07/04/2015 Whyarewesoscaredofclowns?Telegraph

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Whyarewesoscaredofclowns?

Ifyoustillthinkclownsarelightheartedjesters,preparetobedisturbedbytheirterrifyinghistory

StephenKing's'It'starsaterrifyingclownPhoto:1990RexFeatures

ByOliviaGoldhill

9:41AMGMT29Oct2014

Themoreyoustareataclownsperpetuallysmilingface,themoreitwarpsintosomethingmoresinister.

Clownsaresupposedlyfiguresofinnocentfunbrightlycolouredjesterstoentertainourchildrenandsliponbananaskinsinexaggerateddisplaysofslapstickcomedy.

Butthemanicjoy,themaskofmakeupandtheexcessivefamiliarityarejustahairsbreadthawayfromterror.

Fullblownphobiaofclowns(orcoulrophobia)isrelativelyrare,butstillmanymoreinstinctivelyrecoil.Inrecentyears,filmssuchasStephenKingsIthavehighlightedthosefears,butclownshaveplayeduneasilyonthepublicconsciousnessforfarlonger.

Manicmedievalorigins

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Comedicclowns,completewithbrightlypatterneduniforms,wereacommonformofpopularentertainmentinmedievaltimes.

Butalthoughtheholyfoolwasfunny,therewasalwaysanundercurrentofdisturbingtruthbehindhishumour.

AndrewStott,anEnglishprofessorwhospecialisesinclowningculture,saysthatfoolsalwayshadatenuousgriponlifeandsociety.Themedievalfoolwascontinuallyremindingusofourmortality,ouranimalnature,ofhowunreasonableandridiculousandpettywecanbe.

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Thiscontinuedthroughtothe16thcentury,whereShakespeareanjesterswereoftenlinkedtodeathanddarktruths.KingLearsfoolwandersaroundremindingeveryonethattheyrenotascleverasthinktheyarewhiletalkingincontorteddoublespeaktoundermineoursenseofwhatwethinkisgoingon,saysStott.

Clownshavealwaysbeenassociatedwithdangerandfear,becausetheypushlogicuptoitsbreakingpoint,headds.Theypushourunderstandingtothelimitsofreasonandtheydothisthroughjokingbutalsothroughridicule.

Theimpenetrablemask

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Aclownsmaskmaybeahappyimage,butitstillworkstohidetrueemotions.Andwhiletherealmanbehindthepaintcouldbeasmileyandcheerychap,hecouldalsobehungoverandresenthavingtopranceabout.Thedisguiseisinnatelyunnerving,asistheperpetualsmile.

Freudcameupwiththenotionoftheuncanny,whereanimageisdistortedbutstillrecognisable,andthisconceptisapparentinmanyhorrorfilms.HarvardMedicalSchoolpsychiatristandhorrorfilmfanStevenSchlozmanexplainstheconcepttoVulture.

Theuncannyexplainsalotofhorrortropes,whereyoulookatsomethinganditsnotquiterightlikeahumanfacethatsdecomposing.Itsrecognisable,butjustenough

awayfromnormaltoscareyou.

Infact,clownsintheMiddleAges,iftheydidntmakethekinglaugh,theypaidaprettysteepprice.Alotofthejestersweremutilatedtomakethemsmileallthetime.Theywouldhavethemusclescutthatenabledthemouthtofrown.

Thefirstclown:amiserabledepressive

ThefirstancestorofthemodernclownwasBritainsmostpopularentertainerduringtheearly1800s.JoeyGrimaldidevisedthestandardclownsmakeupofstarkwhitefacepaintwithbrightredspotsonhischeeksasawayofexaggeratinghisfacialfeaturesinthenewlyexpandedGeorgianhalls.

Grimaldiwasoneoftheearliestcelebrities,whichmeantthatthepublicwereawareofhissadpersonallifebehindhisjoyousperformance.Grimaldisfirstwifediedduringchildbirthandhissonwasanalcoholicwhodiedaged30.TheeffortofGrimaldisclowningacrobaticslefthimwithpainfuljointsandrespiratoryproblems.

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Stott,whowroteThePantomimeLifeofJosephGrimaldi:Laughter,MadnessandtheStoryofBritain'sGreatestComedian,saysthatGrimaldiisaclearexampleofthedowntroddenmanbehindthehappymask.

Offstagehewasanextrememelancholicwhowouldsay,Imakeyoulaughatnightbutamgrimallday.Itstheoriginofthetropeofadepressedcomedian,headds.

Dickens,wholovedtoseethepantomimeasachildandghostwroteGrimaldismemoirs,focusedonthistheme.

InHardTimesandDavidCopperfieldyoucanseeemaciatedtravellingplayersandreallysadcircuses.Dickenswastakenbythegapbetweenthechildlikefantasyandtheadultreality,saysStott.Whenoneisintoxicatedbythetinsel,lightsandroarofthecrowd,ittransportsyoutoaverydifferentplacethanwhenyouseethesepeopleinthecoldlightofdayandthesadmeagrelivestheylead.

Murderousclowns

TheFrenchversionofGrimaldiwasevenmoredisturbing.JeanGaspardDeburau,whodressedasaclowncalledPierrot,killedaboyin1836byhittinghimwithhiswalkingstick.AlthoughDeburauwasacquittedofthemurder,hewasbelievedtohaveattackedtheboyforyellinginsultsathiminpublic.

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ButcoulrophobiasworstnightmareaserialkillerclownbecamerealitywithJohnWayneGacy,otherwiseknownastheKillerClown.

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Gacydidntworkasaclownfulltime,buthedressedupasPogoatchildrenspartiesandfundraisingeventsinChicago.Duringthesameperiod,Gacysexualassaultedandkilledatleast33youngmenbetween1972and1978.SurveillanceofficersbegantomonitorGacy,whooncetoldthemYouknowclownscangetawaywithmurder.

Gacywassentencedtodeathin1980andexecutedin1994,provingthatclownscanbecaught.Butthatshardlyacomfortingconcept.

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StrangerDanger

Clownswerenotoriginallyintendedaschildrensentertainment,buttheirroleshiftedduringtheVictorianera.Thefairytaleelementofthepantomimebecamestronger,andclownsevolvedintolightrelieftocomplimentthemainnarrative.

Theystandatthefrontofthestageandthrowsweetstochildren,saysStott.

TodayclownsareclearlyrecognisedasafigureoffunbychildrenarolethatscementedinpartbyRonaldMcDonald,thefigureheadforMcDonaldsfastfood.

Butthepastfiftyyearshasseengrowingconcernoverstrangerdangerandasuspicionofthosewhowanttospendtimearoundchildren.

Wevecometoquestionthesexualmotivationofsomebodydressingasaclown,ofgrownmenwhochoosetodressinafullclowncostume,saysStott.Plus,headds,Theressomethingtragicallyunfunnyaboutthevastmajorityofpeoplewhodoclowning.

ClownfiguresinhorrorfilmssuchasPennywiseinStephenKingsItandtheJokerinBatmanbuildoffafearofclownsthatalreadyexists.Buttheircreationsarenttwistedversionsofaninnocentchildhoodfigureinfact,theoriginalclownalwayshadadarkside.

Manyphobiasarebuiltfromthisbraidingtogetherofvariousdifferentideasoftheunknownthatarealsoconnectedtotraumaticexperienceinchildhood,saysStott.Theideaoftherecklessanarchicclownhasmixedinwithourfearofstrangersaroundchildren.

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Sonexttimeaclownasksifyouwantaballoon,thinktwiceaboutaccepting.

Howwemoderate

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