Why are clowns so scary?
I was looking over the latest catalog from a Halloween vendor I do affiliate marketing with every year and was shocked by how many scary clown costumes there were. I don't know what it is about clowns, but a surprising number of people (myself included) find clowns scary. Maybe it was because I watched the movie IT when I was too young, or maybe I'm repressing some sort of horrible childhood clown abuse, but saying that clowns make me feel ill at ease is an understatement.
I just don't know what kind of person would want to dress up as a scary clown for Halloween. Probably the same kind of person who would hurt a puppy or make fun of disabled people. If I had to dress up as a clown, I'd go as a crying clown because, hey, it's ironic.
First, a dash of history. Clowns in the Middle Ages were part of carnivals and fairs, and were street performers who made fun of rural people and the way they dressed and looked. (The term clown means someone from the sticks.) And because they were street performers, and hardly highbrow artistes, they tended to overdo things to get a laugh and a few tossed coins, which they competed fiercely for. That seems to be the tradition that carries to the present day, the overdone acting and antics and costuming and makeup, the total lack of subtlety. As a kid in the 50s and 60s, I couldn’t stand clowns, couldn’t udnerstand why so many kid-centered businesses (toys, ice cream, candy) featured clowns in their packaging art—And really didn’t know one other kid who was thrilled with or enthusiastic about clowns. I don’t think I ever thought they were scary, just so asinine as to be embarassing. Still feel that way.