FYI: Does a fear of clowns really exist?
'Imagine what your life would be like without coulrophobia,' teases therapy website changethatrightnow.com (CTRN). Imagine!
The term coulrophobia, the fear of clowns, was coined recently in response to surprisingly strong interest in the condition. You may not find the word in a printed dictionary, but try an internet search and you'll discover a host of websites catering to coulrophobes.
According to CTRN, coulrophobia can cause anxiety attacks and 'keep people apart from loved ones and business associates'. If you experience a shortness of breath, an irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea and a feeling of dread when confronted by Hong Kong's Bubbles, Muddles, Alfie or Zanni ('the Clowns'), you are probably a sufferer. Unless you're in love, that is: the preponderance of coulrophobia has given rise to a corollary: coulrophillia. Apparently, there is a large and vibrant community of clown fanciers around the world.
It is generally agreed that the most fear-inducing aspect of clowns is the caked-on make-up which, accompanied by the bulbous nose and weird hair, conceals the wearer's true identity. The stereotypical evil movie clown and The Simpsons' Krusty don't help, either.
There is precedence for coulrophobia. Anthropologists recognise 'tricksters', semi-divine beings who probe the bounds of social acceptability, and 'berserkers', crazed warriors typically sent as skirmishers to induce fear among an enemy's soldiers before the main bodies of troops engage, as globally reoccurring characters. Tricksters and berserkers have traditionally aroused the same emotions that make clowns frightening to some.