Coulrophobia [Kool-ruh-foh-bee-uh]
Posted by Shayla Simmons — 25 Apr 2012
The clown, jester, mime, or fool has been around for many ages, evolving from one culture to the next. Some clowns are happy, laughing, dancing fools - while others, such as Pierrot/Pierrette in France have, over time, become the sad romantic with a tear falling from his/her cheek.
Since childhood I have had my fair share of run-ins with clowns and, although I find them an interesting deviant, I have developed a great disdain for them. For me clowns are frightful, evil beings that want to steal your cotton candy, and then burrow their faces into your sub-conscious... haunting your sleep with night terrors. One might say that I have Coulrophobia- a fear of clowns.
Imagine my utter horror, then, to have stumbled upon images from the JPG community that clearly illustrate that many of you may also have a strange fascination of your own with these eccentric figures.
Take a look and see if these images strike terror, or something slightly less ominous, perhaps, into your very soul.
Oleg - Mime by Christopher Zedano
Carnival 2010 - 03 by Stefan Nielsen
The Jester by Stefan Nielsen
Untitled by Troy Colby
Performing for others... by Wallace Jones
last cherry by Valentina Fontanella
Clown in the grass by Phil Kneen
Clowns by Fernando Cortez
Clown by Megan Horsburgh
Clown by Tomas Gorostiaga
Before the end of the world, maybe my soul has first to die by gary
Drinking Together by Rupert Hitchcox
As you can see, the definition of "clown" can vary from one culture to the next as it does from one individual to the next.
Do you have Coulrophobia? Share your memories or fears that these images may have conjured up. Post some of your favorite pictures that you have taken and post the link in comments. Or if you've happened across great clown images captured by one of our fellow JPG members, perhaps you could spotlight it and drop a link below for us all to check out!
Happy... hunting!
