Once upon a time, clowns used to represent joy and laughter. For some, clowns are still a beacon of happiness but it’s a very small number of people. Two percent of adults actually fear clowns and in 2008 it was found that 250 children between the ages of four and sixteen fear clowns as well. Most of the fear stems from the unsettling smile clowns have along with their known mischievous behavior like throwing pie in people’s faces. Fictional clowns like Pennywise from Stephens King’s book has contributed to portraying clowns in a darker light. John Wayne Gacy’s role as a clown named Pogo did not help since he turned out to be a serial killer who sexually assaulted and killed more than 33 men which is further brought to life in the movie Gacy. Negative images of clowns brings into question whether or not clowns were always meant to be scary and if they will ever be smiled upon again.

One of the world earliest clowns was named Grimaldi. His full name was Joseph Grimaldi and he performed in the U.K during the regency era. With his persona came a Mohawk that was sometimes dyed blue, a stark white face and festive, colorful clothes. On stage, he was a cheerful entertainer who did stunts and tricks that would often land him in the hospital. But the pain from his performances, was nothing compared to the pain he experienced in his personal life. His wife died giving birth to his son, Joseph Samuel, who became a clown like his father but later passed away from alcoholism. Like his son, he turned to alcohol to sooth the depression he went through for years which put his health in bigger jeopardy since his body also suffered from injuries. One of his famous quotes is, “I am grim all day, but I make you laugh at night,” ironic isn’t? On stage he left behind his painful experiences in order to bring joy to the crowd. His story can be connected to the many comedians around today that transform bad moments in their lives into gags for their audiences to enjoy. For example, Kevin Hart talks about how his dad used to be a drug addict in his famous standup show, Laugh at my Pain. Having a parent who is a drug addict isn’t something everyone would make light off, but for comedians like Kevin Hart, comedy is the best way to face it. Aren’t clowns basically comedians trying to escape from the burdens in their lives through tricks and games? Even Bozo the Clown smiled and waved to his crowd with the rumors he has been cheating on his ex-wife Sandra Harmon and with the accusations of him being a pathological liar. The point is that it has become easier to reveal the bleak human side of clowns due to the fact that they are human regardless of the fake smile plastered on their face. Also, thanks to technology the personal lives of almost every clown is easily displayed, serving as the perfect childhood destroyer when people find out that the clown they admired as a child turned out to be Michael Myers. Perhaps clowns today have failed to register their jolly persona toward an audience because it’s overdone, unnatural even and children in particular want someone they can connect with like Dora or Mickey Mouse, not a really tall man wearing a shiny red nose

Recently, a new type of clown has been made up over social media, the phantom clown or as some people call it, the stalker clown. They are the ones who have been randomly popping up in different locations creeping people out. It is believed that they are an organized group of clowns that started in the U.K then went to America, traveling from state to state kidnapping and killing children. However if that were the case, there would be more amber alerts and news on missing children so those rumors can be easily explained. But the part that is difficult to explain is who the real phantom clowns are and who are just posing to be them. There are a bunch of videos all over the internet involving the phantom clowns chasing people in cars or while their on foot. People on twitter have posted sightings of the clowns but some of them turn out to be pranks meant to take advantage of the fear people already have of the actual clowns who may pose a threat to everyone’s safety. It has gotten to the point where Target has stopped selling clown masks and took them off of their website. Try not be surprised if Party City is next. If anyone wants to be a clown this year, too bad, because if someone is seen with a clown costume they can be easily mistaken for the “bad” clowns and get arrested especially in the U.K. These clowns are becoming the masters of triggering coulrophobia, the extreme fear of clowns. Maybe they’ll take over the world. Or maybe one of them will become a third option in the 2016 election. As long as they don’t hurt anyone, the future of these clowns should be interesting to follow up on.

If clowns want to make a positive comeback, there is a way to do so. One suggestion is making their appearance more modern to relate to young kids by keeping up with fashion trends. There are actually clowns at a circus called Universoul who may wear Nikes, or plaid shirts while preforming dances like The Whip while popular music plays.

They still have colorful hair and white makeup like traditional clowns but kids are more willing to approach them since their attire and performance is relatable. Also, it is important for people to know that it is not right to assume all clowns are scary especially if all of them do different things. Some clowns are therapy clowns that go to hospitals to help children feel better. It was found in an Italian study conducted in 2008, that children suffering from respiratory illnesses who have played with the therapy clowns have gotten better faster. They have also been able to relax children scheduled for minor surgery. Although it is easy to hate all clowns and go hunting for them when one is spotted, without solid proof they have bad intentions, no one has the right to accuse them of anything. Fear is something in the mind that is often triggered when there really is no fear at all. The clown themselves shouldn’t be the ones feared, it should be the person behind the clown persona that truly should be feared because once that makeup is removed, there is no more clown, only a human capable of any sin.

Note: If yourself or anyone you know has a serious coulrophobia, seek a physician or go to https://nobullying.com/fear-of-clowns/ to learn how to overcome it.