clowns

8 Stories

Peru's Clowns Are Serious About Official Recognition

Government support would open doors, performers say

(Newser) - With their unmistakable red noses, extravagant shoes, colorful outfits, and unique makeup, hundreds of clowns Saturday gathered in the streets of Peru's capital to mark Clown Day. They have sought for years to gain official recognition of the day. The colorful parade in Lima, which includes awards for the...

Clown Fear Stems From What Their Makeup Conceals
What Makes Us
Fear Clowns Isn't
Past Encounters
NEW STUDY
Mar 8, 2023 9:39 AM CST

What Makes Us Fear Clowns Isn't Past Encounters

Emotional intent hidden under makeup, negative pop culture portrayals cited in new research

(Newser) - You're not alone in your coulrophobia—far from it, in fact. A stunning 53.5% of people are afraid of clowns, a phobia that doesn't generally seem to stem from bad encounters with clowns at all, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of South Wales...

Woman Burns Pennywise Doll That Landed in Backyard

She has no idea where it came from

(Newser) - Strange things were afoot over the weekend in Bergen County, NJ, where a Pennywise doll apparently floated into a woman's backyard when she was relaxing with her boyfriend. Renee Jensen tells NJ Advance Media that the doll, which had strange writing on its forehead, seemed to come out of...

He's Back: Evil Clown of It Will Give You Shivers


He's Back:
Evil Clown
of It Will Give
You Shivers
MOVIE REVIEW
Sep 8, 2017 11:17 AM CDT

He's Back: Evil Clown of It Will Give You Shivers

Pennywise is scarier than ever. Worse, he's kind of smart

(Newser) - If the 1990 miniseries based on Stephen King's It didn't convince you to stay well away from storm drains and red balloons, Andy Muschietti's latest telling of the tale just might. It —part one of two, to be released at a later date—follows a group...

Cops 'Terrified' by Balloon Prank for Movie It

Creepy clown sightings expected to rise

(Newser) - Police in Lititz, Pa., give a prankster points for creativity for tying red balloons to storm grates ahead of Friday's release of the movie It—but they "respectfully request they do not do that again." "We want the local prankster to know that we were completely...

Judge to Defendant: No, You Can't Juggle at Trial

'The keystone to his defense is: He's literally a clown'

(Newser) - A Massachusetts judge has denied a man's request to juggle during his trial to show jurors he was just clowning around when he allegedly tried to rob a convenience store. "The keystone to his defense is: He's literally a clown," Orlando Melendez wrote of himself in...

Target Pulls Clown Masks Amid National Craze

You'll have to shop elsewhere if you want to be a clown this Halloween

(Newser) - Target will stop selling clown masks both online and at brick-and-mortar locations due to the "crazy clown" craze that has spread across the US. Fueled by social media and sensational news stories of people in clown masks terrorizing residential neighborhoods, a slew of copycats have sprung up across the...

Parents' Clown Stunt Leads to Child's Removal From Home

Cops say 4-year-old was left alone

(Newser) - News of a "creepy clown" arrest isn't so unusual these days. But this one in Menasha, Wis., involves possible child neglect charges and the removal of a 4-year-old girl from her home. Police caught two men ages 20 and 29 wearing clown costumes about 4am Friday after getting...

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