This phobia seems fake to me. I'm watching a show about it on National Geographic, and the lady smiles and forces herself to cry when she sees a clown. It's so fake.
2006-09-05 15:38:23 · 27 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Psychology
yeah...my cousin is like totally paranoid...it freaks him out...its kinda funny...lol
2006-09-05 15:41:09 · answer #1 · answered by uber_chic.geek 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I wouldn't judge whether or not it is a phobia -- I tend to believe people when they say they're afraid of something -- but I've also seen what you have, which is kind of an obvious overreaction. I'm not sure if that's for the sake of the camera....or maybe they just really, really want people to understand that they have a fear, and think if they overplay it, it will be more understood.
Me, I have a snake phobia. If I see one on TV or in a magazine, I will have nightmares for several nights afterwards. Some people in my life have not understood how serious this was for me, and they did things like put a plastic snake in my desk drawer. It was obvious they didn't take my phoboa seriously -- so I yelled at them, and loudly, because my quiet explanation didn't do. After I yelled, and they saw I was upset, they promised to never do it again.
I think some people overplay their phobias to get the opposite reaction from the one you had.....they want them to be understood, and they want to be taken seriously. Obviously, it can backfire.
2006-09-05 22:51:28 · answer #2 · answered by Cynanon 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That lady may be a fake but it is a real thing, clowns instill a sense of fear in some people. At face value I feel fearful and have to let my logical mind tell me that it is only a person with makeup on and there is a real person under all the garb. There seems to be so much fake stuff on shows and tv.
2006-09-05 22:46:43 · answer #3 · answered by Goldenrain 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not ONLY are they serious, but their "fears" are usually warranted due to the type of person that chooses to try their hand at clowning. The truly professional clowns, like Barnum & Baily, Circus Vargas, & Cirque de Solie are artists & performers & don't try to force themselves on children & other on-lookers. They keep a safe distance in order NOT to cause children any trauma. It is usually the street performers & childrens party clowns that cause the problems because most of them don't understand what a "safe boundary" is with your audience. They are people who are used to going to retirement homes where the patrons are a "captive audience" & most of them are nearly blind or on heavy medications. There is a lot of abuse by these weekend warriors because all they want is the money for their performance & a reference to other parties in order to get more money. They don't give a damn about a screaming child & could care less about the lifelong trauma that they have inflicted by their lack of compassion in regards to their overacting & poor make-up applications! Many ex-cons are clowns & no one ever checks their backgrounds for home parties & events!
2006-09-05 23:35:58 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a boy (5), who not only hates clowns, but is deathly afraid of Ronald McDonald as well. The clown phobia crosses all boundaries, even the happy meal boundary.
2006-09-05 22:45:58 · answer #5 · answered by detecting_it 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes and no.
Yes because there are books and movies where the clowns are murderers or w/e and sometimes people start to believe that crap.
And no because.. well, some people just joke about it for some strange reason.
Personally, I'm not SCARED of them. Lots are just silly, but yes some can be a bit frightening.
2006-09-05 22:46:01 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm freaked out by clowns. Not to the point where I cry. I'm more afraid of people dressed up as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.
2006-09-05 22:45:03 · answer #7 · answered by lindsaylaurie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, 2 me its a yes because of wat clowns are they can be changed 2 a scary form from da human mind or could have had a bad encounter dat makes them feel like dat . But in some cases it can be real and in others not they can just be acting it out since this famous phobia is often shown on t.v
2006-09-05 22:45:36 · answer #8 · answered by little chika 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm afraid of clowns!! Well not real ones like when people dress up as them. But I am afraid of the little porcelin dolls dressed as clowns. I don't cry but they do freak me out. I won't allow anything to do with a clown in my home. Besides everyone is afraid of something.
2006-09-05 22:41:34 · answer #9 · answered by shauna 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I couldn't blame Kramer for being afraid . That crazy Joe Divola would scare anyone .
For the most part-clowns are entertaining and they make more people laugh than cry .
2006-09-05 23:08:21 · answer #10 · answered by missmayzie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with you.
I think some people just want attention and to be afraid of something is one way to get attention.
If you watched Sex and The City, there is an episode where Carrie is afraid of clowns. I always found that character annoying, and that is just one reason!
2006-09-05 22:41:41 · answer #11 · answered by Katherine 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