Whence this fear, though. I don't really get it. I will grant that the first time I saw a clown up close, when I was 4 or 5, I got a little freaked. But I know a lot of people not otherwise subject to phobias who seem to have a paralyzing fear of them. You think these people are kidding but they're not.
If nothing else it shows people who take up the clowning profession must be pretty dedicated.
2 comments:
The 'killer clown' meme that scares people likely began with Wayne Gacy, although in general they can seem strange notwithstanding real serial killers and people who don costumes and makeup for the twisted fun of standing in alleys. Do people really do that?
We were lucky to have fond childhood memories of Emmett Kelly to ease us past any possible misunderstandings about a clown's intentions.
I don't know about John Wayne Gacy originating the killer clown thing, but he did give it some real life relevance that it hadn't had before. But bad people have held all sorts of jobs and usually it doesn't tar the whole class. Although Son of Sam didn't do postal workers any favors.
"Do people really do that?"
Not many, I don't think. (Annoying that I can't blockquote in comments on my own blog.
Weary Willy was a great character. Kelly was a graceful performer. Indeed there is a kind of love that comes through that character.
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