The Horror Clown
Outline
I Introduction a The history of clowns b Examples of modern horror clowns c Thesis statement
II Comparing early clowns to horror clowns a Skills and character traits of early clowns that can be seen in today’s horror clowns b Negative incidents of clowns in history i The “parasite” ii Medieval fool iii Grimaldi iv The Arlecchino
III Modern occurences of horror clowns in movies and real life a Determining the point at which the horror clown became mainstream i John Wayne Gacy ii It & Poltergeist iii What does this tell us about society
IV Coulrophobia a First hand experiences that help understanding the phobia i Symptoms ii Causes iii Psychological explanation
V Conclusion
The Horror Clown
What is it about clowns? They seem to be a happy enough bunch, delighted to suffer a pie-in-the-face or a seltzer-down-the-pants just to make us laugh. But what dark compulsion drives these men to hide behind their painted-on smiles and big rubber noses? What madness turns a man into a clown? -- Dave Louapre and Dan Sweetman, A Cotton Candy Autopsy
There is an old Italian dictum from the writer Aldo Palazzeschi: “Il riso fa buon sangue”. The literal translation says, "Laughter makes good blood", which essentially means laughing is healthy. For ages, comic entertainment made people laugh. The main comedian has ever been a very similar figure to the clowns we know nowadays. Be it “pranksters, jesters, jokers, harlequins, and mythologized tricksters” (McRobbie). Clown-like comedians were part in many different cultures all over the world. Their history can be dated back to the high cultures of Egypt, ancient Rome and ancient imperial China. American native cultures also use clown-like figures for entertainment. Ancient holy rituals among the Hopi Indians involving Hopis dressed up very similar to American circus clowns today, can still be witnessed in Hopi villages. This long and multifaceted history of clowns
I Introduction a The history of clowns b Examples of modern horror clowns c Thesis statement
II Comparing early clowns to horror clowns a Skills and character traits of early clowns that can be seen in today’s horror clowns b Negative incidents of clowns in history i The “parasite” ii Medieval fool iii Grimaldi iv The Arlecchino
III Modern occurences of horror clowns in movies and real life a Determining the point at which the horror clown became mainstream i John Wayne Gacy ii It & Poltergeist iii What does this tell us about society
IV Coulrophobia a First hand experiences that help understanding the phobia i Symptoms ii Causes iii Psychological explanation
V Conclusion
The Horror Clown
What is it about clowns? They seem to be a happy enough bunch, delighted to suffer a pie-in-the-face or a seltzer-down-the-pants just to make us laugh. But what dark compulsion drives these men to hide behind their painted-on smiles and big rubber noses? What madness turns a man into a clown? -- Dave Louapre and Dan Sweetman, A Cotton Candy Autopsy
There is an old Italian dictum from the writer Aldo Palazzeschi: “Il riso fa buon sangue”. The literal translation says, "Laughter makes good blood", which essentially means laughing is healthy. For ages, comic entertainment made people laugh. The main comedian has ever been a very similar figure to the clowns we know nowadays. Be it “pranksters, jesters, jokers, harlequins, and mythologized tricksters” (McRobbie). Clown-like comedians were part in many different cultures all over the world. Their history can be dated back to the high cultures of Egypt, ancient Rome and ancient imperial China. American native cultures also use clown-like figures for entertainment. Ancient holy rituals among the Hopi Indians involving Hopis dressed up very similar to American circus clowns today, can still be witnessed in Hopi villages. This long and multifaceted history of clowns