I wish somebody would explain to me, in a way that actually makes sense, where this ”clown hatred and fear” came from! Seems like overnight everyone just picked up on it and it stuck. People, especially kids, used to adore clowns. For decades every Shrine Temple has had their own clown unit that marched in parades, visited kids in hospitals, took part in benefits to raise money for the Shrine Hospitals, and were active in the Shrine circuses. It’s sure has made it hard on them lately.
My fear and dislike started when I was a little kid and my Brownie troop was on the Bozo the Clown tv show once. During commercial breaks Bozo was not a nice guy and terrified the whole troop by showing his true character.