Linda Rodriguez McRobbie writes, on the Smithsonian blog, about “The History and Psychology of Clowns Being Scary“:
Even the people who are supposed to like clowns—children—supposedly don’t. In 2008, a widely reported University of Sheffield, England, survey of 250 children between the ages of four and 16 found that most of the children disliked and even feared images of clowns. The BBC’s report on the study featured a child psychologist who broadly declared, “Very few children like clowns…”
Here’s further info, from the Improbable Research files, about clowns — especially medical clowns, but also corporate clowns:
- The Clown, The Kids, the Botulinum Toxin
- Medical inexplicacality reported (clown IVF)
- Ministry of Clowns
- Bubbles, balloons and maths clowns—oh my! (she says)
- Calculations: Insurance for clowns
- The truth behind the Bozo Van
- Corporate Tiers of a Clown