coulrophobia (coul-roh-FOH-bee-uh)—the fear of clowns
No one could be afraid of clowns until there WERE clowns. The traditional clown with frizzy hair, white makeup, and bright red nose started appearing at circuses in the 19th and 20th centuries. One reason clowns are disturbing is that their white faces remind us of regular human faces that have turned pale due to fear or surprise.
The Auguste Amusement Park in the story takes its name from a traditional type of clown: the auguste (oh-GOOST). The auguste, sometimes called a red clown because of its reddish makeup, was usually the butt of the jokes and pranks perpetrated by the clown with white makeup who was the star of the show. Someone has to take the pie in the face!
Batman’s foe, the Joker, is the most well known clown in pop culture. His white face, red lips, and green hair were introduced to comic book readers in 1945, not long after April Fools’ Day. The Joker is sometimes called “the Clown Prince of Crime.”
Brain scientists believe that some people develop a phobia of clowns because of the so-called “uncanny effect.” Uncanny means “beyond the ordinary” or “uncomfortably strange.” Clowns are not quite human. Our brains know clowns are really people, but they don’t look or behave like regular humans. So our brains get confused, and therefore frightened.