Coulrophobia: Are You Afraid of Clowns?
Did you find Heath Ledger as The Joker scary? Then perhaps you suffer from coulrophobia, the abnormal fear of clowns. Join a self-confessed coulrophobic for a look at these guys and see if you are too. Like you don’t already know.
Why do so many people find clowns scary? Only last year the Bestival Festival on the Isle of Wight in the UK had to rethink its plans. Each year there is a theme and they thought they would follow up their successful cowboy theme with one based around clowns. They had so many phone calls from adult ticket holders complaining that they would no longer be able to come because of their fear of clowns that the organizers had to rethink the theme.
So why is it that so many people are afraid of clowns? I am certainly no exception. One of my earliest memories is a visit to the circus where – sat on the ringside row, I watched the clowns make their entrance. They circled around the ring, laughing and jolly and one made a beeline for me, eager it seemed to shake my hands. The resulting hysteria almost, so my mother maintained for years, brought the house down. It seems that I was pretty much the most entertaining feature of the show.
Maternal lack of sympathy aside – as well as a lasting embarrassment throughout my childhood and teen years – why did I as a toddler find clowning about so terrifying? Was it that my burgeoning ability to process the facial features of others was put in to a form of panic-struck overdrive by the sight of so many exaggerated and colorful beings? Was it that the skin tone and facial appearance of the clowns threw me off kilter and – at some primal level at least – made me do the only thing I could which was, of course, to scream my head off?
Bring in the clowns? Blame the buggers! Even before psychology was an ‘ology’ people instinctively knew what made others tick. The clowning tradition did not evolve purely with entertainment in mind and so it might not be any surprise that a lot of adults as well as children find the distorted features of clowns more than a little disturbing. Many people even form an early fear of that arch-clown, Santa Claus. The thrill of fear can leave lasting memories and performers have been quick to use this through the centuries. However, when does a simple aversion become a phobia?
Why fear these harmless entertainers? I wasn’t a particularly sensitive child (unless it suited me, so I am told). Was it because I saw myself in their anarchic actions? Did they represent, however subconsciously, unreason and out of control nature which I somehow recognized? Was I afraid of their casual violence towards each other and fearful that it would extend to me? Were they a mirror to my soul? Or was I just a wee wuss?
However you look at it, by the nineteen eighties the condition was so widespread that a word had to be coined for it – and what an odd word it is. Like all phobias it has its origins in Greek and the ‘coul’ part comes from the Greek for limb. It is a rather odd choice of words but the Greeks themselves had no equivalent to a clown so the real origin of the word comes from kolobathristes which is a stilt walker. Strange, but true.
When something is taken out of its usual context it can sometimes create a reaction that others may feel is disproportionate? I was lucky in many ways that McDonalds did not open one of its ‘restaurants’ in my home town until I was in my mid-teens. With all the rationality associated with teenage boys I found the presence of a certain Ronald McDonald completely unnerving. My mother had always told me not to talk to strange men and this man was, indeed, most peculiar.
Seeing the clown outside of a circus could have been what predicated by pubescent panic. Lon Chaney, famous for his portrayal of The Phantom of The Opera among others said ‘There is nothing funny about a clown in the moonlight’ and I for one am inclined to agree with that sentiment. So, when a clown is seen where it simply doesn’t belong it is, perhaps, quite human to have a negative reaction. After all, if Lon Chaney was spooked by them, who can blame me?
Significantly, a study at a UK hospital has gone some way to prove this theory. Around two hundred and fifty children were polled and all of them said that they found the visual representations of clowns around the hospital were scary. Yes, that’s right; every single respondent said that they were unhappy with the presence of clown images in the institution. Rather than encouraging a happy space the clowns were actually frightening the children.
So, what do we do about the clowns? Do we send them away? Most psychologists will tell you that the occasional scare can be good for the system. A great deal of the population will not even believe that coulrophobia is a real condition. If you are not convinced that people are truly scared of clowns, take a look at this clip.
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User Comments
CHAN LEE PENG
On February 7, 2009 at 10:12 am
Wow, interesting!Have my claps again, RJ!
