I actually know a clown, and went to clown school with him once. They aren't really that scary, it's just that they seem to be… out of touch, I guess you could say. Everyone at the clown school was genuinely excited about their special guests (all various clowns that retired from big circuses and a magician that performed for the president or something like that), but they didn't ever seem to understand why people found them creepy. They have a sort of… strange sense of humor, it's all slapstick and pun type stuff that the modern human only rolls their eyes at.

I think creepy is a less appropriate word than annoying, although there were actually classes on how to tell if somebody is getting annoyed or creeped out by you.

Clowns didn't bother me ‘til I read about John Wayne Gacy, a serial killer who worked as a clown… and killed teenage boys in his off time.

But I guess what’s frightening about clowns is the same thing as those who wear a mask… you can't actually see their face. Masks are less scary as it's plain to see that the mask isn't their real face. But a clown with his makeup on… to a young child that face could be his real face…

Clowns don't bother me much. The first Ronald McDonald looks like a failed Halloween costume for a homeless person, and the present one is a great improvement for what otherwise may be a Ringling Brothers reject.

Loonette from Big Comfy Couch is just a temp job for Lydia Deetz and Claire Redfield.

*goes to watch The Laughing from Dexter's Lab now*

this thread reminds me of this song…

Slapshock - Evil Clown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=130g02JEzfo

How did i not see this thread before? you know what i have to say? F*ck clowns.
keep them away.
i truly honestly have coulrophobia

I never used to be scared of clowns, I was much more frightened of guys with beards. But for some reason, as I got older and more exposed to the idea that Clowns are scary, they will murder you while you sleep if you don't watch them, I've slowly started to become a little creeped out by them.

Now I hate clowns, even though I never used to hate them, and now I like dudes with beards and often pretend I have a mosutache, even though I used to be terrifed of them.

ROLL REVERSAL!

I've just never found clowns funny. They try too hard to make you laugh and it all just falls flat.

There was one clown I liked though. He performed at a couple of my second primary school's Halloween parties. And that was because he didn't go for comedy. He went for something I've had an obsession with since I was very small.
Magic tricks.

You can say it's not “real” magic. But I disagree. What's not fascinating about someone learning to create illusions through practise and by tricking the human eye and mind?

That's why it was a sad day when the clown didn't come back for a third year. I've not seen another one with the same act since.

You know what DOES scare me though?


CARTOON MASCOT COSTUMES!

Not even just the crappy ones.

ALL OF THEM!

Get one within ten meters of me and I freak out like a cat near water.

Yet I STILL want to go to Disneyland…

Faliat
CARTOON MASCOT COSTUMES!

THIIIIIIS. D: Yeah, Disneyland wasn't too fun for me.

Clowns=paedophiles

Genejoke
Clowns=paedophiles

Sounds about right. Why they wanna hang around children so much?
Here are a list of professions I KNOW are paedophiles. All of them.
Teachers, babysitters, paediatricians (It even has paedo in the name), children (Always hanging around other children, and I sometimes see them outside the schools. Creepy), video game/cartoon characters, the NSPCC, and of course, parents.

All of them.

I used to drive a taxi and this one regular was distraught one day and it turned out her father had died. So one long journey and a lot of confession later it turns out she was intimate with her father and had been as long as she could remember and loved him in all ways. Really didn't know what to say to that.

^ Interesting people-you meet them every day.

crocty
Sounds about right. Why they wanna hang around children so much?
Here are a list of professions I KNOW are paedophiles. All of them.
Teachers, babysitters, paediatricians (It even has paedo in the name), children (Always hanging around other children, and I sometimes see them outside the schools. Creepy), video game/cartoon characters, the NSPCC, and of course, parents.

All of them.

I have been molested by Tony the Tiger. It's not funny man. Not funny. :(

Edit: Definitely not GGRRRRREEEEEAAAAAAT either.

Ugh… I can't sleep. I keep thinking that a clown will crawl out of my PS2's disc tray and then devour me… O_O

AQua_ng
I have been molested by Tony the Tiger. It's not funny man. Not funny. :(

Edit: Definitely not GGRRRRREEEEEAAAAAAT either.

