Regardless of whether these clown sightings are pranks or more serious, the media has tirelessly proven its skills in the art of fear mongering. Here are some things that would be scarier to fight than clowns:

1. Jack Torrance from The Shining

I don't know about you, but the thought of my husband or father spontaneously trying to kill me with an axe in a snowed-in hotel in the middle of nowhere is a little more concerning than some freaks in suits.

2. Linda Blair's performance in The Exorcist

I'd rather be confronted by ten clowns than the voice of a devil coming out of a little girl. Also this scene...barf...10/10 would NOT recommend before eating.

3. The Annabelle Doll

Whether you've seen the movie or not, you know, just from looking at it, that this doll is cray. This is the doll that made me swear my daughters will never have dolls, ever. HARD. CORE. NO.

4. Marilyn Manson

I'm pretty sure this ^ is why I wasn't allowed to watch TV past 8pm until I was 13.

5. Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter in The Hannibal Lecter Trilogy

I'd rather not be eaten.

6. Jaws

Put some clowns in the water with this savage creature, and then we'll see who's scared.

7. The Conjuring House

Although I've now seen it too many times to be scared, The Conjuring will always be the scariest horror movie I have ever seen. Clapping no longer carries a cheerful connotation for me.

8. Tyra when she yells at Tiffany

I remember watching this scene when ANTM was on reruns. Since then, I've been low key terrified of Tyra Banks. #PoorTiffany (Not)

9. Negan from The Walking Dead

For The Walking Dead fans, not much is more terrifying than the last scene in the season 6 finale. For non-fans of the show, I've never felt so nauseous from utter terror, and I've watched a lot of scary stuff. Nevertheless, I'll pass on getting my brains bashed in with a barbed-wire baseball bat.

10. Samara from The Ring

This chick has been haunting us for well over a decade now. She never seems to go away, and she made us all afraid of answering the phone.

11. Khaleesi's dragons in Game of Thrones

Now don't get me wrong...I love Khaleesi, and I love her dragons. But if you asked me who I'd rather take my chances against...I'm gonna pick the clowns.

12. Michael Myers & Jason Vorhees

The kings of slasher film! (Not pictured: their pal Freddy Krueger). But seriously...psychopathic, immortal killing machines? Nah, I'm good.

13. Norman Bates from Hitchcock's Psycho

There is some seriously messed up stuff going on at the Bates residence. I think it's safe to say that "we all go a little mad sometimes" is a bit of an understatement.

14. A pissed off Beyoncé

I love me some Bey, but you could not pay me to cross her. No one has, is, or ever will be so graceful whilst in the heat of fury. I mean, she said it better than anyone: "I came to slay, bitch."