LBA
On February 7, 2009 at 10:12 am
I couldn’t look at the pictures, sorry. I couldn’t even read the article. I do have a fear of clowns. I once knocked a clown out in Augusta, Ga because when he was making a balloon animal for one of my old girlfriends. needless to say I was escorted out of the fair.
MJPatrick
On February 7, 2009 at 10:20 am
I want watching them but not going very close to them, interesting!
Maria Blazz
On February 7, 2009 at 10:23 am
I didn’t know that this actually was a fobia. The figure of the clown is a very interesting one (something supposed to be funny turns to be scary). Your article made me remember a classic of horror Literature and movies, by Stephen King, “It”.
Fegger
On February 7, 2009 at 10:39 am
Yes, Maria–I was thinking of that character as well–can’t remember the name–it was odd. Nice job, RJ!
Glynis Smy
On February 7, 2009 at 10:52 am
Interesting!I am not a clown fan, but have no fear. That poor woman, mind you, the minute he got those balloons out I would have been in the same state I hate them. Very good article, RJ.
KELVIN TAKOR
On February 7, 2009 at 10:58 am
You’ve done it again! Great post.Pls keep it up!
nutuba
On February 7, 2009 at 11:52 am
Wow what a fascinating article! And boy do these clowns look scary! This is a great writeup.
Bill M. Tracer
On February 7, 2009 at 12:03 pm
That clown with the chain saw is especially scary.
I question that therapy on the YouTube video. It seemed more like torture than true therapy. That poor lady.
Rana Sinha
On February 7, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Lovely article. Thanks. I find only the clown with the chain saw scary.
thestickman
On February 7, 2009 at 12:59 pm
kewl! Great article again RJ! (In Jack Nicholson/’The Joker’ voice’ “-Where DO you get those wonderful ideas?”)
-thestickman
C Jordan
On February 7, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Well put together RJ.
ML Sheldon
On February 7, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Good article, RJ.
I think the woman in the clip has more problems than just a fear of clowns…
Hein Marais
On February 7, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Stop clowning around. These are really scary.
Liane Schmidt
On February 7, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Who’s not? haha. There HAD to be a name for this.
Blessings.
Sincerely,
-Liane Schmidt.
Christine Ramsay
On February 7, 2009 at 3:06 pm
I had no idea there was a name for this. I am so glad I don’t suffer from it. A great article.
Christine
Annie Hintsala
On February 7, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Man, too right. Clowns are terrifying. I work with kids, and I have NEVER met one who truly loved clowns. Or even liked them.
Emma C S
On February 7, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Yay for the Lon Chaney reference! Chaney was an absolute god of cinema. But I digress… yes clowns are terrifying, unless you know the person underneath all that ghastly makeup
Juancav
On February 7, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Another great piece,I agree I like clowns but from far away.
CutestPrincess
On February 7, 2009 at 10:25 pm
no, im not, but the pictures you posted are scary!
Lauren Axelrod
On February 7, 2009 at 10:33 pm
These guys are freaky. Who isn’t scared of clowns
RJ Chamberlain
On February 8, 2009 at 1:05 am
Quite simply, yes I am!
RJ
Jackie118
On February 8, 2009 at 4:07 am
I’ve never been scared of clowns in all my 40 odd years, but having seen the pics in your article, I’m beginning to come round to your way of thinking! Clowns ARE scary!!
Sotiris
On February 8, 2009 at 5:28 am
Is there anything to get scared from clowns? I think they are funny!
Anne Lyken Garner
On February 8, 2009 at 10:11 am
Nah, I’m not scared of them at all. The only scary clown I’ve come across is the one in Stephen King’s book called, ‘IT.’
I wasn’t even scared of him.
Peter Cimino
On February 8, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Another absolute classic article. Well done. I truly enjoy your work. Other than Bozo the Clown an Ronald McDonald, clowns FREAK me out!
shadhe
On February 8, 2009 at 3:13 pm
i don’t know if there is such a thing as coulroFILIA, but if there is, and it is the opposite of a phobia, i have it!
I LOVE clowns, almost to the point of fetishism. The scarier and more sadistic they are the more i love them. Some of your pictures were downright amazing!
