Why are clowns creepy?

Coulrophobia is the clinical term for clown phobia or fear of clowns. We all know someone afflicted with it, or maybe we suffer from this sometimes humorous malady. It remains in the top 10 phobias.

The term coulrophobia is fairly new, but rest assured, fear of our overly jolly friends in bright makeup with bulbous nose & huge shoes goes as far back as their origins.

Symptoms can range from a giggly, mild uneasiness to a complete, manic or hysterical meltdown.

In the 1992 episode of Seinfeld, "The Opera", "Crazy" Joe Davola, dressed in clown makeup, had a face to face encounter with Kramer who had previously confessed his fear of clowns. Cornered by Davola, Kramer became petrified, & when asked by Crazy Davola if he still feared clowns, he was barely able to utter a feeble "y-y-y-es". The fear of clowns was also the topic in episodes of Frasier & The Simpsons as well as many other movies & shows. They have been at the center of several horror movies, usually in the role of the evil villains, such as in the Schlock Horror movie "Killer Clowns from Outer Space" & many others.

The stark reality that notorious serial killer John Gacy, the "Killer Clown" who murdered over 30 young boys, & who routinely dressed in clown makeup to perform for kids & provide his services at various charitable events can add a chilling reality to our fear of clowns & add some credence to those fears, to say the very least!

I also remember reports of a man dressed in clown garb attempting to abduct kids in my neighborhood & who was never caught, when I was a young child. Maybe this contributed to my eerie feelings regarding clowns.

Many believe that coulrophobia begins in childhood, possibly linked to an event early in life.

Why do we fear clowns? Why do we find others fear of clowns humorous? We may never know.

I for one love clowns, but at the same time find them creepy. But I love to be "creeped out'.
I'll always continue to enjoy our jolly, made up friends.......but from a distance!........