We’re all familiar with clowns. Known for their colorful oversized costumes and facial features, distinctive makeup, and general buffoonery, their purpose is to induce hearty laughter. This career goes back thousands and thousands of years and still persists today. While many enjoy clowns, there are just as many if not more, young and old, who find clowns to be absolutely terrifying. So where did clowns come from? Why are we so scared of them? Should we be scared of them? Let’s get into it.Today’s episode is all about clowns. We will get into the history and lore, then hear about some creepy encounters and even murders!

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SOURCES:

https://www.britannica.com/art/clown

https://www.historyofcircus.com/circus-facts/circus-clowns-history-and-facts/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-weird-reason-were-afraid-of-clowns/

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/oct/31/the-great-clown-panic-of-2016-a-volatile-mix-of-fear-and-contagion

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37628664

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37567132

https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/03/us/florida-killer-clown-sheila-keen-warren-release

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/crime/2025/05/27/florida-killer-clown-murder-wellington-woman-killed-1990/83670882007/

Reddit

https://www.snopes.com/articles/392386/sprinkles-the-clown/

https://www.snopes.com/articles/381361/clown-trail-cam-pictures/

Wikipedia