Coulrophobes beware! We talk about killer and suicidal clowns, including John Wayne Gacy, clown assassinations, and of course, Juggalos. Plus dangerous clowns in pop culture!
Music: “Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)” by Andy Russell
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There’s also the Pink song Funhouse which has the lyric, “This used to be a funhouse, but now it’s full of evil clowns”. Good music video.
you missed another It’s Always Sunny clown reference- Season 3 -Mac is a serial killer – Dennis and Dee are trying to get in the mind of a serial killer and each take a persona. Sweet Dee decides to go the killer clown route while they stalk the waitress to see if they can kill her. Gag – her shoes squeak as she’s following the waitress.
Fun fact, murder committed by someone wearing a clown’s “face” is a major plot point of one of the Nightwatch books by Terry Pratchett. (Men at Arms I think) There are even clowns talking about how each clown’s makeup is unique and how it’s their real face. Wearing someone else’s face is a horrible travesty and nobody in the fool’s guild would ever do it. There’s also a scene of a clown funeral, brilliant and hilarious as Terry Pratchett usually is:
http://clothesinbooks.blogspot.cz/2012/05/clowns-funeral-and-legendary-terry.html
Excellent snippet, Jan. I must read that one again.
Yes, Men At Arms.
Has some more great insights into how clowns work:
“No clowns were funny. That was the whole purpose of a clown. People laughed at clowns, but only out of nervousness. The point of clowns was that, after watching them, anything else that happened seemed enjoyable. It was nice to know there was someone worse off than you.
Someone had to be the butt of the world.
But even clowns are frightened of something, and that is the white-faced clown. The one who never gets in the way of the custard. The one in the shiny white clothes, and the deadpan white make-up. The one with the little pointy hat and the thin mouth and the delicate black eyebrows.”
This introduces Dr. Whiteface, the head of the Fools’ Guild and much less jovial and likable than, say, the head of the Assassins’ Guild.
I was going to mention that!
What’s the music playing at the end?
I’ll give you a hint, it was referenced earlier in the episode
Did you ever find out the name of that song? It’s so familiar but I haven’t been able to nail it down. Older Delerium maybe?
I’ll give you another hint, it’s from a movie starring Tom Cruise
I don’t see a link for the “Day the Clown Cried” script, so here it is: http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/the_day_the_clown_cried.html
I cant believe you didn’t cover the Northampton clown in the news
coverage http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/16/scary-clown-northhampton-england_n_3934290.html
By an amazing coincidence…
http://www.neatorama.com/2014/02/17/Crisis-America-Faces-National-Clown-Shortage-Emergency
Joe with a sneaky comment on SUVs there…
There’s nothing less funny than a single small clown coming out of a giant SUV.
Firestar was introduced in Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends and then went on to be a minor character in the canonical Marvel Universe.
Of course! And let’s not forget Ms. Lion. Oh no, wait – let’s do forget.
I thought “Shakes the Clown” was funny. There are some great one liners in the movie.
Just a note… Pagliacci in italian means “Clowns”… so it’s a clown named clown.
What’s the Italian word for “redundant”?
perhaps i missed it, did no one mention Doctor Rockso the Rock-n-roll Clown k-k-k-k-k-k-k-yeah?! he does COCAINE! from Metalocalypse. kinda a pastiche of KISS and the guy from Led Zepp that abducted a girl or something..?
there was also an episode of my less than favorite ‘Extreme Ghostbusters’ that featured ghost clowns that could only attack you if they could make you laugh. they could not affect Egon because he has no sense of silly humor. the show sucked.
Dr Rockso ain’t been doing so good lately, could sure use a friend? Ka-ka-ka-anyone? Preferably someone with some ka-ka-ka-drugs?
Kind of random, but here’s a horrifying gallery of vintage Heinz Pickles print advertisements featuring a bunch of creepy-ass clowns:
http://www.lileks.com/institute/gallery/clownpickles/index.html
Horrifying!
Worst episode of Mad Men…. EVER!
I realize this is quite an old episode, but upon seeing this fantastic Italian photo series, I was immediately reminded of caustic soda. Good stuff!
http://eoloperfido.com/clownville-photography/