Fear of clowns? Fear of buttons?
Question:
Anyone else? Peace
Response:
On 10 Jan 1998 08:34:30 GMT, rdawkin…@aol.com (RDawkin994) wrote: >Anyone else? >Peace
Eventually.
Response:
I think alot of people think clowns are creepy. Does anyone really like them?
Response:
Roseherman wrote: > I think alot of people think clowns are creepy. Does anyone really like them?
I’m sure many people like them, especially children. But as far as being creepy…I would agree that this opinion is prevalent. In fact, as far back as the middle ages artists such as Bosch have portrayed them in a sinister light. And, in modern times many writers and artists have used the surreal quality of clowns for their particular visions. I’m sure it would make a great "X-files" episode. 
Response:
default wrote in message <34BE29E1.5A50CE9B@rocket_mail.com>… >Roseherman wrote: >> I think alot of people think clowns are creepy. Does anyone really like
them? My five-year-old daughter (suspected, but as yet undiagnosed, of having OCD) is terribly afraid of Ronald McDonald. Our local Wal-mart has an in-store McDonald’s with a life-size statue of the famous clown sitting on a bench. We cannot pass by the statue (which is difficult since it’s right by the toothpaste and shampoo aisles). If we do, she curls up in a ball in the bed of the shopping cart and sobs until we are past it. A McDonald’s near my mother’s home has one of the super deluxe indoor playplaces. However, the only access to it is past a glassed-in puppet theater where a mechanical (again, nearly life-size) Ronald McDonald tells stories and sings songs. I had to carry my daughter (who very much wanted to go to the play area) kicking and screaming past that clown. Since that trip, she has announced that if we ever go to Grandma’s McDonald’s again, we will just go through the drive-through. I certainly won’t subject her to Ronald again. Ironically, she loves to see McDonald’s commercials on television. This may be more a fear of mechanical clowns than of real ones? I remember having a vivid terror of marionettes. Even at age 14, I could not walk past an antique store in my hometown that had a display of old marionettes in the front window. I would cross the street. Deb
Response:
Roseherman wrote in message
<19980116040201.XAA03…@ladder02.news.aol.com>… >It’s been interesting to watch my children in a similar situation. At a large >mall in our city, they have characters parading around at Christmas time and my >5 yr. old daughter loves to shake the big gloved hands of the Big Bad Wolf, and >meet the Fairytale characters heavily laden with makeup, while my 8 yr. old >son, who has OCD and hates clowns, hides behind me, hoping they won’t notice >him.
Last summer, our local bookstore featured costumed Clifford the Big Red Dog and the Mouse from "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie". My son hugged Clifford and accepted a cookie from the mouse. I had to hold my daughter who has OCD in a bear hug to keep her from running into traffic in her effort to get away from the figures. Obviously, what I had thought would be a fun outing blew up; I know better now. Deb
Response:
On 15 Jan 1998 10:07:55 GMT, roseher…@aol.com (Roseherman) wrote: >I think alot of people think clowns are creepy. Does anyone really like them?
Is it just me or have I seen this question asked before? Yes, some people like clowns. Just look at clowns on tv and all the people who like them.
Response:
Your the one that has an affinity for those awful things. What, are you ONE???????? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -handy wrote: > On 15 Jan 1998 10:07:55 GMT, roseher…@aol.com (Roseherman) wrote: > >I think alot of people think clowns are creepy. Does anyone really > like them? > Is it just me or have I seen this question asked before? > Yes, some people like clowns. Just look at clowns on tv and all the > people who like them.
Response:
My wife has a fear of both clowns and mascots, stemming from a young age… She was tormented by clowns when she was little, and it hasn’t left her… I’ve never met anyone with a fear of buttons… How did it come about?
Response:
On Thu, 22 Jan 1998 21:58:38 -0600, Merriweather <pa…@flash.net> wrote: >Your the one that has an affinity for those awful things. What, are you >ONE????????
