Clowns were once meant for pure enjoyment; kids were supposed to view circus and fair clowns as cheerful, jolly, and bubbly characters.  But clowns have taken on a persona that’s not so fun. Many now perceive clowns as frightening and even dangerous. in 2008, a widely reported University of Sheffield, England, serving 250 children between the ages of four and 16 found that most of the children disliked and even feared images of clowns. But over time the reputation of clowns has gone downhill and has caused people to fear them and even have phobias of clowns. Not a lot of people actually suffer from a debilitating phobia of clowns; a lot more people, however, just don’t like them. But most clowns aren’t trying to be odd. They’re trying to be silly and sweet, fun personified. So the question is, when did the clown, supposedly a jolly figure of innocuous, kid-friendly entertainment, become so weighed down by fear and sadness? Clowns have always had a dark side. For example, the movie It By Stephen King has a clown named Pennywise who looks almost demonic and is portrayed as a very scary clown, which has set an example for our society that clowns are supposed to be scary and fearful characters. 

Clowns were comic relief from the thrills and chills of the daring circus acts, an anarchic presence that complimented the precision of the acrobats or horse riders. Even as Bozo was cavorting on sets across America, a more sinister clown was plying his craft across the Midwest. John Wayne Gacy’s public face was a friendly, hard-working guy; he was also a registered clown who entertained at community events under the name Pogo. But between 1972 and 1978, he sexually assaulted and killed more than 35 young men in the Chicago area. “You know… clowns can get away with murder,” he told investigating officers, before his arrest. John Wayne Gacy then got the nickname. “Killer Clown.” After a real life killer clown shocked America, representations of clowns took a decidedly terrifying turn after that.