Following the release of the Stephen King’s newest horror movie, ‘It,’ and the recent Juggalo March on Washington, life for clowns aren’t just jokes, games, and the occasional whoopie cushion anymore.
According to the Wall Street Journal, clown publicity has been so bad that the World Clown Association issued a release stating that scary clowns are not “real clowns.” The statement also referred to King’s creation as a “fantasy character”.
Last week, more than a thousand Juggalos, fans of the rap group Insane Clown Posse, came together in a massive protest after the FBI classified the group as “a gang”.
In a 2011 Justice Department’s National Gang Threat Assessment Report, Juggalos were classified as a “loosely-organized hybrid gang” due to “sporadic, disorganized, individualistic” criminal activity.
Despite this, the organizers of the march considered the march a success, arguing that the expansive media attention has helped them raise awareness.
Before the Juggalos marched or Pennywise (It) returned to the screen, clowns were already being cast in a negative, creepy light.
Uproxx pointed out the “horror of the story and the emergence of threatening clowns all across the United States” that took place earlier this year.
‘It’ Director Andy Muschietti told TMZ that the clowns should be thanking him and King.
“I think, if anything, clowns are benefiting from the publicity. Clown fear is coming back, but you know there’s scary clowns and there are nice clowns.” Muschietti said. “So they should think what kind of clown they should be, right?”
Gilly, the CEO of the Los Angeles Clown Company joins Gary and Shannon Friday to talk the best, the worst, and the weirdness of living life as a clown in today’s society.