Aaron2016 949 #1 Posted October 18 I love clowns, and think they are just hilarious, yet everyone I know seems to be terrified of them. Is there a psychological reason for their fear? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
XenoFish 86,631 #2 Posted October 19 Could be due to not knowing who's behind the make-up. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Desertrat56 5,666 #3 Posted October 19 Probably they watch too many horror movies. I am not afraid of clowns though I have seen some that look a little creepy. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Not Your Huckleberry 3,195 #4 Posted October 19 I'm more creeped out by dolls, personally. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aquila King 22,609 #5 Posted October 19 I've never been afraid of clowns. Never found them particularly funny either. I just find them to be annoying. Kinda like mimes. I think the fear comes from common sense of dred that comes from perverting the innocence. It's similar to why we consider little girls creepy, or dolls creepy, or certain overly happy and positive songs / nursery rhymes creepy. Anything overly positive can give off a sort of "uncanny valley" feeling in people, in which we expect there to be something really sinister and negative behind the mask of extreme positivity. 5 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scholar4Truth 1,946 #6 Posted October 19 I think its cause of horror films that depict clowns as evil. There is also John Gacy the serial killer who dressed up as a clown. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quiXilver 5,300 #7 Posted October 19 nope. not clowns people who regularly operate from a perspective of justified violence based on absolute certainty stemming from naive realism... terrified. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Risky 8,587 #8 Posted October 19 41 minutes ago, Desertrat56 said: Probably they watch too many horror movies. I am not afraid of clowns though I have seen some that look a little creepy. Im also okay with clowns. Maybe its because i work with so many of them...lol I find the dudes that dress up like Santa to be real creepy. Something just not right. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gillian123 6 #9 Posted October 19 I'm scared stiff of clowns, there is an actual name for the fear of clowns 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gwynbleidd 5,662 #10 Posted October 19 36 minutes ago, Aquila King said: I've never been afraid of clowns. Never found them particularly funny either. I just find them to be annoying. Kinda like mimes. Same here, I agree totally @Aquila King I can only surmise this weird fear of clowns that people have, is the possibility of watching too many movies where clowns are depicted as some type of evil role as @Desertrat56 also mentioned. Plus that book It from Stephen King. I used to have a toy clown when I was a kid and it was one of my favourites. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aquila King 22,609 #11 Posted October 19 3 minutes ago, Gwynbleidd said: Plus that book It from Stephen King. Yeah, I'd say that sort of cemented the clown as a cultural horror icon for a lot of us. My mother was an elementary school teacher, and she used to tell me how on Saint Patrick's Day kids used to love seeing pictures of Leprechauns in school. Until that Leprechaun horror movie came out that is, and then suddenly kids were all terrified. Of course Leprechauns aren't seen in the same light as clowns are, but then again I don't think the Leprechaun movies were nearly as big and influential as Stephen King's It was. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aaron2016 949 #12 Posted October 19 My sister can't even watch this. Are they really that terrifying? What do you say to the clown? - "Please don't kill me" 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jodie.Lynne 11,948 #13 Posted October 19 2 hours ago, XenoFish said: Could be due to not knowing who's behind the make-up. WHAT is that from????? I've seen that image a few times, but have no clue. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Orphalesion 4,217 #14 Posted October 19 Pretty sure the whole "oooooooh clowns are scary" is just some sort of meme and most people just pretend because they find it funny in some way.As far as I can tell it became fashionable when the first adaption of IT came out in the 90s has since ebbed down a bit and now is back because they made new IT movies. And honestly I have more often seen it stated in TV shows or movies that "clowns are scary" than actually met a person in real life who has a phobia of clowns. Personally I'm with Aquilla King, Clown are annoying not scary. It's a person purposefully playing the fool and in a pretty old-fashioned way to boot. Of course there are bound to be some people who are genuinely scared of clowns. There's a phobia for everything under the sun. And I can see how a clown could be scary, especially to a child. Costumes and makeup can be scary by themselves and then...again, the clown is a grown up person purposefully acting the fool. I can see how that kind of irrational and illogical behaviour can be scary to a child. And since phobias often start in childhood... 2 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freetoroam 34,088 #15 Posted October 19 2 hours ago, Aaron2016 said: I love clowns, and think they are just hilarious, yet everyone I know seems to be terrified of them. Is there a psychological reason for their fear? Did you ask them why? When and how often do they see a clown? Orphalesion explains it well in post 14. Obviously there is the true story about people like John Wayne Gacy, but I doubt your friends ever had him at one of their parties. So is it stories and the movie horror clowns which frightens them as opposed to personal experiences? Please can you tell us what their reasons are? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Oniomancer 2,513 #16 Posted October 19 Hmm, one of the mods here was a serious coulrophobe. Haven't seen them in forever. 1 hour ago, Jodie.Lynne said: WHAT is that from????? I've seen that image a few times, but have no clue. The Devil's Rejects, the sequel to House Of 1000 Corpses. The actor just passed away a few weeks ago. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hankenhunter 4,361 #17 Posted October 19 My favorite clown. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the13bats 4,790 #18 Posted October 19 I am not scared of clowns some are made to be evil, I guess Ronald McDonald is the worse and because some folks don't like them my version of pennywise is joining my halloween yard props, 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
openozy 1,589 #19 Posted October 19 Clowns are people hiding behind makeup for whatever reason,that's what scares me.I'm not running scared,if one of those d---heads in clown suits jumped out at me I'd probably put a buck knife up his chin. Sorry Bozo. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Smoke aLot 3,529 #20 Posted October 19 7 hours ago, Desertrat56 said: Probably they watch too many horror movies. I am not afraid of clowns though I have seen some that look a little creepy. Clowns are funny but dolls, after ''Dolly Dearest''... That's another story 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the13bats 4,790 #21 Posted October 19 The lady we bought this joint from who thought the joint was haunted had a collection of about 800 to 1000 dolls here, One hand I man worker for her told me it was super creepy, dolls all types everywhere, About 100 doll boxes were in the attic, but the dolls were gone. Whew! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the13bats 4,790 #22 Posted October 19 26 minutes ago, openozy said: Clowns are people hiding behind makeup for whatever reason,that's what scares me.I'm not running scared,if one of those d---heads in clown suits jumped out at me I'd probably put a buck knife up his chin. Sorry Bozo. The old original texas chainsaw massacre, gunner the cat who played "bubba" leatherface, said bubba wore the faces to have a persona, that he didnt have any of his own his "murder face," or domestic "pretty woman" and "old lady" faces, I'm think gacy took a sick perverse pleasure dressing as a clown yet doing what he did, I would think that's the inspiration for capt Spalding, King goes into pennywise being a clown 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
XenoFish 86,631 #23 Posted October 19 6 hours ago, Jodie.Lynne said: WHAT is that from????? I've seen that image a few times, but have no clue. Devil's Rejects. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
XenoFish 86,631 #24 Posted October 19 1 hour ago, the13bats said: I am not scared of clowns some are made to be evil, I guess Ronald McDonald is the worse and because some folks don't like them my version of pennywise is joining my halloween yard props, Ronald probably has a higher real world kill count for a fictional character. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Manwon Lender 2,790 #25 Posted October 19 I have never been afraid of Clowns, but I also have never cared for them much. I do however dislike ass clowns they are most likely the worst clowns around. Can't turn on the news these days without seeing some form of party affiliated ass clown. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
