Monster Clown: Difference between revisions

Their face is... [[Uncanny Valley|fake, corpse-like]], and most often the makeup they use [[Uncanny Valley Makeup|does ''not'' help]]; the emotions aren't real, the smile is just painted on. The outfit and big shoes are downright grotesque. There's something seriously wrong with a clown to some people, and this resonates deep within the part of us that still believes that there is a [[Things That Go Bump in the Night|monster in the closet]], that will get out if you don't keep the door closed. You don't want ''your'' kids around the Monster Clown, but the character's parents seem oblivious to their kid's fears.

It's somewhat uncommon to find clown characters who are genuinely ''good'' - sympathetic clowns are generally a little more muted, whether or not this is faithful to the job. Surly clowns who tiredly work with ungrateful children are more common, probably because they speak to the average overworked audience; they may be an example of [[Hates the Job, Loves the Limelight]]. But writers are just as likely to tap into the fear: the '''Monster Clown''' is a classic villain who parodies humor, with classic jokes becoming deadly - acid in the plastic flowers pinned to their lapels and joy buzzers with fatal amounts of voltage, among other things.

Monster Clowns are often [[Affably Evil]] or [[Faux Affably Evil]] - if they work in a circus, it'll be a [[Circus of Fear]]. Likewise, many of these clowns may or may not be [[Ax Crazy|completely insane]] and act [[Psychopathic Manchild|in a very similar manner to an overgrown child]]; they tend to commit their crimes while [[Laughing Mad|laughing crazily]] [[The Hyena|and frequently]], cracking fittingly dark jokes ([[Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor|if you can ''call'' them that]]).

Note that there are specific kinds of clowns in the real world. People may fear the ''auguste'', the stereotypical clown who acts and dress the most wildly. ''Whiteface'' clowns are unsettling because they are unexpectedly intelligent, even scheming. ''Character clowns'' - like {{w|Emmett Kelly|"Weary Willie"}} - by contrast have very muted designs, and can be difficult to identify by the TV audience; as such, that are rarely seen anymore.

The point is that real-world clowns ''clown'': while clowning is intended to be funny, it can be received as ritualised (self-)humiliation, and may make modern audiences quite sick to the stomach - now imagine what the Monster Clown's [[Nightmare Fuel|sick twists on their gags will do to 'em]]. Somtimes, a Monster Clown won't even do ''that'' much... they just ''look'' like a clown, without any of the jokes or working in a circus or going to kids' parties. On the flipside of it, [[wikipedia:John Wayne Gacy|John Wayne Gacy]], one of the most famous serial killers in the United States, worked part-time as a clown - the AP [[Critical Research Failure|once used a stock photo of Gacy for National Clown day]].

A subtrope of this is [[Enemy Mime]], while a villainous clown [[Played for Laughs]] instead of fear is a [[Villainous Harlequin]]. A related and overlapping trope is the [[Depraved Kids' Show Host]] related. Clowns' ghastly white makeup may put them into [[White Mask of Doom]] territory. Contrast the [[Non-Ironic Clown]].

== [[Real Life]] ==

* A 2007 [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7189401.stm University of Sheffield study] found that both young and older children universally fear or dislike clown images. Now a lot of hospital wings for child patients will have to be repainted.

** A quote from the BBC article: Researcher Dr Penny Curtis said: "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.")