THE CLOWNS ARE COMING!

Clown scares are a persistent urban myth. They show up every ten to fifteen years.

I haven't seen a real clown since I was five, probably when we lived in Ohio, going to a circus, or in northern Virginia for a few months. I've no memories of being frightened at all.

Later, 1950, I was at the filming of a Howdy Doody show, a one time thing, where dad worked - at RKO in NY back then, but not on that show. I've no memory if Clarabelle the Clown was there or not. If so, I wasn't freaked. I can imagine I was either bored or confused; I would have been eight.

But like many others, I've heard about clowns being creepy to people, re people's takes, and some being creepy as they really are creeps.
Real creeps aren't funny, and faux creeps seem a bit off to me, as well. I get it with faux creeps somewhat, but not very much at my door.

Which brings up halloween. I've not liked it as Beggar's night was nigh on my birthday as a kid in Chicago, trick or treating either falling on that or the next day. Damned orange and chocolate cupcakes were the least of it. Carrying a sack around and ringing doorbells when it was cold..
I've whined about this before, so, nevermind, I know it's trivial, and that my friends back then liked me, despite building a tunnel for only me to go through.. in the basement. I reacted very badly. Don't remember if I ate a cupcake. I was not a good sport.

In a way, they were my first friends, setting me up to understand that I as an only child whose parents moved a lot could have friends - so take this whine with a grain of salt, those were good years.

But: I bring this up as an October question. I think clown worry this halloween is low re world problems, but on the other hand, maybe not. Could be a book or film scenario or actually serious.

The kid is Coulrophobic, it's a real problem. Just seeing one on TV can set off a panic attack, hyperventilation and passing out.

Maybe they're juggalos

I never like clowns and Gacey sealed that.

Never have understood the purpozse of clowns and used to pray they'd just go away.

In local news there was a clown in the subway the other day scaring people while waving a knife. Quite a few if the not-so-good clowns, downright dangerous clowns around here the last few weeks.

That really must be ... well, at least regionally.

Here, in Germany, clowns get even paid as therapy in children hospitals, and in geriatric wards. (They mostly have a BA medical clown, though)

https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20161006/elmhurst/scary-clown-attack-knife

I read that actually, when I was reading the article of the Clowns here in Adelaide at present, the kid was only 16, got off and crossed over only to find the Clown on the other side, still with the knife. Even in "fun" that can scar a kid for life.

There would be an opportunity also for "others" to dress up as a clown for sinister means.

Dangerous, yes, because in addition, a Dad may come out in fear for his kid and turn the knife on him. Just to start with.

That's an area that I didn't even think off. I don't ever recall feeling happy around a Clown !

While I have no clown phobia, I don't trust them. Even the ones that are for sure legitimate.

It's that I don't feel I can trust the person underneath the makeup. What are they hiding? Why do they feel they need to disguise themselves? What's wrong with them that they won't show who they really are? That sort of thing. Those aren't the words running through my head, but the feelings.

I feel the same way about people (adults) that still put on costumes at Halloween. Well, more like "what's wrong with who you really are that you need to pretend to be something else"

If I had been in the hospital as a kid and a clown had come by, I would have felt it was pretty condescending, not just of the clown, but the staff and hospital itself. I'm not going to feel better because somebody with balloons and crap comes by, shoving stuff in my face and overacting. I would have found that stressful.

Don't like magicians either, for similar reasons.

A clown doing magical tricks should be shot.

It's all so attention seeking.

Yes we do that here, and it's even worse when our elders are subjected to these people. It's treating them like children instead of adults that had positions of responsibility most of their lives.

I don't think so. But that's just my experience - and understanding of what geriatric clowns do.

I have spent my life loving clowns. It irritates me to see a bunch of bad apples giving them a bad name.

So, you seem to think you're the only one with that knowledge?

No, not at all. It is just what I've learnt after I saw some of them working.

I was never fond of them, I stopped finding them funny when I was about 7 or 8. Charlie Cairoli, a quite celebrated clown, had a kid's TV show back in the late 60s/early 70s. Back then we only had two channels, so I watched it, same routine, same gags, week in week out, the only difference was the set up.

I have a feeling that behind the mask is a very sad person. To be a really good clown you have to be sad, so I often have difficulties to find them funny.

As a child and during my youth, I never liked them, too.

Only years later I noticed that it takes quite some time and studying to become a clown.
Those working here in hospitals with children and older persons, all have a university degree, often from the medical department of Hannover University (for children) or the medical department of Jena University (for geriatric clowns)

When I'd worked in drugs/AIDS-prevention more than 20 years ago, there were several "clown theaters" with plays/stand-ups related to these topics.
That was really successful with a youth/younger adult audience.

[As an aside: when I studied Social Work, we mainly used the cafeteria of the Art University in that city. I'll never forget the day, when students of the university used that cafeteria as a project for the clown education.]

I think Stephen King signed the death warrant for clowns in the English speaking world.

I do appreciate the tradition that goes back to Commedia dell'arte, but living with a coulrophobic makes them more of a hazard than wasps.