| 1 | Note there are specific kinds of clowns in the real world. People may fear the ''[[http://famousclowns.org/history-of-clowns/clown-types-the-auguste-clown/ auguste]]'', the stereotypical clown who acts and dress the most flamboyantly. ''[[http://famousclowns.org/history-of-clowns/the-whiteface-clown-clown-types/ Whiteface]]'' clowns are unsettling because they are unexpectedly intelligent, even scheming. ''[[http://famousclowns.org/famous-clowns/happy-hobos-and-sad-tramps-character-of-the-tramp-and-hobo-clown/ Character clowns]]'' - like [[http://famousclowns.org/famous-clowns/emmett-kelly-sr-biography-world-famous-tramp-clown/ Emmett Kelly's "Weary Willie"]] - by contrast have very muted designs, and can be difficult to identify by the TV audience. You rarely see them anymore. |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Real world clowns ''clown'': while clowning is intended to be funny, it can be received as ritualized self-humiliation, and make modern audiences quite sick to the stomach. |
| 4 | |
| 5 | That [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wayne_Gacy John Wayne Gacy]], one of the most famous serial killers in the United States, worked part-time as a clown doesn't really help their case. You don't want ''your'' kids around the Monster Clown, but the character's parents seem oblivious to their kid's fears. The Associated Press once used a stock photo of Gacy for National Clown day. |
| 6 | |
| 7 | A 2007 [[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7189401.stm University of Sheffield study]] found that both young and older children universally fear or dislike clown images. Now a lot of hospital wings for child patients will have to be repainted. |
| 8 | (Quote from the BBC article: Researcher Dr Penny Curtis said: "As adults, we make assumptions about what works for children. We found that clowns are universally disliked by children. Some found them quite frightening and unknowable.") |
| 9 | |
| 10 | On the whole, [[https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2017/09/04/world-clown-association-blame-stephen-kings-it-for-ruining-their-reputation/?sh=11b666004365 the professional clown industry has been in continuous decline]]. In TheNewTens, it was reported the World Clown Association's membership is less than half of what it was back in TheNineties, as older clowns are finding themselves either retiring to pursue other employment options or having to work fewer appearances and bookings while younger generations simply have no interest or desire to take up a profession that doesn't appeal to them. |
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