Clowns are enigmas. The role of the clown exists to bring cheer to children, yet millions of habitancy are scared of these painted-up actors. Let's delve into the frightening world of the clown and see why they strike terror in the hearts of some adults and children while bringing smiles to other people. We'll also see why clowns are perfect ghouls for haunted house owners.
It is interesting to note that the fear of clowns is a legitimate fear and even has a name - Coulrophobia. Coulrophobia is an abnormal or exaggerated fear of clowns. According to the Web site way2hope.org, "Coulrophobia is very common...one of the top 10 most base specific phobias. Symptoms can range from high anxiety to outright panic attacks around habitancy in clown outfits or other bizarre attire and make-up...even Santa Claus." Yep, the fear of clowns is assuredly real. This is the theorize many haunted houses contain clowns alongside the actors dressed as zombies, werewolves and witches.
Animated Halloween Props
Of course, it is not only adults who are fearful of clowns. Although clowns are meant to entertain children, many children are scared of them. As a former haunted house manager, I believe the fear of clowns comes from the fact the clown make-up obscures the wearer's face. Is Bozo assuredly happy or is he only smiling because he has a painted-on grin? We do not know. Also, I think we instinctively realize that brightly colored outfits do not mean the clowns are all the time happy go lucky. What dark thoughts lurk inside the mind of a clown? No one except the clown knows.
Furthermore, I think as a community we can't help but remember John Wayne Gacy, Jr. He did nothing good for the expert clowns of the world who work hard to make us laugh. John Wayne Gacy, Jr. Was an American serial killer also known as the Killer Clown who committed the rape and murder of 33 teenage boys and young men between 1972 and 1978, According to Wikipedia. Twenty-six of Gacy's victims were buried in the crawlspace of his home, three others elsewhere on his asset and four victims were discarded in a around river, the online database states.
Gacy was dubbed the Killer Clown because he entertained children as "Pogo The Clown." He was at last sentenced to death, and on May 10, 1994, was executed by lethal injection. The world breathed a sigh of relief. But, many adults cannot help but remember photos of Gacy dressed as a clown. These images were published in newspapers and today are on the Internet. I am sure those images play a part into our fear of clowns.
Of course, it takes more than just one man to make us afraid of clowns. According to the site phobias.about.com, there are two main theories surrounding why some habitancy are scared of clowns. The Web site states, "In a 2004 recapitulate narrative for Trinity University, Joseph Durwin postulates that there are two ordinarily approved schools of thought. One is that the fear is based in a negative personal palpate with a clown at a young age. The second theory is that mass media has created a hype surrounding evil clowns such that even children who are not personally exposed to clowns are trained to dislike or fear them."
Durwin's theory that community has created hype around evil clowns is interesting to me. It is true that Stephen King scared us through the book and film version of It. The novel and film revolve around an evil alien-type beast that disguises itself as "Pennywise the Dancing Clown." Also, as I mentioned earlier, there are many haunted houses that highlight killer clowns. There is Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988), the notable b-movie from the 1980s that brought clowns into our nightmares, as well.
So, has community brought this fear of clowns on itself? It becomes a chicken and the egg issue. Did books, movies, haunted houses, and the image of Gacy cause our fear of clowns? Or did movies and haunted houses start using clowns to strike terror because community was already afraid of them? Which came first? Sadly, there does not seem to be an rejoinder yet.
All I can end with certainty is the fear of clowns seems here to stay and haunted house owners should take advantage of this fact!
Clown Fear Is Real, perfect for Haunted House Owners