Banana Tree touched on a good topic so I thought I would ask directly with a new topic: Is this growing trend of "Clown Phobia" a recent phenomonon, or do you feel it is as ancient as clowning itself?

Let me timeline what I feel falls under the two categories:

ANCIENT - Pre-Steven King's movie "IT"
RECENT - Post-Steven king's movine "IT"

Appreciate input from all! Thanks

It may be more prevalent now than it used to be, but I believe It's always been there, my 16 yr old daughter has never been frightened by any one, but she still will not go down the Halloween isle at wal mart, and all her friends know she doesn't like mask, they totally freak her out, she's not affraid of clowns, but she's had this fear all her life, now her 9 yr old sister, nothing scares her.

It may be more prevalent now than it used to be, but I believe It's always been there, my 16 yr old daughter has never been frightened by any one, but she still will not go down the Halloween isle at wal mart, and all her friends know she doesn't like mask, they totally freak her out, she's not affraid of clowns, but she's had this fear all her life, now her 9 yr old sister, nothing scares her.

sounds like my daughters, My oldest (now 27) was afraid of everything (Including clowns) but my other (Now 21) was as shy as a rattlesnake.

this is the close listing I could find so I'm posting it here.

Went to the Renassaince Festival and saw the "Red Nose Clown" [ a silent clown [ almost silent] he did a good show.
He was doing a juggleing routine with 2 apples and 1 onion and eating the apples, well you know what happened he bit the onion.

He had one little girl just giving him a hard tme about eating the onion he he step down and gave her the apples, she proceed to burst into tears that later became wales. The was nothing threating in his approach and her family was laughing, but this child just went way out of control. He of course moved quickly away as soon as it happened and went on the some one else to cont. with the show. He had no way of knowing she would react this way.

Well, since I'm new, I'm sure you all already know there's a forum JUST for ppl afraid of clowns. www.ihateclowns.net
These are for REAL fearful people who help each other deal with this fear. I sat there and laughed I guess because I can't understand this phobia. But more power to them! There are even some clowns that are members of the forum, and under their name it says in red "Alert-clown". What a HOOT! :cry:

Well, since I'm new, I'm sure you all already know there's a forum JUST for ppl afraid of clowns. www.ihateclowns.net
These are for REAL fearful people who help each other deal with this fear. I sat there and laughed I guess because I can't understand this phobia. But more power to them! There are even some clowns that are members of the forum, and under their name it says in red "Alert-clown". What a HOOT! :cry: Hey jitterbug, you're kinda cute-for a clown

While I wouldn't dismiss clown phobia outright, I do beleive it to be mostly a bogus form of angst....a method that some teens and young adults use to draw attention to themselves and their own sense of cynicism. Ever notice when you're out on a gig, and there's a teenager claiming to be afraid of clowns, they're usually announcing it to everybody that will listen? That doesn't sound like "genuinely scared" to me.

Besides, even if you take into consideration the movie IT. Come on, how many people have been irrevocably scarred from watching a movie? I don't recall people going "Oh my GAWD I'm scared of the water" 15 years after Jaws came out. And besides, if they actually watched the movie, they know that "IT" wasn't actually a clown. That was just one manifestation of the creature.

BTW, I've read some of the posts in that clown hate site and I think its mostly young people just needing to make noise about something. I've seen posters try to rationalize with them...the clown haters don't even want to try.

I've been clowning for over 10 years, and I've only seen real honest-to-goodness phobia (in an otherwise well adjusted adult) about 3 times. One lady said nothing but turmed pale and made sure to keep something between me and her as I walked past. Another woman was in a group at a fair...she didn't say anything and so no one knew. The rest of that group invited me to pose for a picture with the group and once I got in proximity with this woman, she just burst into tears. Thats clown phobia.

A teenage girl going "oh my god oh my god I HATE clowns" while sorta screaming and laughing and carrying on with her friends at the same time...thats just BS.

WIth little kids, its mostly just the costume...the same kids are usually afraid to sit on Santa's knee. I don't think its about clowns themselves and I don't believe the term "phobia" applies.

So, yeah, it exists. But I think its a lot rarer than folks might think.

