# Gacy was NOT a Killer Clown **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 6, 2024, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861 "2024-09-06T16:28:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/1 "2024-09-06T16:28:34Z")
I don’t know why this bugs me so much, but it does. I was listening to a YouTube video about serial killers, and I heard this little gem again: “(John Wayne Gacy) …would sometimes wear his clown costume while torturing and killing his victims.” No. Nononononono… .and more no’s. There is no, repeat, NO evidence that Gacy wore his clown costume while murdering people. Only one of his victims lived to tell the tale, and at no time did that person mention a clown costume. He said Gacy was naked during his ordeal. I was a teenager in Chicago during the Gacy debacle, and while Gacy was known to host block parties dressed as a clown named “Pogo”, that fact was only used back then as an illustration of how normal Gacy appeared. He was involved in the community, and threw parties for his neighborhood. Nobody was killed during these parties. The clown persona was not the least bit scary. The whole meme that clowns are scary came years later. In Chicago at the time, clowns meant Bozo and Cookie, and nobody was scared of them. Like I said, I don’t know why this bit of misinformation irks me. But it does. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/2 "2024-09-06T16:35:02Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#): > > In Chicago at the time, clowns meant Bozo and Cookie, and nobody was scared of them. You think Bob Bell wasn’t scary? He inspired Krusty the Clowns voice, for Petes sake. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/3 "2024-09-06T16:35:41Z")
You think Krusty the Clown is scary? ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/4 "2024-09-06T16:37:49Z")
You don’t!? _Can’t sleep. clown will get me. Can’t sleep. clown will get me. Can’t sleep. clown will get me…_ ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/5 "2024-09-06T16:38:36Z")
Clowns have always been scary(to me). Bozo was the worst. I’m sure they’ve been scary since early circuses and court jesters and those French things, Pierrot(or however it’s spelled)… I’m think you’re right about Gacy. And his clown exploits. I don’t think _clown_ when I read his name. At. All. Not sure what others think. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/6 "2024-09-06T16:40:03Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#): > > at no time did that person mention a clown costume. He said Gacy was naked during his ordeal. Some people, when naked, look like they’re wearing a clown costume. Or so I’ve heard. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/7 "2024-09-06T17:21:31Z")
I have a variation of this t-shirt. > **[Can't sleep Clowns will eat me - clowns T Shirts sold by Joy and Bliss | SKU...](https://printerval.com/cant-sleep-clowns-will-eat-me-clowns-t-shirts-p332190045)** > > Buy Can't sleep Clowns will eat me - clowns T Shirts 50% OFF is designed & sold by Joy and Bliss. SKU 332190045 listed on 06 04, 2024. Most ship worldwide within 24 hours. Delivery to the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/8 "2024-09-06T17:39:21Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#): > > I was a teenager in Chicago during the Gacy debacle, and while Gacy was known to host block parties dressed as a clown named “Pogo”, that fact was only used back then as an illustration of how normal Gacy appeared. He was involved in the community, and threw parties for his neighborhood. This thread prompted me to ask Google about Gacy and his clowning around; found this relevant bit as well: > **[Peacock's John Wayne Gacy: Devil In Disguise: 5 Things The Series Doesn't...](https://screenrant.com/peacock-john-wayne-gacy-devil-disguise-facts-explained/)** > > While Peacock's John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise reveals a lot of facts people don't know about the killer, there are also some omitted details. > [A] common misconception is that he used this job to lure children, which was actually not true at all. > > While Gacy did perform as a clown on occasion, there’s no evidence to suggest that part of his life had anything to do with the darker side. Rather, the series points to Gacy’s construction business where he hired young men to help as his primary means of finding and luring victims. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/9 "2024-09-06T18:37:26Z")
Also–let me clarify–Gacy was _not_ from outer space. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/10 "2024-09-06T18:46:39Z")
Did Gacy use [public transit](https://www.flickr.com/photos/74663312@N08/51020332578/)? ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/11 "2024-09-06T19:16:44Z")
It’s about time someone rehabilitated Gacy’s legacy. Clearly, he was just misunderstood. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/12 "2024-09-06T19:45:30Z")
I’m from the area and Gacy doesn’t really come up much TTEAKD\* compared to Dahmer or, I dunno, Pol Pot or Derek Chauven. However, when he does, it’s a killer/creepy clown reference. Or possibly a bodies in the crawlspace thing, though I think a lot of killers have done that. \*To the extent any killers do ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/13 "2024-09-06T21:00:54Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > It’s about time someone rehabilitated Gacy’s legacy. Clearly, he was just misunderstood. Like he’s the first clown to ever operate an unlicensed cemetery. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/14 "2024-09-06T21:05:51Z")
Not judging but, dude, what a strange thing to spin out about. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/15 "2024-09-06T21:08:10Z")
I only really read about Gacy and his crimes earlier this year, and I was surprised to learn that the clowning had nothing to do with his murders. From what I’d gleaned via pop culture osmosis I assumed he’d been using his clown persona to lure young children, but in fact he was mostly cruising the bus terminal and the north side looking for young gay men to seduce and then kill. I suppose painting him as a “killer clown” instead makes his victims seem more sympathetic, or like it could’ve happened to anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/16 "2024-09-06T21:19:16Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > From what I’d gleaned via pop culture osmosis I assumed he’d been using his clown persona to lure young children, but in fact he was mostly cruising the bus terminal and the north side looking for young gay men to seduce and then kill. He also killed a couple of his teenaged employees from his construction company. When these boys disappeared, they were just assumed to be runaways by the authorities. Good going, law enforcement. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/17 "2024-09-06T21:22:52Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Not judging but, dude, what a strange thing to spin out about. I just am annoyed by the inaccurate depiction of my hometown’s history. And I’m not a dude. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/18 "2024-09-06T21:46:48Z")
Time to take a ride on the nightmare merry-go-round. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PAcUD8U-ZoM/hqdefault.jpg "Killer Klowns From Outer Space by The Dickies (Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAcUD8U-ZoM) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/19 "2024-09-06T21:52:56Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#): > > When these boys disappeared, they were just assumed to be runaways by the authorities. Good going, law enforcement. The families of Dean Corll’s victims had been told the same thing by Houston police a few years earlier, right up until his teenage accomplices lead them to 25 dead boys buried in a boat shed. I get the impression that missing children weren’t seen as a very high priority by cops in the '70s. Gacy called Corll an inspiration and built a replica of the “torture board” he would strap his victims to. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/20 "2024-09-06T22:25:34Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#): > > And I’m not a dude. I know, sorry, I meant the royal ‘dude’. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861.md?page=2)