Clown Phobia's - The Fear of Unfamiliar Identities

Couldrophobia Facts. (2013). 'Are You Afraid of Clowns?'. Available: http://www.coulrophobiafacts.com. Last accessed 1st April 2015.
Paquette, J (2012). 'Respecting The Stand: A Critical Analysis of Stephen King's Apocalyptic Novel'. North Carolina : McFarland & Company. p162.

Couldrophobia: Fear of Clowns

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/
12/stephen-king-it-true-detective

Only recently has Couldrophobia become a recognised phobia within western society but it is one that has an increasing number of sufferers as more is discovered about the phobia. Currently very little is known about the phobia but both doctors and psychiatrists agree that is predominantly the result of not being able to identify what lies beneath the makeup and the idea of a ‘painted smile’. It is part of human nature to be dependant on reading the human face and recognising emotions through body language and expression, clown makeup renders this human ability useless and therefore mentally we panic at not being able to read another person. The use of clown makeup deconstructs the human face to create a new identity, breaking up the normalities of what society deems normal. This idea of interacting with a full face of makeup is very similar to that of the fear of masks for this reason. Many researchers believe that the fear of clowns increased as a result of Steven Kings iconic horror film ‘IT’ released in the mid 90’s whereby director Steven Spielberg depicts a murderous, evil clown that lives within the drains for the purpose of tormenting the children that have seen him. 

Common Symptoms:
This form of phobia is one that can cause an extreme state of panic in those who suffer from it, this includes a difficulty in breathing, increased body temperature, heart irregularities and even in some cases physical sickness and nausea. Although to many the concept of a fear of makeup is rather silly however it is something suffered by many and severely affects makeup artists. The fear is enough to cause some people to avoid certain restaurants such as Mc Donald’s, hospitals which use clowns to comfort children and even public entertainment such as circuses for the pure purpose that their mascots cause absolute panic. Commonly the phobia is started in childhood through uncomfortable exposure to clowns and like many phobias is continued on into adulthood. Although not much is known about the phobia currently it is estimated that roughly 12% of adults suffer from the condition. 

The Two Types of Clown:
The White Clown: "The facial features disappear entirely, leaving only empty space, no name, no identity. He is an elegant and intriguing character. It confuses the public by its lack of intentions in the face." 
The Auguste: "This is another well known clown character. It has a red nose, its mouth is wide open and smiling. In the circus tradition, he crossed the track to reach the public in order to entertain the public. It appears many times together with the white clown and its role is to destabilize the white clown."