And to answer the OP's question, I'd be inclined to think that the advent of the internet would be the dividing line rather than the movie. That is when people really started promoting anti-clown sentiments. I think the movie is just used as an easy rationalization for clown-haters. (John W Gacy being the second most used justification...even though the clown costume wasn't part of his criminal MO)

Well, my kids' stepmom is DEATHLY afraid of clowns. When they go home after a gig, they have to take all makeup off, or she freaks out. I asked her about it, and she said she doesn't understand it at all, but she just completely freaks out. It gives her the heebie jeebies seeing clowns, and not necessarily the spooky ones, but the happy ones...go figure that one out.
And then one time I was at a garage sale after a parade, and a teen, who didn't say anything, grabbed her friend's hand and slowly had her lead her to the car with sheer terror on her face. She was stiff and scared, you could tell. She didn't cry or scream or laugh. But she was genuinely scared. I thought it was funny, but then again, I am a clown for a reason!!
:lol:

He had one little girl just giving him a hard tme about eating the onion he he step down and gave her the apples, she proceed to burst into tears that later became wales.

That is hilariously funny. Here HE is standing there with the onion and it is the APPLES which made the girl cry!

To be honest, it seemed more of a tempertantrum.

Ecellent replys from all. I am in hoppers camp with this one. I too have ionly seen TRUE Caulophobia a couple of times. They are the easiest ones to spot. when they see you, they care nothing about anouncing to the wolrd that They "Hate" clown. Their defense mechanisms kick in and they are looking for a way to get the heck out of Dodge!
You can often tell it buy the look on their face. They won't look at you, most of them are nervous and feel silly, dumb, or a mix of emotions because they are afraid of a person dressed up is funny clothes with makeup on. Something that would be okay if you were four or five. But not when you are forty-two. I admire these people. When I see them at an event, They usually, hold their guns. they came to have a good time, or bring their kids to have a good time and they are not going to let this problem spoil the day for anybody. They will come close enough for their kids, who themselves might not be afraid of clowns or might not have made up their minds yet, to do what they want (get a balloon, have their face painted,etc.) and yet they won't look at you, they keep a respectable distance away from you. and as soon as they can, they leave the area, and try not to stray back that way. Often once they know you are in the room they are fine. They just don't get close.
I applaud these people. They are living and dealing with an honest REAL problem . They have developed good coping skills, and are doing their best not to pass their phobia on to their kids. They deserve a medal in my book.
The teens that come up to you and proudly, announce "I'm afraid of clowns"; while they stand there and wait while I make them some crazy balloon hat. I just can'y buy that. :pie:

If I was him I would have swiched her the onino LoL that would have been funny. When we are out at event's I have noticed that a lot of teens act like they don't like us but you can tell they are just puting on a show for thier friends. But I have all so seen the lil girls who send thier mom's or dads over to get them a ballon animal because they really are scared of people dressed up.

:) Jenzo the clown

A few years ago I entered on this forum and I don't think it's on anymore so forgive me for repeating it)
When I was working at Wal-Mart, when they were imaginative, and I just started clowning, I was clowning at my greeter's station for a fund-raising week, I had this incident.
Part of the day, I was in clown and at lunch, I would return to civilian, or vice-versa.
I was at my station and a little girl had broken away from her parents, I was near the "doggy door" ( Cart return door) so she didn't see me at first, then she saw me (see my avitar pic , same makeup different costume) I waved my fingers and squeaked my nose--she screamed her head off and ran for her parents. The parents seemed amused and asked why she was acting like that in front of the nice clown. Since my clown is mute, I whispered to the parents " cause she doesn't see anybody that looks like me walking around." they still were amused and went on their way iinto the store, I could hear her screaming as far as men's wear. Of course I felt awful, but the spirit of Paul Lynde had come upon me and I thought "Betcha you dont break away from your parents again little girl"
At another occasion when I was clowning at the store I saw another little girl and she said " It's you!" and ran at me and hugged my leg tightly. I had a fan, and didn't know it--much better.

I know this is long but I'll add this, Yeah kids can be frightened of clowns but I find, as genuine as it may be teen agers and adults that retain this fear seem to overreact purpously, Blast it , they should realise that we are simply entertainers in costumes, and the anti clown sights go out of their way to foster and amplify this fear and create hate.
Lecture over