Evil clown
The image of the evil clown is a recent development in American popular culture, in which the playful trope of the clown is rendered as disturbing through the use of dark humor and horror elements.
Many people find clowns disturbing rather than amusing. Clown costumes tend to exaggerate the facial features and some body parts, such as hands and feet. This can be read as monstrous or deformed as easily as it can be read as comical. At the same time, the clown act is often represented as drunken, reckless, or simply insane -- that of the giggling maniac.
Major examples of "Evil clown" imagery are:
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