Reuters says kids don’t much like clowns according to a University of Sheffield study reported on in Nursing Standard magazine. Good thing children were consulted about hospital décor before some do-gooder artist painted up the walls. How frightening to be in the hospital surrounded by scary clowns!
Coulrophobia is what you call fear of clowns and it’s real. Noted sufferers include Johnny Depp, my husband and Bart Simpson who said, “Can’t sleep, clown will eat me.”
I suppose someone is going to have to break this news to the folks at McDonald's and Ronald McDonald himself.
22 comments:
Seeing a person's face is important to me. I don't even like to talk with a person wearing dark glasses.
So, count me in as one who doesn't like clowns unless they are putting on a completely non-verbal skit.
Jay,
I never thought about that but I can see why you feel thusly.
I clicked your men for hillary link, oh my, you should see the obama stuff
Back in the 1960's some churches had "clown ministries." Clowns were even prancing around during the Sunday services.
I never liked this idea. A service should be hospitable to all. Someone may be grieving, and a clown taking pratfalls would be completely inappropriate.
Me too--no clowns please. As an adult I can tolerate the monsters, but walk on other side of street, avoid circus,Disneyland(almost clowns),parades, wow--I do have it bad.
Clown ministries does sound a bit much. Of course, some of those TV "ministers" are pretty clown-like.
Diane,
I usually tease my husband but I think this fear is genuine.
They also gave me nightmares as a child and as an adult I can't bare them near me.
Hopefully Ronald McD does scare kids away as he will turn them into fat, spotty beings.....
Jackie---
Er, um, ahem.
You may want to re-word that first sentence, or at least transpose the letters of one word.
Jay, you make one great proofreader.
Clowns mirror my emotions, throwing them back at me. Sometimes they throw things I don't particularly want to dwell on; I have to say, at the very least, they make me uneasy.
Clowns hide a lot, as well. They're a different breed.
I think there's a whole new post about this feeling about clowns, Sheila! Super post!
There was a movie about 50 years ago, about a clown who never took off his makeup. I forget who played the lead. I think the female lead was Doris Day. Anyone remember this film?
And yes, Sheila, I'm a good proofreader. I had to go over my wife's doctoral dissertation (240 pages) twice. Plus, I have to suffer through the local newspaper.
Jay,
It wasn't Jumbo was it? I know that involved a circus. Now this is bugging me. I hope someone knows for sure because I don't have time to research it. Jay, you could get a job as a copy editor. Well, maybe not since the newspapers like to hire young people. Our local paper is pretty good.
Marion,
What you say is perceptive. I never thought much about it.
Jay, you remind me of my Dad who used to always proof read my letters to him (he was a newspaper man). My English grammar has always been terrible....total maths and science type.
I also think the movie was Jumbo.
The movie was Cecil B. Demille's "The Greatest Show on Earth" released in 1952.
Amazon's review--
The Greatest Show on Earth is a heaping helping of flapdoodle served up by one of Hollywood's canniest entertainers: producer-director Cecil B. DeMille. This overripe melodrama purports to be life inside the Ringling Brothers Circus; maybe it's not, but the circus ought to be like this. The actors wrestling with the purple dialogue are: early-career Charlton Heston, as the tough-as-nails circus manager; Cornel Wilde and Betty Hutton as trapeze artistes; and Gloria Grahame (who won an Oscar), dangling from elephants. Best of all, James Stewart plays a clown who--for mysterious reasons--never removes his makeup. (Stewart took the supporting role simply because he'd always wanted to play a clown.) This is a fried-baloney sandwich of a movie: it ain't sophisticated, and probably isn't good for you, but once you start you can't stop. It was the box-office champ of 1952, and it shocked everybody by winning the best picture Oscar. --Robert Horton
Thanks Jay for resting my mind. I love the review too. What I wouldn't give for a fried-baloney sandwich! I used to love those things as a kid but can't bring myself to buy baloney these days.
And if anyone is looking for another cheesy Charleston Heston movie, check out that one with the ants and the plantation, which also escapes me but
Susan Hayward was in it too.
One of our daughters was afraid of ANY costumed person - even Santa! Clowns were terrifying to her, and she hated Halloween. She didn't overcome it until high school. She was in the band, and a game fell on Halloween. She had to wear a costume for the half time show. It never bothered her again.
DB,
I completely understand in the sense that one of my sons once was afraid of flying. He did make the trip and now there is no problem. If we don't challenge our fears they will always be with us and may stand in the way of us doing things we need or wish to do.
I wrote about this, too! How funny.
http://southernmuslimah.blogspot.com/2008/01/los-payasos-de-miedo.html
I have a young adult friend who still believes that there is a killer clown in his closet and he's not kidding. I also find it amusing that Johnny Depp is afraid of them when he has played some pretty disturbing looking characters—including Willie Wonka. As for myself, clowns have never been a comforting presence, but I don't fear them.
KJ
KJ,
That's an interesting point about Johnny Depp. Have you seen Sweeny Todd? Now that's creepy.
I've heard of a lot of adults and kids who have a phobia of clowns and also dolls as well. I remember seeing a horror film once with a spooky clown. I think it was a Stephen King one. Maybe having Ronald McDonald as a clown is a good thing. It will scare people and kids away from eating junk food or maybe not Sheila!
ummfarouq,
I read your post over on Southern Muslimah and it's a great post.
Oh Naomi,
Leave it to your wonderful British humor. I love it!
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