An old Conan O’Brien clip has resurfaced recently –and it is sending shivers (and laughs) across the Internet again. This particular moment from eight years ago captures the late-night television icon facing down two giant, nightmare-inducing spiders brought on the set by wildlife educator Coyote Peterson.
The segment starts with Peterson introducing the Goliath bird-eater tarantula – yes, it is as terrifying as it sounds – and casually placing it right on Conan’s wrist. The host, frozen stiff and wide-eyed, could have passed for a mannequin. “Does it have venom in it right now?” Conan asked nervously, to which Peterson calmly replied, “Yeah, and big fangs. Enormous fangs.”
Things only escalated from this point on. Out came another creature: a vinegaroon, a bizarre, scorpion-like arachnid. Without hesitation, Peterson positioned it right beside the tarantula on the same wrist. “Why would you put that near the other one?!” Conan exclaimed, clearly trying to keep it together. The audience burst into laughter as he later added, “I have never been this still in my entire life.”
Watch the video:
In the full version of the video, available on YouTube, Peterson also placed the vinegaroon on actor-musician Jeff Goldblum, who was another guest that night. His reaction too was along expected lines.
Watch the original video:
Recently reposted by Team Coco with the caption, “This is the most calm he’s ever been,” the video has drawn over 200,000 views and counting. The comments are a mix of fascination, fear, and fond nostalgia.
A user wrote, “I’ve been a tarantula lover since childhood. My parents weren’t afraid of bugs, so I guess I wasn’t either. They are about as venomous as a honey bee and extremely fragile because they move with hydraulic pressure. I used to dress mine up in Barbie clothes. She was so kind and tolerant of my grubby kid hands. I surprised her once and she bit me, and it resulted in a small bump that hurt for about a half hour. I know most people are deeply afraid anyway.”
Another user wrote, “I stopped breathing while watching this.” A third person commented, “Knowing me I’d have a sneeze at this very moment.” A fourth individual added, “Animal segments on Conan was always gold. Loved the one where one of the animals got spooked and triggered a series of events that led to chaos.”
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Who is Conan O’Brien?
For those unfamiliar, Conan O’Brien is a towering figure in American comedy. With a career spanning nearly three decades in late-night television – from Late Night with Conan O’Brien to Conan on TBS — he is known for his razor-sharp wit and unmatched ability to riff with guests. Beyond the talk show circuit, he has also made his mark as a comedy writer for The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live, and even hosted the Emmy Awards and the Oscars.