wednes | Just when you thought it was safe...to die quietly in your home.

Peter Benchley died through no fault of sharks.

In all seriousness, I don't know how to feel about Peter Benchley. Of course Jaws, both the book and the movie, scared the crap out of me as a kid. It's still pretty scary when you watch it today even knowing that sharks would never do what "Bruce" did. Of course it looks like a very fake shark NOW; but I'm telling you it was scary in it's day.
Please, after I read Jaws (I was maybe...ten or eleven) I was afraid of all water...swimming pools, freshwater lakes, bathtubs, washing machines...forget about it. Terror. Abject terror of sharks...of being eaten alive...of not being able to see what might be lurking around unhidden. Damn...it's scary.

So scary in fact that it led to rampant sportfishing of sharks and a near dessimation from which they are only now starting to bounce back from. Some people assert that the shark population was never in danger and/or that the only good shark is a dead shark. Honestly, netting around beaches kills more sharks than fishing does. There are very effective ways to keep from being attakced by a shark, such as staying on land. When things you didn't invite come barging into your living room, you're either gonna chase them away or kill them. So we can't really blame sharks for being interested in us. Plus, they're awfully nice to look at.

Benchley did spend the remainder of his life working with people like Mark Marks and Ron & Valerie Taylor (who did principle shark photography for Jaws) working on shark conservation and education. There has to be something to be said for that.

Thanks for the scares, Mr Benchley.
May I terrifying half as many people as you, Good Sir.

Never seen the Jaws tour at Universal? Watch a tiny video of it here!

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One day I'm actually going to see Jaws.

I know several people (all of whom are at least a bit younger than me) who haven't seen it. Here, they show it on cable a hundred billion times a week. Even if you don't find sharks scary, it's worth it for the experience, and to see a super-young Richard Dreyfuss.

Yeah

gralhruk has been bugging me for years to watch it, but I doubt that they've actually shown it on a channel that I have access. I might be forced to steal it if I get bored enough.

Surely you have rental places/netflix where you are?

Yeah there's a couple of rental places near my home, but the things that want so you can register put me off.

Ah...they just want to make sure they get their stuff back. Some customers are pretty shady, you know.

The first time I saw Jaws (I've seen it at least 6 times) was the summer between 7th and 8th grades. Front row seat in the theater. I had to force myself not to jump out of my seat, I was so scared (the shark's in your lap in that front row). And it's good to know I'm not the only one who was afraid of bathtubs for a while.

RIP, Pete.

I don't even think people realized sharks were scary up until that point. Unless there was some kind of horrible attack on an affluent person, attacks were rarely reported.

There are news reports of shark attacks from the 20's and 30's that don't even use the word "shark." They say "attacked by a fish" and stuff.

"attacked by a fish"

Technically accurate, and yet ... I wonder if it's because fewer people were going to the beach back then. Fewer witnesses?

I remember my dad talking about the sinking of the USS Indianapolis (in 1945) and the survivors having to fight off sharks and all. Can't remember if he told me about that before or after seeing Jaws.

I daresay beaches were wildly popular back then, but it took several attacks (including those pond attacks that inspired the writing of Jaws in the first place) before people realized there was a danger. they then put up shark nets not knowing or caring that they were killing sharks (who could not swim backward and would/do get tangled and die).

There is a fantastic A&E documentary about the survivors of the Indianapolis. Old men getting all misty eyed recounting some really horrific and fascinating stories. It you come across it, it's highly reccomended.

And if I haven't done this yet, allow me to suggest that you see Open Water. The best shark movie in the last 30 years.

That makes sense. Ugh, shark nets. Just the idea gives me the willies.

I'd love to see that A&E documentary, and Open Water is now in my Netflix queue.

Right On!

Jaws was one of the two movies that scared me when I was a kid.. That and.... Star Trek: The Motion Picture.. The scene where the two people get killed in the Transporter still freaks me to this day. BUt I remember trying to rationalize to myself when I woke up covered in sweat that there were no such thing as carpet sharks.

Yeah, good luck with that...

PS the Carpet Shark is also known as the Wobegong.

Growing up we had a swimming pool out on the back. I couldn't swim more than a few feet under the water with my eyes closed because of the irrational fear of sharks created by that movie.

To this day, I cannot go farther into the ocean than my ankles because I'm afraid of toothy critters waiting to take a chomp out of your body. Have you ever seen a wolf eel. Apparently thry're supposed to be nice but they have these needly teeth that stick out of their faces and Peter Benchley is the cause of my irrationality.

I have only seen those scary-ass eels on TV.

You know what's a good movie, is Open Water.
Damn...it's honestly the scariest Shark movie since Jaws, even though it's not technically a shark movie.

Ooh, I'll have to rent it.

I even had shark dreams last night just from reading your post.

Actually, I didn't see any sharks, but I was supposed to swim from one sinking ship to another and I couldn't do it so I drowned!

Thanks for the nightmare!

Damn.

Sorry 'bout that.

Just when you thought it was safe...to die quietly in your home.

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