Bo Jack Russo
On February 8, 2009 at 7:15 pm
I’m not scared but some of the dool type ones are a little freaky.
Lost in Arizona
On February 8, 2009 at 7:42 pm
I have never, nor will I ever like clowns! I actually scrolled through to read the article, and this is one article where I will admit that I did not enjoy the pictures! Guess I’ll have to resume therapy… thanks RJ…lol!
clay Hurtubise
On February 8, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Fun! Could you add that creepy Burger King guy to it!?
Thanks,
Clay
Nosa
On February 9, 2009 at 6:04 am
Holy whack! I never liked friendly looking clowns when I was young,I would have been petrified If I had seen one of these.I know a few kids who would want to see such photographs and they will surely see these ones today.
eddiego65
On February 17, 2009 at 5:27 am
Fun article.
Edward J Rodrigues
On February 19, 2009 at 2:30 am
i wouldnt be afraid of one, if he was like Joseph Grumaldi…
Jo Oliver
On March 3, 2009 at 12:03 am
I never thought I was afraid of clowns, but after some of your pics…I have changed my mind. Those are some awesome pics. I have never seen clowns like that.
John ej
On March 9, 2009 at 12:54 pm
I have never thought of clowns as being frightening, but with the presence of ‘Chucky’ in movies and some of the images that you present I can understand why people CAN be afraid of them.
Your second last image looks almost benevolant but then you finish off your gallery with another spooky looking charachter.
Is it the fact that they are images of clowns, or is it HOW the images are presented?
Kate Smedley
On March 10, 2009 at 1:35 am
Great article, I have to admit that the clown in Stephen King’s ‘It’ gave me nightmares!
Aleksandar Radojicic
On March 10, 2009 at 8:50 am
Wow, RJ this is a great article i didn’t know that this was actually a condition although i am not afraid of clowns I am of spiders.Anyway this is great.
cindy
On March 13, 2009 at 6:53 pm
omg that scared the hell out of me :S
Tim
On April 6, 2009 at 1:53 pm
The name of the clown from Stephen King’s “It” was named Pennywise. My wife suffers from a mild case of Coulrophobia. We went though a maze at Knott’s Scary Farm in LA and she had her head buried in my jacket the entire time and was terrified. We didn’t know what kind of theme the maze had until we were into it.
Tim
On April 6, 2009 at 1:56 pm
My above comment was in response to #25’s post by Anne
kris
On June 9, 2009 at 1:07 pm
dude. i absolutely love clowns. always have always will, my mom also loves them. my next door neighbor, she wont even go in the same room with fake clowns. I was a clown for halloween, she wouldnt even come within 5 feet of me. but i think it is sad that people are afraid of clowns because they cant really understand the characteristics of a clown like people that aren’t afraid of clowns can.
Page Mann
On September 9, 2009 at 5:58 am
I’am so afraid clowns it’s not funny! My cousin made me watch IT when I was 8,and he said if I moved he would come get me,then he turned out the lights and ran out of the room. That may have started it. It also didnt help that there was a lil’clown puppet hanging over my bed as a kid. It was always smiling. I get all hot and shakey and feel like I will passout when they are around. Im 23 now and it has ont gotten better over the years!
Tanner
On October 19, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Where can i get therapy? i sat here like a “big girl” throughout this video and ended up crying beacuse these clowns ar so scary. I dont know why but the wa there dressed and the way i think about them scares me to the point of locking my self up in my room. that still dont help either. i cant go to the bathroom at school by myself because im afraid there might be a clown in there. help me please!!
Tanner
On October 19, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Where can i get therapy? i sat here like a big girl throughout this video and ended up crying beacuse these clowns ar so scary. I dont know why but the wa there dressed and the way i think about them scares me to the point of locking my self up in my room. that still dont help either. i cant go to the bathroom at school by myself because im afraid there might be a clown in there. help me please!!
Brittneyyyy
On November 1, 2009 at 9:52 pm
yeah screw this
i hate clowns im 16 years old and had to leave a haunted house last year cause i was crying so bad…
why would clowns even be scary but they sure as hell are
so fuck them and this website and these pics lol
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