Clowns sicken young patients

I’ve written posts before about my deep and abiding hatred of clowns. Once on a plane, that movie Patch Adams was showing, featuring Robin Williams as an unconventional doctor who wears a clown outfit. I tried to keep my eyes closed for most of it after I saw him wearing long shoes and a red nose. My thought at the time was that if any doctor dressed as a clown came near me, I’d run screaming and probably take a turn for the worse.

Apparently I’m not alone. My Mum sent me this article about a British study which shows that kids between the ages of four and sixteen have an almost universal dislike of clowns, and many children find them scary. Clowns in childrens’ hospitals do not cheer the children up, and are more likely to scare them.

Penny Curtis, one of the researchers, is quoted in the article as saying:

“As adults we make assumptions about what works for children. We found that clowns are universally disliked by children. Some found them quite frightening and unknowable.”

They should employ me as the “cheerer-up” at hospitals. I certainly wouldn’t assume that people would be amused by clowns. And there’s no way I would inflict clowns on patients, whether child or adult. Who actually finds clowns funny? Sometimes I wonder.

Oh no, they’re breeding

Clowns, that is. I can’t post the picture on my site. Go have a look at it at A Roll of the Dice.

Truly horrific.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

I do not like clowns. Not at all. My hands are all sweaty as I type. I believe it’s hereditary – various members of my family also dislike clowns intensely too. When my mother was little, her grandparents beggared themselves to buy her a ticket to the circus, but my mother ran out after two acts because the clowns were hitting each other. I refused a Chocolate Paddle Pop from the “Peters Clown” once at age 5. Things are serious if I refuse an offer of free food (particularly an offer of free chocolatey food).

I believe I’m not alone in my coulrophobia. Terry Pratchett, for one, obviously believes in the evil power of clowns (the worst of which is the white faced clown). His Patrician reserves special punishment for mine artists.

There is a particularly hideous photo from The Age featuring Peter Costello and a mime-clown hybrid. Mr Costello was apparently opening the new centre for the National Institute of Circus Arts. You mean my money is paying for more of these nasty beasts to be trained???

TimT at Will Type for Food has some funny captions which lessen the horror. Somewhat. I still feel sick.

(Via Tim Blair)