COULROPHOBIA: The Fear Of Clowns Phobia Name

Have you ever been called a clown, or been accused of clowning around? Maybe you were a class clown (or knew one) in school – the one kid who always made everyone laugh and was always getting into trouble with the authorities. 

The word is sometimes used as an insult, meaning someone who takes nothing seriously, or who is foolish or naive about ordinary matters. If someone calls you it, it most likely is not a compliment.

But the word “clown” has many other layers of meaning and connotation, and in modern times these layers have become very complicated. So much so, in fact that there is a word for the psychological syndrome of being afraid of clowns: coulrophobia. 

The fear of clowns phobia name comes from an ancient Greek word for stilt-walkers, which weren't exactly clowns in the modern sense, but were street entertainers and performers. We associate many other figures and character types with clowns too – court jesters, harlequins, mimes, and jack in the boxes, among others. 

But why would such fun-loving and amusing cultural icons be the source of fear for so many?

Clowns in various forms have been with us for a long time, but in their most well known modern form they are relatively recent. The jester (we define jester as a type of comedian clown) in the royal court and the harlequin with his cap and bells are figures from the middle ages and into the Renaissance, and gradually became famous from depictions in plays and literature as well as art. 

But it was not until the late 1700s that the beginnings of the modern clown become evident. Joseph Grimaldi was a famous child actor who during his early career and into the 1800s almost single-handedly created the modern clown as we know him. He came up with the pointed hair and exaggerated face makeup that eventually evolved into the typical clown of today. 

George Fox took Grimaldi's idea to America and popularized the clown character on stages all across the country. In the early years of cinema Charlie Chaplin and Emmet Kelly brought their own versions of clowning to the silver screen, and by the time television began in the 1940s, circus clowns were well known elements of pop culture. This is also the point at which the idea of being afraid of clowns – coulrophobia – really began.

Where did the fear of clowns come from, and how did they turn from funny, laughable creatures to beings from a nightmare? In the mass media mind that we all share these days, clowns have become mixed up with other archetypes, characters from ancient times and old stories that become part of our mental landscape. One of these clown-like figures is the old kid's toy the jack in the box, a clown that jumps out in a scary way. Amazingly enough, the name jack is another word for devil, so the devil in the box was meant to strike fear with its appearance from the beginning. This evil nature was exploited by TV writers such as Rod Serling, whose Twilight Zone episode about the frightening jack in the box is one that many former children remember with trepidation. Take the devilish toy, mix in the mask and make-up and outrageous clothes, add some mysterious origin stories, and the clown phobia becomes almost understandable.

Unfortunately, there is no need to look in fiction, TV, and movies for scary stories about clowns - real life has given us at least one famous one. The story of John Gacy, serial killer, pedophile, and part-time clown, is one that resonates with most of us when we hear the word clown. As with many true crime narratives, the truth about his clown character has faded away to be replaced by the horrific image of a clown actually committing murder – something the experts don't believe Gacy ever did. He appeared at neighborhood functions and hired himself out for children's parties as a clown, but his victim of choice – teenage boys - would not have been attracted to the evil jester. But there was an undercurrent of evil to Gacy that has attached itself to the very idea of the clown, and he probably knew what he was doing. He told investigators who were interviewing him that a clown could get away with murder, which he was able to do for much too long.