The Weird, Uncomfortable, Creepy History of Clowns

<p class="p1">Few characters from pop culture are as divisive as clowns. Simultaneously endearing and terrifying, the archetype of the clown has persevered throughout the ages despite being reviled by a significant portion of the world’s population. There’s even a word for the fear of clowns: coulrophobia.</p> <p class="p1">So how did ancient jesters and tricksters evolve into the unsettling, white-faced, crazy-haired clowns of today? And what makes the figure of the clown so durable? Find out in this week’s buffoonish, pratfalling, skin-crawling episode of MFFI. </p> <p>~</p> <p>Support the show by becoming a Midnight Minion, Menace, or Maniac, and unlock exclusive bonus content over at <a href='https://www.patreon.com/mffi?fan_landing=true'>PATREON</a></p> <p>~</p> <p>Join the MFFI community and vote on episode topics via <a href='https://discord.gg/4KUWbgj4PN'>DISCORD</a></p> <p>~</p> <p>In this episode:  </p> <ul><li>Ancient Egypt and the "Dangas"</li> <li>Ancient Greece</li> <li>Ancient Rome and the “Stupidus” </li> <li>Court Jesters and Fools</li> <li>Loki</li> <li>The Hayuka</li> <li>Carl Jung's "Trickster" Archetype</li> <li>Commedia dell'arte</li> <li>The Pierrot</li> <li>The Harlequin</li> <li>Joseph Grimaldi ("Joey")</li> <li>Philip Astley and the Circus</li> <li>The Whiteface, the Auguste, the Character and the Hobo</li> <li>Emmett Kelly’s “Weary Willie”</li> <li>Charlie Chaplin (Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr.)</li> <li>Music Hall and Vaudeville</li> <li>Marcel Marceau, Michael Jackson, and the Art of Mime</li> <li>Bozo the Clown</li> <li>Fear of Clowns: Coulrophobia</li> <li>The Joker</li> <li>Stephen King's It</li> <li>The Clown Panic of 2016</li> <li>Insane Clown Posse and the Jugallos </li> <li>Terrifier 2 and "Art the Clown"</li> </ul> <p>~ Join the Midnight Masses! </p> <p>Become an Insomniac by dropping a review, adding us on social media, and contacting us with episode ideas. </p> <p>And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the