We have been hearing many recent stories about persons in clown costumes scaring people.
Now I have known people who do clown acts for say birthday parties or special events. To me, they have always been good people who’s goal was to entertain. But now with this bad publicity I read fewer of them are getting bookings.
So I wonder, will this be the end of clowns outside of circuses?
People doing bad things have impersonated all kinds of other occupations. It hasn’t ended these other occupations. The only effect is probably to make people more cautious.
Maybe it will end clowns in circuses also. Nobody really likes clowns, they’re much better as evil characters than funny ones. Well, except maybe Bozo, not funny, but not evil looking either, more of just a question why do it at all.
They survived John Wayne Gacy.
My first thought on reading the thread title was, “What, Trump getting elected?”
Or, as Robin Williams put it, “Then the real aliens landed, and it wasn’t funny any more…”
I wasn’t aware clowns were all that popular before recent news stories. The whole circus genre has been dying steadily for decades.
They’re retiring circus elephants on grounds of animal cruelty.
The clown sightings are a classic example of mass hysteria.
It happens every few years, going as far back as 1981 (before It was published, BTW) Then it dies down and comes back again.
I was told a story years ago that supposedly happened in Northern Ireland back in the 80s. I cannot verify that any part of this story is true, but I found it to be entertaining.
As the story went, a parent was looking to hire a clown for a children’s birthday party. They called the number for one & said they wanted to hire a clown on short notice and that money was no object.
The clown, at this point became Really cagey, demanding to know the name, number and address of who was calling, wanting to know the name of the child… what the name of the school was that they attended and in what town…
who they knew that had referred them… and as it was expressed to me, he really grilled the parent for every conceivable verifiable detail.
The parent was very put off and replied that it almost seemed like the clown didn’t want their business and who was he to question her that way? That’s when the clown told her his story:
It was the week prior and a phone call had come in to hire him. He was needed for a party on short notice & that money was no object. He’d be paid in advance but he had to be available the next day for a party that was to start at noon… could he do it?
The clown said yes and was told that someone would be by his house with the money and the details.
A bit later, a young man came buy with an envelope of cash and the address. He said his mother was busy and had just sent him around with the money and the details. The clown said thank you and the young man went on his way.
The next day, a little bit before noon, the clown arrived at the address to set up and to perform his show. He was a bit surprised because it was a pretty rough neighborhood, but he figured that everybody has kids and every kid has the right to a clown at their birthday party.
He parked and brought his gear up to the door. Sitting on either side of the door were some pretty scary looking young guys in track suits (he called them “spides”) who asked him what he wanted. He told them that he had been hired to put on a clown show.
Both of them looked him funny for a moment before laughing a bit and saying, “Sure. G’wan inside…”
Inside evidently looked about as seedy as the outside with worn furniture, more guys in track suits and a few girls in their early twenties. Everyone stared at him as he came in… and when he started setting up his gear on one of the tables, one of the men asked him again what it was about.
“I’m here to put on a clown show for a party” he said again.
Seeing how he was dressed and looking over the things he was setting up, most of the group laughed and the ones that didn’t smiled and the only one who didn’t do either said,
“Sure. Lets see your show.”
The clown was a little nervous as some of the people looked a little menacing, but he started his act.
He got about fifteen minutes into it when the front door flew open and a huge swarm of police swarmed through it. Everyone was arrested, even the clown… because evidently that was a gang’s drug house.
The clown was Very upset… and even though he was obviously Not a gang member, the police were very reluctant to let him go. He was held in jail until the next day, when his story checked out and he was released.
Being upset, he demanded to know what had happened… so one of the officers told him.
The house Was a drug house… drugs were found there… and the people there were all members of a gang. The police had raided to house based on an anonymous tip from what they believed was a rival gang.
The tip came in at exactly 12 noon. As for the clowns performance and from the description of the person who dropped off the money, he had been hired by that rival gang… to give a clown show as a parting gift to the gang members going to jail.
[NarratorToMe] “…Now THAT’s what I call… Taking The Piss…” [/NarratorToMe]
Recall that clowns do have a hierarchy:
Hmm. I seem to have begun hearing about these clown sightings a few days ago. The 1st of the month, you might reckon. Hmm…I wonder why people would’ve started spreading rumors of scary things in the woods on or about October 1st. Nope, can’t think of any reason.
I think it is quite obvious that the recent spat of feral clown sightings is because the circuses are dying out and releasing them out into the wild.
Either you haven’t been following the news, or you’re not on the US east coast. The creepy clown sightings started two months ago in South Carolina: http://time.com/4518456/scary-clown-sighting-attack-craze/
Assuming these sightings are legitimate, it’s only a matter of time before one gets the shit beat out of him or learns about concealed carry and suddenly jumping out of the bushes sounds like less fun to every other clown-wannabe.
In a year, we’ll have forgotten all about this.
Yes. Clowns are done. Forever.
That’s why it’s important to get your clown spayed or neutered .
Yeah, I’m worried that some stupid teenager will put on a clown mask and be walking around or maybe jump out from behind a tree and get shot.
“A Little song, a little dance,
A little seltzer down your pants.”
Clowns are awesome. I watched Bozo as a kid. It seems like everyone else in my generation only thinks about clowns as a horror movie device.