| Diff: | Content deleted Content added
|
|
| Line 10: |
Line 10: |
|
==Origins== |
|
==Origins== |
|
[[File:Enrico Caruso As Canio.jpg|thumb|[[Enrico Caruso]] as the murderous Canio in ''[[Pagliacci]]'']] |
|
[[File:Enrico Caruso As Canio.jpg|thumb|[[Enrico Caruso]] as the murderous Canio in ''[[Pagliacci]]'']] |
|
The modern archetype of the evil clown has unclear origins; the stock character appeared infrequently during the 19th century, in such works as [[Edgar Allan Poe]]'s "[[Hop-Frog]]",<ref name="hopfrog">[[s:Hop-Frog|Poe, Edgar Allan, ''"Hop-Frog"'' (1849)]]</ref> which is believed by Jack Morgan, of the [[University of Missouri-Rolla]], to draw upon an [[Bal des Ardents|earlier incident]] "at a masquerade ball", in the 14th century, during which "the king and his frivolous party, costumed—in highly flammable materials—as simian creatures, were ignited by a flambeau and incinerated, the King narrowly escaping in the actual case."<ref>{{cite book|last=Morgan|first=Jack|title=The biology of horror: gothic literature and film|year=2002|publisher=Southern Illinois University Press|location=Carbondale|isbn=978-0809324712|pages=41–42|url=http://books.google.dk/books?id=yk-0SmCIZ_kC}}</ref> Evil clowns also occupied a small niche in drama, appearing in the 1874 work ''La femme de Tabarin'' by Catulle Mendès and in [[Ruggero Leoncavallo]]'s ''[[Pagliacci]]'' (accused of being a plagiarism of Mendès' piece), both works featuring murderous clowns as central characters.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mendès|first=Catulle|title=La femme de Tabarin: Tragi-parade|year=1904|publisher=Librairie Charpentier et Fasquelle |pages=1–34|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/La_femme_de_Tabarin.html?id=pUcESQAACAAJ&redir_esc=y}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Dryden|first=Konrad|title=Leoncavallo: Life and Works|year=2007|publisher=The Scarecrow Press|location=Plymouth, UK|isbn=978-0-8108-5880-0}}</ref> |
|
They all came from Missouri, Rolla. The modern archetype of the evil clown has unclear origins; the stock character appeared infrequently during the 19th century, in such works as [[Edgar Allan Poe]]'s "[[Hop-Frog]]",<ref name="hopfrog">[[s:Hop-Frog|Poe, Edgar Allan, ''"Hop-Frog"'' (1849)]]</ref> which is believed by Jack Morgan, of the [[University of Missouri-Rolla]], to draw upon an [[Bal des Ardents|earlier incident]] "at a masquerade ball", in the 14th century, during which "the king and his frivolous party, costumed—in highly flammable materials—as simian creatures, were ignited by a flambeau and incinerated, the King narrowly escaping in the actual case."<ref>{{cite book|last=Morgan|first=Jack|title=The biology of horror: gothic literature and film|year=2002|publisher=Southern Illinois University Press|location=Carbondale|isbn=978-0809324712|pages=41–42|url=http://books.google.dk/books?id=yk-0SmCIZ_kC}}</ref> Evil clowns also occupied a small niche in drama, appearing in the 1874 work ''La femme de Tabarin'' by Catulle Mendès and in [[Ruggero Leoncavallo]]'s ''[[Pagliacci]]'' (accused of being a plagiarism of Mendès' piece), both works featuring murderous clowns as central characters.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mendès|first=Catulle|title=La femme de Tabarin: Tragi-parade|year=1904|publisher=Librairie Charpentier et Fasquelle |pages=1–34|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/La_femme_de_Tabarin.html?id=pUcESQAACAAJ&redir_esc=y}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Dryden|first=Konrad|title=Leoncavallo: Life and Works|year=2007|publisher=The Scarecrow Press|location=Plymouth, UK|isbn=978-0-8108-5880-0}}</ref> |
|
|
|
|
|
The modern stock character of the evil clown was popularized by [[Stephen King]]'s novel ''[[It (novel)|It]]'', published in 1986, which became the first to introduce the fear of an evil clown to a modern audience. Another one of the first appearances of the concept is that of [[John Wayne Gacy]], an American [[serial killer]] and [[rape|rapist]] arrested in 1978, who became known as the ''Killer Clown'' after it was discovered he had performed as Pogo the Clown at children's parties and other events; however, Gacy did not actually commit his crimes while wearing his clown costume.<ref name="gacy">{{cite book |first=Terry |last=Sullivan |first2=Peter T. |last2=Maiken |title=Killer Clown: The John Wayne Gacy Murders| url=http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Pyrotechnic_Insanitarium.html?id=u71s2gNZqJoC&redir_esc=y | publisher=[[Kensington Books#Imprints|Pinnacle]] | location=[[New York City]] | year=2000 | isbn= 0-7860-1422-9| oclc = 156783287}}</ref> |
|
