Coulrophobia, the fear of clowns and mimes, is a relatively new term first used in the 1990s. It is often attributed to the exaggerated features and makeup of clowns, as well as negative media portrayals. True coulrophobia usually stems from an early childhood incident with a clown. Despite some kinder portrayals of clowns, the fear is unlikely to disappear due to an innate distrust of obscured facial expressions.
If you wake up from nightmares of you running away from a knife-wielding Bozo lookalike, or if you feel a little sick at the mention of Marcel Marceau, then you may be suffering from coulrophobia, the fear of clowns and mimes. Coulrophobia is a relatively new term first used in the 1990s. It has origins in the Greek language, where koulon means limb. This refers to the Greek term for those who used stilts, i.e. clowns and circus performers. People who are afraid of clowns are called coulrophobes.
The Internet has spawned hundreds of sites dedicated to the subject of coulrophobia. Many attribute evil intentions to clowns due to the numerous media representations of clowns as evil. They also reference the serial killer, John Gacy, who enjoyed dressing up as a clown to entertain the kids at block parties. However, the Joker, the famous Batman villain, could technically be called the first modern evil clown.
Most agree, however, that the main reasons for coulrophobia are clown makeup and exaggerated features. Painted eyes and painted smiles, as well as a red bulbous nose, may initially frighten children. In fact, even some children share a similar fear of Santa Claus.
A clown act may also include clowns being injured or clowns injuring other clowns. Most comedy has its origins in personal pain, and farcical comedy especially emphasizes physical pain. The fact that someone causes physical pain with a huge painted smile suggests that the clown’s painted expressions cannot be trusted.
True coulrophobia usually dates back to an early childhood incident with a clown that causes intense fear. Many also consider coulrophobia to be a basic dislike or distrust of the painted face of the clown, which obscures true facial expressions.
Coulrophobia in the latter definition is definitely exploited by the media. Consider the 1980s film Poltergeist, in which an evil clown attacks a child. Many list it as one of the 100 scariest movie scenes ever. Pennywise the clown, in Stephen King’s book, and the script also caused a number of chills. Movies with names like Killer Clowns from Outer Space require no explanation.
Characters who are afraid of clowns are also frequent on television and in the cinema. Xander, from the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, reveals his fear of clowns in season one. The monk from the popular series of the same name is also afraid of clowns. Little Chuckie from the children’s series Rugrats also exhibits coulrophobia.
In a more general sense, the concept of obscured facial features appears to be more concerning and may partially explain coulrophobia. The multiple films that feature serial killers with masked or disfigured faces can hardly be counted. The big three, of course, are Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers, from Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and Halloween, respectively. The tradition continues in horror films like Scream and Saw.
Despite coulrophobia, some children’s shows have featured kinder, gentler clowns who don’t seem to cause an excessive amount of fear. PBS Big Comfy Couch featured a family of clowns. The clown had a red nose, but the makeup didn’t completely obscure his face, perhaps causing less coulrophobia.
However, coulrophobia is unlikely to cease to exist, since most seem to have an innate distrust of being unable to read typical clown face expressions. Of course, the media’s portrayal of clowns continues to reinforce coulrophobia, literally turning clowns into our worst nightmares.
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