A "friendly" clown doll (Photo by Mrs. Maze) This past weekend, Houston, Missouri, hosted the Emmett Kelly Clown Festival, and ever since we heard about it, we've been having nightmares. Before "It," before "Poltergeist," before Slipknot, and even before "Killer Klowns From Outer Space," it was clear that there was something very, very wrong with clowns. But when you tell someone you're afflicted with coulrophobia, do they treat it as a serious, uncontrollable fear? No -- they ask you what traumatic event happened in your childhood that would inspire an aversion to something as wholesome and cheery as clowns. Would you ask someone with a fear of flying if they had a bad travel experience in early childhood? Of course not -- aerophobia seems like a perfectly normal and common fear: After all, people do die in plane crashes. Sure, and sometimes they're killed by serial killers dressed as clowns. We're not saying that everyone who enjoys clowns -- or even (shudder) dresses as one -- is a bad person. Far from it. We respect that they, too, suffer from an unusual and disturbing mental state -- an affliction not so different from our own phobia. Perhaps through therapy and rehabilitation, they can someday even lead normal, productive lives. Suggested Sites... I Hate Clowns - community for clown-haters everywhere. Flickr: Unintentionally Scary Clowns - they're not all trying to be creepy -- it just comes naturally. Clownz.com - stories of coulrophobia, and an image gallery that may inspire new fears. Clowns Without Borders - the name alone keeps us up at night.

Directory categories: Anti-Clowns, Clowning, Clowns for Hire, Clown Apparel, Phobias

Archived under: Circus Arts, Clowns, Entertainment, Imposters, Mental Health, Performing Arts, Phobias

Post a comment (7) | Email this posting