David Bridger - What's so scary about clowns?

From: brimfire Date: June 13th, 2009 09:10 am (UTC) (Link)

Clowns TERRIFY me! There's something deceitful about them. They lure people in with a painted on smile but underneath all that makeup, they have scary, scary intentions. *shiver*

Maybe it was Stephen King's IT that made me afraid. Whenever I think of a clown, I think of the It staring out of the sewer, calling to the boy. He tries to look all jolly and nice, but he wants to kill the kid.

And wasn't there a scene where It showed up randomly in a photo album!?!?

Seriously. They terrify me. I'm such a wuss.

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From: david_bridger Date: June 13th, 2009 09:38 am (UTC) (Link)

See, this is my problem. I want my clowns to be good guys. It isn't essential that I write them in, but in an underground community of street entertainers their absence would feel like a cop-out to me.

Looks like I'll just need to work harder to make them fit in on the side of the angels, despite the shudders some readers will feel instinctively.

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From: suelder Date: June 13th, 2009 10:23 am (UTC) (Link)

On the FM Boards there's a "class" on Clowns by Ghostiee. It's the June Back to School for Busy Writers.

She's a psychologist, I think, so it may be just what you need.

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From: david_bridger Date: June 13th, 2009 10:26 am (UTC) (Link)

Thank you, Sue! That'll be the perfect place for me to ask questions.

(I've already posted about it in FM Writing Qs & As, but I suppose it won't do any harm.)

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From: pickledherring Date: June 13th, 2009 01:09 pm (UTC) (Link)

For me I think it's the exaggerated almost-human makeup. And also they smell weird. And they aren't funny. And I don't trust those smiles - the deceit thing. I just don't like the traditional clown image at all. And those clown masks are scary.

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From: david_bridger Date: June 14th, 2009 09:02 am (UTC) (Link)

They smell weird?

I've never got close enough to know! :D

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From: hoshikaze Date: June 13th, 2009 02:16 pm (UTC) (Link)

At least with clowns you can still see the shape of their face under the make up, and their eyes. What used to creep me out when I was younger were mascots (at sporting events and such). When people are dressed up in those type of costumes which completely cover their head they take away the human element (which ya it's the point).

I've never been a fan of clowns, but I don't dislike/fear them either.

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From: david_bridger Date: June 14th, 2009 09:05 am (UTC) (Link)

Someone said elsewhere that clowns' white make-up changes the colour of their eyes. I know what he means, but I still don't get the fear.

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From: hoshikaze Date: June 14th, 2009 02:24 pm (UTC) (Link)

I hadn't thought of the makeup changing the eye color, interesting.

I guess clowns are one of those fears that have to tie into something personal for the people that fear them. (As opposed to things that pose danger that are more easy to understand why someone would fear them).

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From: poietes.wordpress.com Date: June 14th, 2009 10:13 pm (UTC) (Link)

All three of my children hate clows. My daughter is afraid of them, as in nightmares afraid, and I don't particularly care for them.

Now to explain: My mother collects clowns. She took care of all three of my children when they were small, and I was working full time. In the room where she put the crib, she had a dresser full of clown figurines.

Imagine being a young child and looking through the slats of a crib at a bunch of exaggerated human faces: red round noses, huge black lines above the eyes, mouths that resemble mommy's lipstick only much more. It's no wonder they hate clowns.

Personally, they have always freaked me out because their true facial features are hidden. John Wayne Gacey was a clown. Nope. no clowns for me.

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From: david_bridger Date: June 19th, 2009 06:09 am (UTC) (Link)

It's all very understandable.

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