This is quite possibly the strangest phenomenon I've ever been alive for. It's almost comical how silly it is. Just try explaining this to someone - "yeah there's a creepy clown epidemic spreading across the country." The effects, however, are anything but funny.
I was never afraid of clowns until this new craze hit the country. The fact that I can't feel safe at my school at night, go for a walk in the woods, or take a drive in a secluded area because of these clowns is ridiculous. The fact that there are all of these rumors of sightings, but most of the time there is no evidence, is ridiculous. Why would people want to flat out scare people, or worse?
Whether it's for a movie promotion or just for the sake of freaking people out, it has become a danger to innocent people and it needs to stop. It's not funny at all.