A Look at Coulrophobia—The Fear of Clowns
Coulrophobia isn’t a life-threatening condition—although it might make you fear for your life if you have a severe enough case. The name of this phobia means ‘fear of clowns’, and it is fairly common. All people who are affected aren’t impacted to the same degree. Some feel a mild discomfort around clowns, while others have an intense fear.
The phobia is commonly present in children, but many adults find themselves stressing anytime they see a clown. Clowns have been around for centuries—originally thought of as fun-loving entertainers. But the fear of these entertainers has grown more common in recent years due to the portrayal of clowns as evil in real life and in the media.
The Evolution of Clowns
The idea of clowns as appropriate child-friendly entertainers became popular during the mid-20th century. TV and media provided a venue for introducing characters along with their individual talents and brand of humor.
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One popular example was Bozo the Clown from Bozo’s Circus TV show. Bozo’s iconic look came from his red hair, painted smile, and big red nose. Viewers thought of the clown as wholesome, friendly, and trustworthy.
Bozo the Clown first aired in 1949, with Bozo’s Circus following in 1961. This show led to The Bozo Show, which ran until 2001, making Bozo the most popular children’s show of all time.
But somewhere along the way, clowns began to take on a more ominous persona. The makeup that gives each clown a unique identity obscures the person’s emotions, making it difficult to impossible to determine if they are fun-loving or mischievous. It also conceals the identity of the person, so that a clown might be anyone.
The phenomenon of Uncanny Valley is another reason that people might have a fear of clowns. While a clown has human-like features, they are exaggerated or odd. Oversized smiles and bizarre hair are human—but not quite. These somewhat human features put them into the uncanny valley, meaning they are “off” and scary.
The introduction of evil clowns in real life and in movies caused a lot of us to look at clowns differently. For example,
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When John Wayne Gacy was arrested in December 1978, it was for the murder of thirty-three boys and young men. The arrest came as a surprise to the community, who had worked at children’s parties and charity functions as Pogo the Clown. The serial killer had been hiding in plain sight while engaging in a killing spree from early 1972 until late 1978, when he was caught.
Pennywise: Stephen King’s Creepy Clown
It was 1986 when Stephen King released his horror novel, It, featuring the monstrous clown, Pennywise. A miniseries featuring Tim Curry as the evil Pennywise was shown in 1990. Curry is also known as the hotel concierge in Home Alone 2.
Two theatrical versions were released in September 2017, with the final sequel being released almost exactly two years later in September 2019. Actor Bill Skarsgard played Pennywise in the duology.
Unlike most clowns, there’s an ancient cosmic entity hiding behind the evil persona instead of a human. The being emerges about every twenty-seven years to bring terror, murder, and mayhem to the town of Derry. What could be more terrifying than that?
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2016 Creepy Clown Craze
Fictitious clowns definitely have a role in causing the transition from fun-loving to scary, but real-life clowns can pose a real threat. In 2016, the Creepy Clown Craze started in Greenville, South Carolina, when police received reports of creepy clowns trying to lure children into the woods. From there, the trend spread to other states, across the country, and globally. While many incidents appeared to be geared toward instilling fear, others led to actual violence, threats, or attempted abductions. These incidents led to a greater feeling of fear nationwide. The craze lasted for several months before fading after Halloween. Imagine looking out your window and seeing a creepy clown holding a knife while watching your home—or following your kids to school. It could definitely change your perception of what clowns represent.
Classic Clown Horror Movies
While Stephen King’s Pennywise from “It” is one of the most familiar scary clowns, there have been others featured in a range of horror films, including:
- Hell House
- Killer Klowns from Outer Space
- All Hallow’s Eve
- Terrifier (1 and 2) (Features Art, the same clown as from All Hallows’ Eve
- Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses
- Clownhouse
- Circus of the Dead
One challenge that horror movies featuring scary clowns don’t always meet is making their characters terrifying and not plain silly. Some, such as Circus of the Dead, depend on gore to make their characters scary. Others, including those featuring Art the Clown, rely on mystery about the character’s nature to make them terrifying. Fear of what’s hiding behind the makeup is one of the reasons that so many people find clowns terrifying in real life, books, and in movies. Sometimes, you can even find some pretty terrifying clowns on your favorite TV shows.
A Supernatural Fear of Clowns
For those who don’t already know, Supernatural is a fantasy-horror series that ran from September 13, 2005, until November 19, 2020. The show spanned 15 seasons and included 327 episodes, leaving die-hard fans like me wanting more long after the last episode aired.
The show features two brothers, Dean and Sam Winchester, played by Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, who are hunters. They fight the monsters that other “normal” people don’t know are real. Misha Collins, who plays trench coat-wearing angel “Castiel,” is my favorite character, but the entire cast is amazing, and there are lots of familiar faces that show up as guests.
I happened across the show one night and was instantly hooked. It was like watching a scary movie every week or two, and it had great storylines and acting. I’ve gone through the entire series about five times—but I’m sure there are more trips through the boys’ adventures to come.
While the show deals with a broad range of both familiar and newly created monsters, there are some episodes that play on a fear of clowns. The clowns depicted differ in their creation and even in their personality. These differences don’t stop any of them from being terrifying. There are even two episodes in which John Wayne Gacy’s ghost makes an appearance.
We learn in Season 2, Episode 2, “Everybody Loves a Clown”, that the younger Winchester, Sam, has a fear of clowns—despite the real monsters that he and Dean fight every day. This is only one of several episodes where Sam must muster up the courage to fight off evil clowns. But my favorite is in Season 11, Episode 7, titled “Plush” where people who don plush masks become homicidal. Naturally, it is the man who wears the clown mask who is yielding a bloody knife that Sam must confront in the elevator.
I think Jared Padalecki did an awesome job in this scene. You can read the expressions of dread and horror on his face, while he gets control of his fear and deals with the threat. It was humorous and scary at the same time.
What About You?
I have to admit, clowns do give me the creeps—more so in real life than in the movies. After all, you never know who or what is hiding behind that mask or makeup or what their intention is. If you are up for a good scare, go back and check out some of these classics or dive into Stephen King’s “It” in the book or movie version.
Some of the creepiest characters in books and movies are good for a scare over and over again. If you have a fear of clowns, what better way to give yourself chills? More scary clown books to check out include:
- The Grin in the Dark by J. A. Drake: A tale of a sinister, shapeshifting clown in a dark fantasy setting.
- Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare: A popular YA horror series featuring deadly clowns in a small town.
- Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham: A classic noir novel about a carnival worker who uses his skills for deception, featuring a memorable psychic/clown character.
Happy Reading!