Clowns have become consistently homicidal on television and in films. Does anyone associate them with fun and comedy anymore?Put an actor in a scary clown suit and you’ve got a compelling villain. It’s almost a sure thing.
Why is the very personification of humour, happiness and silliness aligned so easily to shear terror and murder?
Twisty the Clown – American Horror Story: Freak Show
Fake Smile
9/10
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Spontaneity
7/10
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Weird Clown Irony:
5/10
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The most recent example is American Horror Story: Freak Show and its depiction of this friendly fellow, and psychotic clown, Twisty. He enjoys stabbing people to death with shears (he he he) and beats them with ten pin bowling pins (ha ha ha).Twisty’s the stuff of nightmares. Check the frozen Cheshire grin, the grimy clown suit and the not so subtle fury in the eyes. Is there anything more terrifying than a really really happy clown?
Research in psychology might help explain why we find clowns so instinctively unsettling. Humans tend to find a genuine smile–called the ‘Duchenne’ smile–more appealing than a fake smile. A Duchenne smile is all in the (crinkly) eyes and is difficult to fake.
When we fake a smile, like Twisty here, our eyes give us away. Perhaps the fixed smile on the clown is the ultimate fake smile, exacerbating the already instinctive discomfort we feel?
Here’s another example of homicidal buffoonery…
Pennywise the Clown – Stephen King’s IT
Fake Smile:
8/10
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Spontaneity:
9/10
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Weird Clown Irony: 7/10
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That’s right, here’s a clown–Pennywise from Stephen King’s IT–who just happens to be hanging out in a dirty drain. Context is everything when we are afraid.A friendly clown at a brightly lit circus seems ok. A friendly clown in a dark drain, on a rainy day is terrifying.
These sorts of tricks play to more primal fears of the dark, of strangers, and creatures lurking in the shadows.
I also wonder if it could be related to all those years we spend afraid of the dark as children where our companions are numerous, smiling toys on bookshelves and chairs.
How about this guy…
Captain Spaulding – The Devil’s Rejects
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Fake Smile:
5/10
Spontaneity:
5/10
Weird Clown Irony: 9/10
Why it’s our good pal, Captain Spaulding, from the House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects.You don’t often see a cheerful clown sporting a beard accompanied with a perfect set of stained teeth and black lipstick. The little yellow skull adds some charm.
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So what gets under our skin here? Is it the optimistic American stars and stripes and clown make-up in stark contrast with his murderous intentions?
When we create a counter-intuitive pairing, like combining optimism and caution, it just doesn’t feel right. Optimism makes us think about hope and excitement.Skulls and horror are likely triggers for unconscious fears about death, consistent with terror management theory.
Joker – The Dark Knight
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Fake Smile:
10/10
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Spontaneity:
9/10
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Weird Clown Irony: 6/10
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The tradition continues with Batman’s Joker. Although here the make-up is almost an afterthought.
Here, the cut smile takes the irony even further. After all, what better way to take the joy out of a smile than linking laughter and fun with deformity.
It’s probably unsurprising to know that humans have a natural aversion to deformity as it may be a signal for disease.Part of what makes the Joker scary, much like the other clowns on this list, is his unpredictable nature.
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Clowns inherently use misdirection and surprise to spark laughter. A bit of unpredictability and spontaneity is good for the funny bone. Interestingly, it can also put us on edge. After all, uncertainty is the best pal of anxiety.
John Wayne Gacy – Real Life!
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Fake Smile:
10/10
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Spontaneity:
10/10
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Weird Clown Irony: 10/10
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The ultimate terror in make-up is a real life clown from the United States: 1970s murderer and rapist, John Wayne Gacy.Part of the killer clown reputation in general has no doubt been influenced by this real life horror.
Experience must play a role in clown fear. There’s been so many scary clowns in recent times–mostly fictional–and so our perception towards clowns are naturally changing too.
Recently, the president of Clowns of America International opposed the depiction of Twisty the Clown due to the impact on the reputation of clowns.
I think they’re too late. Who do you think is the scariest clown and why?
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