What is it about clowns that certain people have a 'fear' of??

Question

Would it be hollywood movies portraying evil clown acts or what??
is it all the bizarre lookin' make-up?
and do YOU have a fear of clowns

do I? no, I just think they are stupid

Who was the 1st 'clown' according to our history?

and how revolting, huh?

ALL I KNOW IS I WOULD LOVE TO SLAP ONE SIDEWAYS
AND KICK THAT STUPID CLOWN RIGHT UP BETWEEN THE LEGS

Answer 1

I think it's the white makeup and then the horrible painted fake smile which is so big and ugly.

Answer 2

Part of it would be the smile. There was actually a study done a few decades ago that found people tend to see a thing or person as insane/dangerous/weird if they smile more than 80% of the time (in case you're wondering this study was paid for by the company that makes goldfish crackers and is the reason 20% of the goldfish crackers you get don't have smiles). So when people (especially kids) see this person come over smiling the entire time it makes them feel uneasy. Not to mention clowns invade your personal space (they just come up to you out of the blue and start joking with you or giving you stuff), they're dressed very oddly, and their face is exceptionally odd. It also doesn't help that clowns are a recurring theme in horror movies, though one has to wonder which causes which.

Answer 3

I am a recently retired elem teacher and I usually preface my answers with that so you know where my head is coming from. My niece who is now 30 was deathly afraid of clowns and anything in masks. I think it is an inner voice, that accompanies a personality type., I have a Robin Williams type personality and love to be goofy and silly and would love love to be a clown I hope to some day yet, but ......... it is what comes from the heart and I take my lead from children age 5 and under. They are still so pure in heart and operate more on emotional reaction and that is usually a truer response than from an adult who has been warped by the world. If you will spend time with this age group and just listen and accept what they say, you will hear the deepest sincere truth ever. i was just out at my grands yesterday and they are 6 4 and 18 mo. and one of the older 2 said something to me like "why do you stink today" and they love me so so much and would never hurt me but they are honest to the core. I had been working in the garden and dashed out to see them before I showered as it was a timing issue. But I never take offense at this because they would be the ones to tell you that you have a buggar in your nose , and we often appreciate that level of honesty. Hope this helps in your question. Sorry to ramble but children and their issues are my passion. Also various personalitites vary in their reaction to clowns I love them but I am bold and strong.

Answer 4

One of the reasons is those jack in the boxes. They usually have clowns inside, and the suddenness of them popping up scares little kids. I think it goes back to that. Hollywood also. The makeup is hiding something--especially the painted on smile, as someone mentioned. Interesting that John Wayne Gacy decided to be a clown for kids parties (he was a serial killer). I don't have a fear of clowns, but I don't like them.
Clowns have been around a long time, and probably originate in the idea of the court jester.

Answer 5

Pick one:

--It really is the Hollywood thing. I've known some folks who were creeped out by toys and puppets, for much the same reason. All it takes is one little kid, watching the wrong cheap horror/slasher flick.

--It's that clowns might be too *intense* for their intended audience. Consider...most clowns do this really "big" thing with their theatrics, right? With the makeup, hair, painted-on smiles, fake noses, shoes, super-baggy clothes....

Which makes sense....in a *circus* where most of the time you see them from a distance. But up close and personal, in real life, it can be too much. Ok, now imagine that you're a *kid* some six or seven years old. *Everything* is too freaking big for you *anyway*, and then the clown shows up all HUGE and crap. o_O Under the circumstances it's a wonder *everyone* doesn't get scared.

--Do a search for the term "Valley of the Uncanny" in the context of "psychology". In brief, the idea is....people have a curved response when it comes to "fake people". For most folks, simple fake people (toys, puppets) are cool, and *complex* fake people are cool (think of your androids in science fiction movies). But things break down at a *medium* and imperfect level of complexity...where there's *some* degree of detail but it isn't *lifelike*, merely *moving*.

At the medium, imperfect level, most folks don't see fake people as "cute" or "cool", but as "zombies" or "monstrous". It gets disturbing. It gets creepy. People get scared because things are *too* unclear and ambiguous, and things look and behave in too "broken" a manner.

Now the catch is, different people have *different* "Valley of the Uncanny" curves. Some folks get creeped out early on, by *any* doll or toy. And for some people, clowns hit that "zombie" or "broken" place that creeps them out. If someone has a similar reaction to more subtle versions of this--to mimes, or to people wearing a mask, or to women wearing a bit of heavy makeup--it might be a Valley of the Uncanny issue.

I hope at least one of these suggestions was helpful. ^_^ Thanks for your time!

Answer 6

This is a funny question because i hate them, i get nervous every time i see one and when i was little i was petrified of them. I don't know what it is. As someone else stated, maybe that wicked painted on smile or the fact that so many are psycho child molesters or killers. Ok well that kind of came from the movies....hey i don't know but good question!

Answer 7

For me it's always been the disguise. I don't trust em. You can see there real face under the makeup. Rarely are they funny.

As I do not ( unjustified I know ) trust any man who wants to hang around children all of the time.

Never accept food from a clown as it tastes funny.

Answer 8

i believe most people that are afraid of clowns are often results of childhood trauma,maybe they have something that occurred to them during childhood that keeps bringing up the fear...for example my parents always used to tell me if i didnt sleep early something would grab my feet and pull me under the bed...hahah as a result i was quite frightened by that until i was 9 or so

Answer 9

the fact that they smile all the time, like Ryan M said, [babe, you have way to much time on your hands....haha, as do i.... xD goldfish...i noticed that.]
they wear a lot of make up that hides who they are, the fact that they may be child molesters, as they hang out with kids way too much....the bigass fake smile they have.....the weird clothes, hair, laugh.....i fear them


i hate them b/c when i was 3, i was at a party and there was these 2 clowns, and they went and pulled me out in front of everyone, and put a diaper on my head, wet from water.
yeah, it may seem funny to you, but it scared the hell out of me, and i was kind of ashamed b.c everyone was laughing and pointing at me........since them i have hated them, and i have some urges to hurt them...
im also afriad of them killing me in teh shower....not a good place to die, your wet, naked and dirty.....ir even worse if they wanna help clean your back.......
*shudders*
and of course movies like IT, and The Black dahlia didnt help....
"killer clowns from outer space" was funny though..

Answer 10

it's thier sadistic, psychotic looking smiles and leers....creeeeppy