The clown laughed but why scared many people?

This is a character who makes people laugh, but why is it so scary to many people? Many studies have been done to find the answer to this question .

Children are more afraid of clowns than they like

In 2003, research from Sheffield University (UK) showed that very few children like clowns . At the time, the team surveyed 250 children aged 4-16, all of whom said they hated pictures of clowns decorated in children's hospitals, most frightened when they saw the figure of the character at night. .

According to the Popular Science page, from ancient Egypt, the clown character who specialized in entertaining the nobility was present. By the 16th century, the word "clown" (first clown) appeared in the English vocabulary when Shakespeare used to describe a stupid and goofy character in his play.

Around the middle of the 19th century, clowns began to appear in the circus with painted faces, characteristic hair and oversized clothes. Up until now that image has only changed a little.

Why is it also a clown character, nearly 150 years ago as a symbol of humor now makes many people so scared?

Pictures of clowns in the 19th century - (Image: PINTEREST)

In his study, Frank T. McAndrew, a famous American psychologist and professor at Knox College, conducted a two-part survey of 1,341 people aged 18-77 years old.

First, volunteers were asked to build a model character that would scare people by choosing 44 criteria from the research team. As a result, the characteristics of a scary person pointed out by most participants include being a male, with unusual eye movements and unpredictable action. Some other criteria that are also chosen a lot are big eyes, mysterious smiles and too long fingers .

Based on the criteria selected, volunteers were asked to identify who - what career in life scared them and gave them a specific score. As a result, the clown topped the list.

Haunted from reality

The funny clown images estimated by the clown over a hundred years ago have somewhat changed - (Image: SHUTTERSTOCK)

Dr. Rami Nader - a psychologist in British Columbia (Canada), has spent much time studying the somewhat unreasonable fear of clowns. He argues that the biggest reason people are obsessed with the clown is due to the ambiguity of the character image : the humorous characteristics that were somewhat conventionally created more than 150 years ago are now somewhat confusing. The 21 st century.

For example, white cheeks, deep eyes, red nose is still amusing or even a "strange" feature, unpredictable; the face - especially when not smiling, looking at the whole picture of joy, happiness, or mystery and horror?

Professor McAndrew further explained: in communication, if the opponent makes us feel suspicious with their mysterious features, our natural reaction is to be alert, fear is inevitable.

Also according to Professor McAndrew, the fear of the mystery of the clown image is even greater due to the many practical experiences that have overwhelmed the conventional sense of humor of the character.

Typically in the 1970s, serial killer John Wayne Gacy (1942-1994) often wore clown costumes to the birthday of many children and then killed more than 33 people, mostly boys.

Wayne Gacy is often referred to as the " Killer Clown" because in addition to disguised as a clown, Gacy often leaves cryptic paintings of this character.

From here, people began to look at the image of the clown in a different angle: the same makeup, that face but now brought a bit creepy .

One of the many clown paintings that the murderer John Wayne Gacy left.This same picture, seen from two angles, will see both shades of the clown: cheerful or creepy - (Image: The Orchid Club)

The obsession is greater when there are consecutive robberies and killings where the killer dressed like a clown, especially in the United States. Not to mention that film had a partial impact on the way the character was perceived.

In fact, the clown is also one of the typical examples of changing the way people judge on the same thing over time. The same character, even the same picture of the clown, some were funny, some were scary; Some people used to feel happy, but now they feel terrible.

According to Dr. Naider, this is an inevitable change in the general movement of social development. Because after more than a century, the perspective of people is greatly influenced by many different factors, including art.