Coulrophobia

Coulrophobia is the clinical word for the fear of clowns.  Somebody you know has this, even me, and it affects them on different levels.

At this point in my life it's more of a running joke.  To others the fear of clowns is so gripping they become paralyzed at the sight while others go into panic mode.

There are still several clowns out there that will always give me the creeps for various reasons.  This is my list of clowns that have terrorized my dreams in various forms (some worse than others).

6. Killer Klowns from Outer Space

This campy movie was hilarious in many ways.  It was never meant to be taken seriously (that I know of). The first time I watched it was late night on basic cable while my parents thought we were sleeping in the other room visiting my uncles.  The random bits of gory killings were funny but the part that creeped me out was the cotton candy cocoons they would wrap you to preserve you for later.  Overall these clowns were funny but still made my 11 year old skin crawl.

5. Zombieland Clown

Columbus (Jesse Eisenburg) has Coulrophobia as well.  One of his biggest fears is clowns.  In order to save his friends at the end of the movie he has to face his biggest fear, a zombie clown.  Though I was an adult when I saw this movie the face alone haunts me.

4. Twisty the clown

American Horror Story knows how to make you feel uneasy. They know how to find your fear and bring it to life. Their season Freakshow gives us Twisty. His silence, his eyes, clothing, everything about him will make you want to run and scream.  His background is sad (watch it to find out) but his actions say differently.

3. John Wayne Gacy

This man is probably where killer clowns originated.  He was a sexual predator and serial killer with at least 33 murders to his name.  When he wasn't luring boys to his home to kill he would volunteer as Pogo the Clown at fundraisers, children's parties, and parades.  The man is pure evil and is part of the reason I have clown issues.

2. Pennywise

Stephen King has a knack for creeping everybody out. Pennywise is no exception. He terrorizes a group of kids through adulthood.  His demonic presence terrified me while reading the book and for some reason I decided to watch the movie as well.

1. Poltergeist Stuffed Clown

Growing up my parents had a couch that had an opening large enough for a 7 year old to crawl under and watch movies only the adults were watching.  I wanted to see the movie all the adults were watching.  This clown coming to life and attempting to strangle the boy, laughing all the while, gave me countless nightmares.

There you have my list.  Scary clowns that give me the creeps.