3 Things You Can Do to Create a Fear of Clowns

“Everybody loves a clown, so why don’t you?” was the question asked by Gary Lewis and the Playboys back in 1965 as they sang on the Ed Sullivan Show. And it’s a great question for those of us who entertain as clowns to ask as well.

Throughout history, people have loved clowns. But recently there seems to be an increase in the number of people who fear clowns. What could be causing people to develop such an aversion to red-nosed entertainers?

What Exactly is Coulrophobia?

Coulrophobia is the official term for the fear of clowns. This Wikipedia article on coulrophobia states the condition is common among children but also found in teens and adult and can cause physical reaction including difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, sweating, and nausea.

In addition to fearing clowns, it seems that recently mocking clowns is becoming a national pastime. Consider the following commercial recently aired by Walmart:

3 Reasons People Fear Clowns

Everybody loves a clown, so why don’t you?
Everybody laughs at the things that I say and do.
They all laugh when they say me coming,
But you don’t laugh; you just go home running.

Everybody loves a clown, so why can’t you?
A clown has feelings too.

There are several theories, but little definitive research as to why people develop an irrational fear of clowns.

• Certainly the sinister portrayal of clowns in the media can contribute to this condition.
• Another theory is that people fear clowns because it is impossible to gauge a clown’s emotions and consequently, his intentions. Kathryn Cillick
• A third reason is that the individual had a bad experience with a clown at some point in in their lives – reference the Walmart video above.

3 Things You Can Do to Help Create a Fear of Clowns

• Forget that you are a big person in a scary costume. Young children have had little experience with clowns. We must be careful to gauge our actions, the volume of our voice, and what we say to insure that the child has a pleasant experience.
• Make the child the punch line of your humor. Many “sucker gags” are designed to make the child the brunt of the joke. For example, you have a child blow on a feather flower and it wilts. The implication is that the child has bad breath. Of course the audience will laugh, but the child is embarrassed. Instead, whenever possible, make sure the joke is on you.
• Make sure your makeup and costume look scary. Too many of our colleagues give little thought to their makeup. There’s no other way to say it, they just look scary. Make sure you spend time developing a face and outfit that will be appealing to your audience.

Why do you think people develop a fear of clowns? As professional entertainers, what can we do to help develop a love for the art of clowning? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

About LouPage

Lou started his career working his way through college as a magician and clown. Somewhere along the way he managed to become a school principal! Along with Steve Kissell, Lou co-founded the Circus Magic Convention. Lou is the webmaster at CircusMagic.com, a site dedicated to helping clowns, magicians, face painters, and other family entertainers improve their performing skills.

Contact Lou at: lou@circusmagic.com or Visit Lou's Website