Mermaids: Myth or Monsters?!?

Now that we are all friends, I must confess something to you all. I am terrified of mermaids(well...anything half man half animal freaks me out...). If I am 100% honest with myself centaurs creep me out too but nothing compares to my fear of mermaids. Something about being half human and half full of scales gives me nightmares. Let me rewind for a second and try to explain my "irrational fear" of something "not real." Have any of you ever seen the movie, "Splash" with Daryl Hanna (I later would grow to despise her because of this role) and Tom Hanks (he can do know wrong in my eyes except he fell in love with a fish in this horrible movie)? The year was 1984 when this "harmless romantic comedy" came out. Since it seemed to be without curse words of violence, my mother deemed it appropriate for me to watch this movie one day when I was five. Little did she know the effect this one movie would have on my psyche forever! I don't know if any of you remember the premise of this movie but when Madison (the monster..eh I mean mermaid) comes to dry land she has legs and all is good in the world. However, when she gets wet she would turn into a mermaid. Do you know what that did to me?? I wouldn't shower for days in fear of turning into a sea creature. My mother let me see 'Robocop" and although full of violence and vulgarity, I thought it was nothing compared to "Splash." To this day I can't listen to Madonna's "Cherish" song...yup Mermaid in the video....terrifying...
To clarify, I did very much enjoy the Little Mermaid, Ariel if you will, because she was jaunty and sang about town not hurting anyone and let's face it, people, she's a cartoon. So much less menacing that Daryl freaking Hannah...Ron Howard I expected more from you. (He directed this craptastic movie)