I really don't know when it happened, probably sometime during my teen years. I don't remember having any nightmares when I was little, or any bad experiences and I certainly did enjoy watching clowns on TV at that time. When I really knew I had a problem with it was when I became a mother. Lots of kids' stuff have clowns for a theme. I found myself avoiding anything with a clown. No pictures, no dolls, no coloring books, etc. Every time I looked at a clown, I got chills that ran up my spine. A very fearful sense of something that was just....... WRONG.A fear of clowns. I never would let one near either one of my kids. I'm a mess at a carnival....so many of them to deal with. I never talked about it to my kids so I don't think I've passed this on to them. They had so many other kid-oriented things in their rooms I don't think they even missed not having clown stuff. They never mentioned it to me at all. One day my daughter and I were out shopping together. Her own daughter was about 2 at the time. She saw a cute clown lamp and mentioned that it would be cute for her daughter's bedroom. She actually witnessed me shiver. I said NO....not that one. Lets find her something more feminine...like Cinderella or Barbie. Later my daughter questioned me and the secret fear of mine was exposed.
I wonder what causes this. I don't ever remember a bad experience with a clown. What are some of your silly fears (not the biggies, but the little lesser known ones)? Are these supposed to be safeguards of some sort......a way of protecting us? Sigh - another one of the things I think about. No wonder my brain is so.......busy.
12 comments:
I don't share it - but I can understand the clown fear. Specially after watching Poltergeist! ;)
My silly fears are all bug related. June bugs, roaches, spiders if they're in the house, and of course rats and mice. yuck.
OK, first, I found the two videos you asked about and posted them in the same post as the "letter from Mum" that I found....
Now...the clowns and other fears from our subconcious.
Dnag! Ain't anyone that knows me that dosn't know that I don't even go in water deeper than my height.
Sharks. Some said,"....but it's a swimming pool...." And my always reply, "what? You've never seen Thunderball" with Sean Connery as 007?"
Public speaking. That's so common, though, and I really wish some of the loudmouths in our society would suffer that same thing. You know, like te drunk from the back of the room hollering out for music in a bar and grill that doesn't have music
or guys who yell obscenities at women folk....or those idiots tat holler stuff in movie theaters.
As for the clown thing, I have a cure for you, and it doesn't have anything to do with facing your fears or even going to a circus.
Get some clown white, a couple of face grayons (these can be found at party stores (way more popular than you'de imagine) or magic stores. (One of my favorite magic stores is in Colon, Michigan)
Without going anywhere, though, there's always flour and some lipstick and something to clean it all off with afterwords.....
Paint yourself like a clown.
I did that.
"I neglected to research how to clean myself afterwords, and actually ended up wearing the wiped off version the next day at work. To this day they still refer to me as the clown.
And, not in the best of ways...."
Now, the simple fact is, a clown's make-up can come quite close to looking like ghouls or even suggest being beheaded. (the extra large collar is the platter....)
If you want to beat the fear, there are any of a dozen things you could do, including dress like a clown, make-up, clothing, etc., etc.
There's also learning about humor.
That probably comes out of left field, eh?
There are two books to do that competantly, Judy Tanuta wrote one (which I forgot the name of) and the Comedy Bible by Judy Carter, an excellent book, and funny to read!
Now, last, but hardly least, I wish I knew what they were saying (barking) too.
Sometimes I can play a barking session and the dogs come in and listen, adding short yips to the sound track as it plays, other times when I play their barking, they go barking out the dog door and yelling at the top of their bark at absolutely nothing.
What I really hate is when a couple of them just sit and stare at the closet door, then start growling at it.
I get up and look in the closet, and when I find nothing and look back at them, they're rolling on the floor laughing at me!
I share your fear of clowns to a lessor degree. I remember when it happened. At a circus in Salem OR. that my grandparents took me to. I was maybe three. The clowns were clearly grown men but their actions were so erratic and their silence was spooky. One got right up in my face with a horrible painted on smile.
I'm with ya on this one Sister!
I think this is a common fear, I have heard about it lots of times...and it does make us wonder why we are afraid of certain things, doesn't it?
I have a very unnatural fear of falling off of a bridge, I can feel the cold water when I fall into it..I swear I have died that way before, although common sense says NO WAY...
I hope things are going well for you!
Hugs.
:)
George Carlin has a bit he does that is hilarious. It is something about the scariest thing in the world is to have your door bell ring at 3 a.m. and to peek out and see a clown standing there....
Guess you've never seen the movie IT then, have you? Ugh.
My fear.... ladybugs. I know, I know. What a thing to be scared of. But thats me. Now I will have to post about it.
Clowns are quite simply evil in my opinion. I'm not afraid of them but they have a sinister look about them that gives me chills.
That's funny, Val. I just took the Young Prince to his first circus last week and we talked first about the fact that there would be people dressed up in silly costumes with faces painted, just like on Halloween, doing silly things and trying to surprise you. He, in his worldly 3.5 years, seemed to accept this and only once asked for reassurance, "Those are only people dressed up, right?" What scared him more were the daredevil stunts. So I think we've avoided that for now.
I don't like bridges, especially after watching the Bay Bridge go in the 1990 SFO quake and the haunting image of the car that just disappeared suddenly, falling where the Bridge split. I don't like elevators, been stuck in one too many. I just don't like feeling not in control of my surroundings.
Interesting trivia, about both you and your readers! Be well, Val.
fiwa: LOL, I don't like bugs either..they all give me the creeps, especially spiders.
Boney: Its not that kind of fear...I feel that they are evil and I have no desire to overcome this because I think its really true.
Brad: Yep, you and I would be a mess at a circus together wouldn't we. LOL
Jamie: - Yes, I've heard this before from a lot of people...so I know I'm not alone in this.
Maria: Oh, how I LOVE George Carlin. He's the best ever. Do you think I can find that piece you mention on YOU TUBE?
Kelly: Not only have I seen the movie, but I read the book before the movie came out. Stephen King thinks clowns are evil too, doesn't he?
Gypsy: Yes I agree with you 110%.
Mapi: OMG, I bet its hard for you to fly then. Yeah, come to think of it, I'm not to comfortable in an elevator either.
I don't know, there's just something about clowns. Maybe it's because they look sort of human but not like us, with the face paint and wigs.
That scene in "Poltergeist" where the clown doll moves really gives me the willies more than anything!
I always think of John Wayne Gacy whenever i see a clown.
*cringe*
But I haven't had a life long fear of clowns.
Besides "overflowing toilets" , I also fear....someone hiding in the shower.
Ever move the shower curtain ...real fast...just to make sure there's no one in there? lol
We all nuts. :)))
Hi Val,
I won't listen to anyone talk about ghosts. I'll stop them in their tracks and walk away. I also don't watch any scary movies. None. I'll read the occasional Steven King book; somehow that's OK. Clowns are fine.
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