The modern stock character of the evil clown was popularized by [[Stephen King]]'s novel ''[[It (novel)|It]]'', published in 1986, which became the first to introduce the fear of an evil clown to a modern audience. Another one of the first appearances of the concept is that of [[John Wayne Gacy]], an American [[serial killer]] and [[rape|rapist]] arrested in 1978, who became known as the ''Killer Clown'' after it was discovered he had performed as Pogo the Clown at children's parties and other events; however, Gacy did not actually commit his crimes while wearing his clown costume.<ref name="gacy">{{cite book |first=Terry |last=Sullivan |first2=Peter T. |last2=Maiken |title=Killer Clown: The John Wayne Gacy Murders| url=http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Pyrotechnic_Insanitarium.html?id=u71s2gNZqJoC&redir_esc=y | publisher=[[Kensington Books#Imprints|Pinnacle]] | location=[[New York City]] | year=2000 | isbn= 0-7860-1422-9| oclc = 156783287}}</ref> |
|
|
|
|
|
The evil clown archetype plays strongly off the sense of dislike caused it to inherent elements of [[coulrophobia]]; however, it has been suggested by Joseph Durwin<ref name="trickster">{{cite journal | last=Durwin| first=Joseph| title=Coulrophobia and the Trickster| journal=Trickster's Way| volume=3| issue=1| id=Article 4| publisher=Trinity University| location=San Antonio| date=15 November 2004| url=http://digitalcommons.trinity.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1080&context=trickstersway&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fscholar.google.co.uk%2Fscholar%3Fstart%3D20%26q%3Devil%2Bclown%26hl%3Den%26as_sdt%3D0%2C5| issn=1538-9030| accessdate=2 January 2013}} |
|
The evil clown archetype plays strongly off the sense of dislike caused it to inherent elements of [[coulrophobia]]; however, it has been suggested by Joseph Durwin<ref name="trickster">{{cite journal | last=Durwin| first=Joseph| title=Coulrophobia and the Trickster| journal=Trickster's Way| volume=3| issue=1| id=Article 4| publisher=Trinity University| location=San Antonio| date=15 November 2004| url=http://digitalcommons.trinity.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1080&context=trickstersway&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fscholar.google.co.uk%2Fscholar%3Fstart%3D20%26q%3Devil%2Bclown%26hl%3Den%26as_sdt%3D0%2C5| issn=1538-9030| accessdate=2 January 2013}} |
|
</ref> that the concept of evil clowns has an independent position in popular culture, arguing that "the concept of evil clowns and the widespread hostility it induces is a cultural phenomenon which transcends just the phobia alone". A study by the [[University of Sheffield]] concluded "that clowns are universally disliked by children. Some found them quite frightening and unknowable."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7189401.stm |title=Health | Hospital clown images 'too scary' |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-01-15 |accessdate=2011-07-05}}</ref><ref name="Why scary">{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|date=2008-01-16|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7191721.stm|title=Why are clowns scary?|first=Finlo|last=Rohrer}}</ref> This may be because of the nature of clowns' makeup hiding their faces, making them potential threats in disguise; as a psychology professor at [[California State University, Northridge]] stated, young children are "very reactive to a familiar body type with an unfamiliar face".<ref name="trinity">{{cite web|url=http://www.trinity.edu/org/tricksters/trixway/current/Vol%203/Vol3_1/Durwin.htm |title=Trinity.edu |publisher=Trinity.edu |date= |accessdate=2011-07-05}}</ref> This natural dislike of clowns makes them effective in a literary or fictional context, as the antagonistic threat perceived in clowns is desirable in a villainous character. |
|
</ref> that the concept of evil clowns has an independent position in popular culture, arguing that "the concept of evil clowns and the widespread hostility it induces is a cultural phenomenon which transcends just the phobia alone". A study by the [[University of Sheffield]] concluded "that clowns are universally disliked by children. Some found them quite frightening and unknowable."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7189401.stm |title=Health | Hospital clown images 'too scary' |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-01-15 |accessdate=2011-07-05}}</ref><ref name="Why scary">{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|date=2008-01-16|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7191721.stm|title=Why are clowns scary?|first=Finlo|last=Rohrer}}</ref> This may be because of the nature of clowns' makeup hiding their faces, making them potential threats in disguise; as a psychology professor at [[California State University, Northridge]] stated, young children are "very reactive to a familiar body type with an unfamiliar face".<ref name="trinity">{{cite web|url=http://www.trinity.edu/org/tricksters/trixway/current/Vol%203/Vol3_1/Durwin.htm |title=Trinity.edu |publisher=Trinity.edu |date= |accessdate=2011-07-05}}</ref> This natural dislike of clowns makes them effective in a literary or fictional context, as the antagonistic threat perceived in clowns is desirable in a villainous character. My name is me. I like soccer too. |
|
|
|
|
|
==Interpretations== |
|
==Interpretations== |
|
|---|