[TIME] Creepy clowns are freaking out the French. Ohfergawdsake.
A rash of scary pranks carried out at night by the costumed characters have put police officers on alert. Teenagers dressed as clowns and carrying weapons have spooked many French citizens.
I ain't afraid o' no clown.
The frightening characters have even led one town to ban the costume altogether for anyone over the age of 13.
Tonight's All Hallows' Eve. Gloria's wearing a pumpkin costume. I've disguised myself as a grumpy old man. Pretty scary, huh?
Southern California, New York City, and England have all experienced a creepy clown craze like the one in France in recent years.
Scary clowns are quite trendy. If I've heard one teeny tell me he/she/it was afraid of clowns I've heard a dozen. I used to be a young fellow, back when dinosaurs ruled the world, and we had different passing fads. In the 1920s there was goldfish swallowing, in the 1930s there was marathon dancing. In Germany and Italy it was for a time thought pretty nifty to dress up in a uniform and thump a few people.
Probably clowns are about to pass into history, now that the bluenoses have nagged the fun out of circuses and it takes a second mortgage to buy tickets for yourself and a favorite grandchild.
I wonder what these dainty children who're scared of clowns but sympathize with vampires would make of Harlequin, Pierrot, Pantaloon, Columbine, and Pulcinella?