While Jaclyn Andrews can害羞草研究所檛 rationally explain her fear of clowns, she害羞草研究所檚 been avoiding them for years.
Walking the midway at local fairs is totally out of the question, and lately she害羞草研究所檚 considered double checking with fellow parents before attending kids害羞草研究所� birthday parties.
She realizes that might sound a little silly to some, but the clowns that haunted her nightmares as a young girl still evoke bad feelings.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 panicked, can害羞草研究所檛 breathe, sweaty,害羞草研究所� says Andrews, 35, describing how she feels when she sees a clown.
害羞草研究所淚 get the overwhelming need to get out 害羞草研究所� and now.害羞草研究所�
The fear of clowns, known as coulrophobia, is a relatively new phenomenon with very little research behind it. And while it害羞草研究所檚 not considered an official phobia by the World Health Organization, its sufferers say the experience is very real.
Pshh, you guys are afraid of EVERYTHING.
害羞草研究所� IT Movie馃巿 (@ITMovieOfficial)
Andrews, a resident of Hamilton, feels anxious thinking about the days ahead when evil clowns will be a focal point of popular culture and practically impossible to avoid.
A remake of Stephen King害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所� arrives in theatres next week and is expected to draw huge audiences intrigued by the titular shapeshifter, also known as Pennywise, who often takes the form of a clown.
And the upcoming sixth season of 害羞草研究所淎merican Horror Story,害羞草研究所� which begins airing Tuesday on FX Canada, is generating buzz for the return of Twisty, a demented clown with a taste for trickery and murder.
Clowns have existed since ancient Egypt, although their trademark white faces and colourful costumes weren害羞草研究所檛 established until the early 1800s when British entertainer Joseph Grimaldi began playing Joey the Clown. A similar look was adopted by Scottish businessman John Bill Ricketts when he brought the modern circus to the United States a few years later.
For many decades the happy-go-lucky personas of modern clowns like Bozo and Ronald McDonald seemed in style, but a notorious American serial killer is considered to be the inspiration for the advent of the more sinister brand of clowns.
Before he was convicted for the murders of 33 young men in 1980, John Wayne Gacy seemed like a relatively average guy, who sometimes dressed as Pogo the Clown, a character he created while volunteering at children害羞草研究所檚 hospitals. After he was jailed, Gacy painted portraits of himself in clown costume and the artwork became the focus of exhibitions 害羞草研究所� and protests.
害羞草研究所淧eople learn to be afraid from the movies they see, and from the news they read 害羞草研究所� watching other people be afraid,害羞草研究所� said Martin Antony, a professor of psychology at Ryerson University.
害羞草研究所淕acy may have triggered certain directors and writers to portray clowns in that way, and that may have exacerbated fear of clowns.害羞草研究所�
Two years after Gacy害羞草研究所檚 conviction, the film 害羞草研究所淧oltergeist害羞草研究所� featured a scene in which a young boy is dragged under his bed by a toy clown brought to life in the middle of the night. And King害羞草研究所檚 novel 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所� was released in 1986 and adapted for TV in 1990, with Tim Curry playing the creepy Pennywise.
Andrews swears watching the 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所� miniseries in middle school scarred her for life, especially moments like its opening scene in which a young boy is lured by the killer clown to a sewer.
害羞草研究所�(害羞草研究所業t害羞草研究所�) just did it in for me,害羞草研究所� she says.
The fascination with vicious clowns only grew as 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所� became a favourite at video stores during the 1990s and other forgotten films like 1988害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淜iller Klowns from Outer Space害羞草研究所� found another life on DVD alongside the clown-like doll used by serial killer Jigsaw in the 害羞草研究所淪aw害羞草研究所� horror movies.
Much to the dismay of professional clown performers, those portrayals helped take the wholesomeness out of a character once considered a fixture of family entertainment.
Rami Nader, a psychologist at the North Shore Stress and Anxiety Clinic in Vancouver, says some people are leery of clowns because they fear their exaggerated painted smiles obscure their true emotions, which makes them unpredictable.
害羞草研究所淵ou don害羞草研究所檛 know really what they害羞草研究所檙e feeling, what they害羞草研究所檙e thinking or what they害羞草研究所檙e going to do,害羞草研究所� Nader says.
A spate of creepy-clown sightings reported across North America last year didn害羞草研究所檛 help their negative perception. Perhaps inspired by popular prank videos on YouTube, reports of individuals wandering through neighbourhoods while wearing menacing clown masks began to spread. In the U.S., Target stopped selling scary clown masks as a result.
Frank McAndrew, a professor of psychology at Knox College in Illinois, says he learned how deeply opinions of clowns have eroded after his study of 害羞草研究所渃reepiest occupations.害羞草研究所�
The online survey, which canvassed 1,341 people, found respondents were bothered by people whose jobs held ambiguous threats, and in particular individuals who made physical contact or exhibited 害羞草研究所渘on-normative, non-verbal behaviour.害羞草研究所�
Clowns ranked as the creepiest, worse than taxidermists, sex shop owners and funeral directors.
McAndrew says he found the ambiguity of a clown害羞草研究所檚 performance art seemed to rattle the respondents the most.
害羞草研究所�(They said), 害羞草研究所榃e don害羞草研究所檛 know if there害羞草研究所檚 something to be afraid of, but we have a paralysis about not knowing whether we should be scared,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 he said.
The professor also discovered some members of the clown community weren害羞草研究所檛 exactly helping rebuild their reputation as non-threatening. After his study was published, McAndrew said some clowns began to 害羞草研究所渟talk害羞草研究所� him on social media and called the president of his college in an attempt to get him fired.
But McAndrew also found that discussions about his findings online revealed a stark apathy from even those who aren害羞草研究所檛 afraid of clowns.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 recall seeing anybody ever saying, 害羞草研究所榊ou know, I really like clowns,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 he added.
David Friend, The Canadian Press
