Besides making people laugh, clowns are expected to juggle, sing and make balloon animals. They are supposed to entertain audiences with slapstick comedy and juggling. Children’s birthday parties used to be filled with cheery clowns, but somewhere along the way, they became nightmares.
Researchers have found that women are more scared of clowns than men, starting in childhood. However, Dr. Asim Shah, professor, and the executive vice chair, said, “People think only kids would have this fear, but no, adults can also have it.”
In what way do clowns evoke fear or even seem creepy to so many people? Here’s what experts have to say.
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Why Are Clowns So Creepy And Scary?
It’s partly due to the exaggerated makeup, say experts. “There is something ominous or creepy about people or things that look almost human but are not,” Dr. Sanam Hafeez, neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind, tells Yahoo Life.
They can instill fear because they resemble normal humans, but not quite. She says that cosmetic clowns imply an air of unpredictability and an air of disguise.
Experts say horror films like It, based on Stephen King’s 1986 bestselling novel, have only exacerbated this feeling of unease and fear around clowns.
A 2022 study posits that clowns’ fear is related to their socially unacceptable qualities; for example, in popular culture, clowns are often associated with darkness, or murderers wear clown costumes. It includes serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who performed as a clown at parades and hospitals.
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Clown Phobia: How Do You Overcome It?
Most people can avoid clowns except during Halloween. Hafeez recommends counseling if you have intrusive thoughts about clowns or see nightmares involuntarily throughout the day, interfering with your work or family activities.
Shah recommends working with a mental health professional if a fear of clowns affects your life. “The best treatment for fears and phobias is exposure therapy in which you slowly expose people to these situations, ” which causes the fear.