[TwistedDementia]

What is with so many people and thier phobia of clowns?
Don't get me wrong, I love it cause it a easy theme to set up and works almost every time but what is the actual reason for the horror? My aunt can't even look at them, I put a mask of a clown and see's having a sizure(not literally). Maybe the mystery of the unknown person using a mild deception of makeup and colorful coveralls to hide thier true identity? I mean even as a child most of us didn't like getting to close to the clown's at the circus, clinging to mom and dad the closer they got to us. Maybe alot of us are desensitized due to the nature of our bisiness of Halloween. So what's the strange phenomenon to most when they encounter...THE CLOWN!

 

[Revenant]

I think it's the distortion. European-style clowns tend to have very minimalist makeup; like rouge and lipstick to just better define the face from a distance, and slightly goofy clothes, but American clowns are just grotesque. Tons of colors that don't happen on real faces or hair, massively distended and distorted body shapes, and clothes that aren't really clothes at all but giant multicolored slipcovers. Everything about them is just... wrong. Instead of caricatures of human, which is what they were originally supposed to be, in this part of the world they've mutated into something non-human. Like Something Else created as a mockery of human beings.

 

[Lilly]

I do not know any adults that are clownaphobic.
Unless my nephew still is.
my nephew was deathly afraid of them when he was little..I don't know why.
Good question maybe I will ask him if he still is weird about them or if he knows why he was scared of them.
Clowns never bothered me...
When I was young it was Samson the gorilla at the zoo ..he's a different story.

 

[Sickie Ickie]

Boy does this his home! I did clowning to bring in money for bills when I was in my 20's...and it's true MANY people are afraid of clowns. I came up with a reason that worked for my logic.

Clowns in America, in general, are characatures. The smiles are painted, the true color of skin is hidden ( yes even in august - although it's flesh colored, it is not a true flesh color. case in point? Remember Bozo's sidekick Cookie? or Lou Jacobs as Buttons the clown?), the clothes are loud, and the voices cartooney. If this were the only challenges to covercome, kids could do it pretty quickly. In my opinion, the true scare is clown behavior.

A lot of the people who join clown alleys think that the clown should be big and bawdy and "in your face." The slapstick is big, the pratfalls are bigger and the movements are huge. In my belief, this is all grand and good for a large stage or circus atmosphere. Unfortunately, for several, this has carried over to close up clowning- thus causing phobias in many. Let me explain further.

Close up clowning has to be more gentle, softer in tone, and offer close-up humor.

Let's face it, how many people want a big painted character racing over and screaming in your face a big "HI" while squeezing a bulb of an annoying bicycle horn?

Scary yet?

Let's add to this that there are misguided parents that once the child hides behind mommy or daddy's legs, he or she pulls out the child kicking and screaming and shoves them in front of this attrocity to be mentally attacked again!

Phobias set in quickly, and hatred soon follow.

I was invited back again and again by people doing events and birthday parties and more because at no time did I do this, but instead, as a clown, acted scared myself of the child until the kid coaxed me out to say hi.

Is this the only reason phobias exist of clowns? I'm sure not. Is it a major reason? Well, from doing clowning for several years- I believe it is.

That is one reason that for my own haunt, I refuse to use Santa or Clowns for scares. I do not want to take these innocent images and ruin them for these children as they grow up.

 

[wormyt]

Speaking of Clowns. I just got this new for this year. Gonna somehow get it into my dot room. Its 3d pic done by Chad Savage.
Whats new for 2007 Halloween pictures by Wormyt - Photobucket
Its so cool to see this up close. Its errie looking. Clowns can be so darn funny then again so fricken scary. LOL I have a friend who works with me and she will not even look at the picture LOL

 

[Death's Door]

When my mother-in-law became a clown (went to clown school and got a clown diploma) sometimes me and hubby would help her out with her gigs. She was about 65 when she took this up so we would also get dressed up and help do face painting and balloon animals. One thing we never did was force any kids to talk to us or shake our hands. We would actually let the kids approach us due to the fact you don't want to scare them if they are unsure of you. What SI said is true. Clowns can be overwhelming because of makeup and the bright/oversize clothes you wear.