When my daughter was 7 we went to Disneyland. She was such a frail looking thing, blond hair - wearing pink. so cute.

But then Goofy got too close. He was about twice her height, leaning over her.

She didn't say anything. She just punched him in the nose. It was all rubber, and she had such a little hand that for a split second it looked like his face ate her forearm.

But no. She removed her little fist, turned her back and walked away, while Goofy stood there with his over-sized hands rubbing his fake nose.

I had to do the Mom thing and scold her about random violence, but secretly, it was GGRRRRREEEEEAAAAAAT

ayesinback
When my daughter was 7 we went to Disneyland. She was such a frail looking thing, blond hair - wearing pink. so cute.

But then Goofy got too close. He was about twice her height, leaning over her.

She didn't say anything. She just punched him in the nose. It was all rubber, and she had such a little hand that for a split second it looked like his face ate her forearm.

But no. She removed her little fist, turned her back and walked away, while Goofy stood there with his over-sized hands rubbing his fake nose.

I had to do the Mom thing and scold her about random violence, but secretly, it was GGRRRRREEEEEAAAAAAT

Gawrsh…
That kid sure had guts! Ahyuck!


I reckon my fear actually grew with age. When I was younger I was just disinterested in them. The same way I am now with clowns.
I have a keychain of when I was nine at Blackpool Pleasure Beach with Bradley the Beaver and that's the nearest I ever got to one. I was actually looking forward to it.
Was friggin' terrified and it shows behind the forced smile. He grabbed me too high and I was scared he was going to choke me.

Well, he's gone now. Beaver Creek is replaced by Nickelodeon Land. The threat has hopefully passed.

Unless they get a Spongebob Squarepants replacement… That's double the fear factor!

Yeah. I'm also scared of Spongebob.
My parents have a habit of mixing up what I like and what I hate so for Christmas ‘09 I got a Spongebob ukulele. I haven’t touched it since the move. I'm planning on sanding it and giving it a new paint job when I have the time. But my initial reaction from seeing it was apparently so funny that they got my Spongebob socks last year that I haven't worn.

In the mean time I need to desensitize myself in case I go to Nickland in the near future:


*Weeps*

Was always disinterested in clowns… until I saw It and KCFOS. Then I realized what great villains they make! I became more interested in them from that point on.

Faliat
I've just never found clowns funny. They try too hard to make you laugh and it all just falls flat.

There was one clown I liked though. He performed at a couple of my second primary school's Halloween parties. And that was because he didn't go for comedy. He went for something I've had an obsession with since I was very small.
Magic tricks.

You can say it's not “real” magic. But I disagree. What's not fascinating about someone learning to create illusions through practise and by tricking the human eye and mind?

That's why it was a sad day when the clown didn't come back for a third year. I've not seen another one with the same act since.

You know what DOES scare me though?


CARTOON MASCOT COSTUMES!

Not even just the crappy ones.

ALL OF THEM!

Get one within ten meters of me and I freak out like a cat near water.

Yet I STILL want to go to Disneyland…

Clowns have never scared me, in fact when I was 6 or 7 my parents took me to Ringling Bros. Circus and I was picked to be a part of the clown act along with a bunch of other kids. I remember that we did a Ghostbusters parody skit and the clowns ended up getting slimed. It was a lot of fun. I think that clowns are great characters whether good or bad, and the Joker has always been an awesome character to me no matter how he's portrayed. Ronald McDonald is perhaps a bit annoying, but not scary. My wife on the other hand does have a serious dislike and fear of both clowns and dolls, but she's o.k. with the cartoon mascots, except for the time someone in a Shamu costume at Sea World asked her for her phone number, that was a bit creepy. I didn't know her at the time, but if I did, I probably would have knocked the guy out and gotten arrested. I've never been scared of mascots myself either, but it's instances like that which I've just stated above that make me want them to just stay the hell away from me sometimes especially at sporting events.