No, I am not a clown. I do clown around.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Deborah G. Buckner wrote: > default wrote in message <34BE29E1.5A50CE9B@rocket_mail.com>… > >Roseherman wrote: > >> I think alot of people think clowns are creepy. Does anyone really like > them? > My five-year-old daughter (suspected, but as yet undiagnosed, of having OCD) > is terribly afraid of Ronald McDonald. Our local Wal-mart has an in-store > McDonald’s with a life-size statue of the famous clown sitting on a bench. > We cannot pass by the statue (which is difficult since it’s right by the > toothpaste and shampoo aisles). If we do, she curls up in a ball in the bed > of the shopping cart and sobs until we are past it. > A McDonald’s near my mother’s home has one of the super deluxe indoor > playplaces. However, the only access to it is past a glassed-in puppet > theater where a mechanical (again, nearly life-size) Ronald McDonald tells > stories and sings songs. I had to carry my daughter (who very much wanted > to go to the play area) kicking and screaming past that clown. Since that > trip, she has announced that if we ever go to Grandma’s McDonald’s again, we > will just go through the drive-through. I certainly won’t subject her to > Ronald again. Ironically, she loves to see McDonald’s commercials on > television. This may be more a fear of mechanical clowns than of real ones? > I remember having a vivid terror of marionettes. Even at age 14, I could > not walk past an antique store in my hometown that had a display of old > marionettes in the front window. I would cross the street. > Deb
My son was about 4 or 5 years old when he saw Bozo the Clown in at a childrens pizza parlor. He was just beside himself. He could not look at it with out getting hysterical. He has finally overcome his fear of Bozo although he still doesn’t like him or clowns in general for that matter. He is now 9 years old.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Deborah G. Buckner wrote: > default wrote in message <34BE29E1.5A50CE9B@rocket_mail.com>… > >Roseherman wrote: > >> I think alot of people think clowns are creepy. Does anyone really like > them? > My five-year-old daughter (suspected, but as yet undiagnosed, of having OCD) > is terribly afraid of Ronald McDonald. Our local Wal-mart has an in-store > McDonald’s with a life-size statue of the famous clown sitting on a bench. > We cannot pass by the statue (which is difficult since it’s right by the > toothpaste and shampoo aisles). If we do, she curls up in a ball in the bed > of the shopping cart and sobs until we are past it. > A McDonald’s near my mother’s home has one of the super deluxe indoor > playplaces. However, the only access to it is past a glassed-in puppet > theater where a mechanical (again, nearly life-size) Ronald McDonald tells > stories and sings songs. I had to carry my daughter (who very much wanted > to go to the play area) kicking and screaming past that clown. Since that > trip, she has announced that if we ever go to Grandma’s McDonald’s again, we > will just go through the drive-through. I certainly won’t subject her to > Ronald again. Ironically, she loves to see McDonald’s commercials on > television. This may be more a fear of mechanical clowns than of real ones? > I remember having a vivid terror of marionettes. Even at age 14, I could > not walk past an antique store in my hometown that had a display of old > marionettes in the front window. I would cross the street. > Deb
As a side note to that, I had a friend who worked for disneyland over the summer, and he said almost half the kids panic when they see the life sized characters walk around (regardless if they have ocd or not). From what I understand, they are trained to stand in a certain spot and never approach a child (letting the child decide how and when an interaction is to occur).
Response:
Overhere wrote:> I had a friend who worked for disneyland over the >summer, and he said almost half the kids panic when they see the life sized >characters walk around (regardless if they have ocd or not). >From what I understand, they are trained to stand in a certain spot and never >approach a child (letting the child decide how and when an interaction is to >occur).
It’s been interesting to watch my children in a similar situation. At a large mall in our city, they have characters parading around at Christmas time and my 5 yr. old daughter loves to shake the big gloved hands of the Big Bad Wolf, and meet the Fairytale characters heavily laden with makeup, while my 8 yr. old son, who has OCD and hates clowns, hides behind me, hoping they won’t notice him.
