immoderately interesting how different objects, sounds, places, phenomena — or what have you — seem to frighten, scare, and/or creep out different people in weirdly contrasting ways.

What I find scary, you might find ridiculously silly, stupid, or hilarious – anything but unnerving! Likewise, those things that to you are chilling or even absolutely bloodcurdling — I might roll my eyes at, chuckle about, or simply find to be gross. (And that is one of the main reasons I am very careful about w/whom I’ll go see a horror movie - but I digress; more on that later!)

scariest running pair of pants in american history - dr. seuss

To me — and of course this is merely my opinion — nothing is scarier than inanimate objects that move – or even seem to move – by themselves. Scary. This effect is magnified exponentially when that object is a representation of a person such as a doll, a mannequin, or a ventriloquist dummy. In fact, just typing that sentence sent shivers down my spine and made many of those long black hairs (which sexily coat my back) stand on end.**

Besides anthropomorphic objects (you know - dolls, action figures, clowns) being potentially scary, things that a person would use or wear — if moving by themselves — I’d surely not want to see, particularly when alone at night. This would obviously include a pair of pants.

another great book containing strange but wonderful creatures! can you guess what this is?

I am reminded of various related subjects to write about soon: more on real-life horror and also some other fantastic art I really appreciated as a book-loving little kid. (I don’t know if you can guess what this is or not, but I was intrigued to read that a live-action movie version of this story is coming soon!)