January 16, 2008

THEY'RE MEN IN MAKE-UP; WHAT'S NOT TO BE SCARED OF?:

Why are clowns scary?: Children are frightened by clown-themed decor in hospitals, a survey suggests. How did the smiley circus entertainers become a horror staple? (Finlo Rohrer, 1/15/08, BBC News Magazine)

[I]t probably comes as no surprise to horror fans that a University of Sheffield study of 250 children for a report on hospital design suggests the children find clown motifs "frightening and unknowable". [...]

British horror writer Ramsey Campbell says the recurring theme in popular culture of the scary clown goes back at least as far as silent move star Lon Chaney Sr, who identified the spooky potential when he reportedly said: "There is nothing laughable about a clown in the moonlight."

Posted by Orrin Judd at January 16, 2008 9:13 PM
Comments

I would think the British kids are scared because they are in an NHS facility.

Posted by: pchuck at January 17, 2008 12:31 PM

My son has a t-shirt that reads "El único buen payaso es payaso muerto" - The only good clown is a dead clown. So it crosses cultures.

Posted by: Brandon at January 17, 2008 2:54 PM

Clowns are creepy. And not funny.

Posted by: Pete at January 17, 2008 10:27 PM
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