Clown face, originally uploaded by HolaHolaCherryCola (Nathalie Márquez Courtney).

 

I saw this on Una’s blog.

Basically, new research shows that kids are scared of clowns:

“The study, reported in the Nursing Standard magazine, found all the 250 patients aged between 4 and 16 they quizzed disliked the use of clowns, with even the older ones finding them scary.”

I’m totally biased of course, but I think it’s the clown make-up (on a grown man) and not the clown that scares children. We had this brilliant guy a few years ago from Venezuela, Henry, who hardly wore any make-up and the kids loved him; little girls asked for his autograph and we ended up selling t-shirts with his face on them. I think the make-up - on grown clowns anyway - can look a bit garish and frightening, like a weird mask.

We currently have the least scary clown in our circus - my little cousin Stephen (pictured). Nicks his mum expensive red lippy to do his cheeks!

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