# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/101 "2024-09-14T08:46:12Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > He laments that clowning had received a bad reputation because of its association with what he did. Some people find clowns to be creepy, but his Pogo makeup was especially off-putting. I’ve always wondered who looked at that and said “Oh yeah, the kids will love this!” ---
**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 14, 2024, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/102 "2024-09-14T12:29:32Z")
I’m trying to think of the clowns I encountered at birthday parties and such as a kid and I just realized they were almost all women. Even my local TV clown (Hobo Kelly) was played by a woman. I think I would have found a male clown to be rather threatening especially a big one like Gacy. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2024, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/103 "2024-09-14T23:41:42Z")
Wow, I’d completely forgotten about her. ---
**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 15, 2024, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/104 "2024-09-15T00:06:03Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Even my local TV clown (Hobo Kelly) Originally from Peoria, well before my time. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hindX-FuJ1I/hqdefault.jpg "The Retro Time Machine - Hobo Kelly") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hindX-FuJ1I) ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2024, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/105 "2024-09-15T21:46:52Z")
I always found her creepy (as the clown). The way she’s done the eyebrows makes her look like an evil villain. ---
**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 16, 2024, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/106 "2024-09-16T16:43:50Z")
Gacy’s Pogo had a painted smile with pointed ends. Professional clowns will tell you that rounded smile ends are a less threatening look to children. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/107 "2024-09-16T17:18:24Z")
I can understand thinking he dressed as a clown to lure victims to house. It seems like a plausible enough thing for a serial killer to do. However, if you stop to think about it, most of his victims were high school/college aged. How many 20 year olds are going to get lured _anywhere_ by a man dressed as a clown? If he was killing 5 year olds, maybe. But 20 year olds, probably not. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/108 "2024-09-16T20:43:44Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I can understand thinking he dressed as a clown to lure victims to house. It seems like a plausible enough thing for a serial killer to do. However, if you stop to think about it, most of his victims were high school/college aged. As young as 14 however. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/109 "2024-09-16T20:50:04Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > How many 20 year olds are going to get lured _anywhere_ by a man dressed as a clown? Now, don’t kink shame… ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2024, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861/110 "2024-09-16T21:08:05Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > As young as 14 however. I was including that in the “high school aged” part. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gacy-was-not-a-killer-clown/1006861.md?page=5)