Why do so many people have a phobia of clowns?

[mrs_overall]

I won some circus tickets last week and due to unforseen circumstances I was unable to go. I tried and tried to give them away but friends and parents of the kids friends all cited a fear of clowns for refusing the tickets.

[Traci66]

Personally clowns don't bother me, flying ants though, they are a different matter.

[mrs_overall]

I didn't know you could get flying ants performing in a circus lol

[bookbinder]

I don't know why anybody should feel like that about clowns, but their phobia has a posh name:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coulrophobia

[mccfluff]

i don;t like then but just because i don;t think they are very funny

[ummmm]

Flying ants...

I remember walking into the garden and my son was putting ants into his toy cars. He said 'they're walking ants, I pulled their wings off'

Oh!!

[woofgang]

I am not afraid of clowns but don't like them and would have turned down the tickets too.

[smilingcrow]

Their nose looks like its about to explode.

[missprim]

Some kids have a fear of many different things.
When one of my daughters was little she was scared of the Punch and Judy shows.

[mrs_overall]

Ummmm - that is kids for you

smilingcrow - the landlord of my local has a nose like that

[carrust]

Clowns don't bother me, china dolls make my toes curl.

[Baldric]

My OH dislikes Clowns, and Balloons,
I'm not keen on the Taxman!

[cazzz1975]

clowns are really not funny

[Laelia]

Most probably it's the garish colours that are shocking to the eye .. much like some children are frightened of Father Christmas.

[andy-hughes]

I love clowns, but I have a serious phobia about puppets and venttriloquists' dummies - after watching 'Dead Of Night' when I was about nine - still the scariest film i have ever watched.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_of_Night

[cazzz1975]

kids tend to be scared of people in costumes, they react the same towards father christmas

[naomi24]

People are often suspicious of others hiding behind a mask of any kind - because they can't see what's really there.

[sheranudeep]

Clown behave in a very non-sense way .I really don't like them .

[Davethedog]

As someone bought up in the time of two channels and had to sit through so many bank holiday Blly Smart performances.

I have a phobia of Circus's's's :-)

[Mamyalynne]

I agree with Naomi, it is the deceit and subterfuge of hiding behind a different façade .

[rowanwitch]

White faces also associated with death.... their behaviour is extreme and slapstick is parodied aggression The humour is based on making others of their group look foolish...what's to like