The last two years have been tough on clowns. In 2016, there were creepy clown sightings all over the United States and world. Some of the sightings however led to incidents.
2017 hasn’t been any easier on clowns all over, not because of the 2016 creepy encounters, but because of a movie slated to be released on September 8th: It.
It is based on the 1986 novel by Stephen King and has a creepy description according to IMDB:
“A group of bullied kids band together when a monster, taking the appearance of a clown, begins hunting children.”
Here’s a trailer for the movie:
As you can tell if you watched the trailer, it looks straight up terrifying. Due to the scary nature of the film, clowns around the world are having trouble finding jobs, according to The Hollywood Reporter:
“People had school shows and library shows that were canceled,” the World Clown Association Pam Moody president said. “The very public we’re trying to deliver positive and important messages to aren’t getting them.”
King has also admitted that his book and movie may have played a part in the loss of clown shows around the world.
The clowns are pissed at me. Sorry, most are great. BUT…kids have always been scared of clowns. Don't kill the messengers for the message.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 10, 2017
Here’s a list of past evil clowns in movies that apparently didn’t cause nearly the uproar It is causing within the clown job-seeking community:
It (1990), Poltergeist (1982), Stitches (2012), Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988), Spawn (1997), Zombieland (2009), Saw (all of the movies), American Horror Story: Freak Show (2014-2015), etc.
Yet right now, the clown frenzy seems to be at its height moviewise. Luckily, as Moody points out, the 2016 clown scare did help clowns prepare for this year.
“Last year we were really blindsided…” Moody said. “We’ve since created a press kit to prepare clowns for the movie coming out.”
“They’re different from regular people — they’re costumed characters. But no one is picking on the Santa Clauses, because that would ruin the retail business,” she says. “It would ruin Christmas for everybody.”
At the end of the day the clowns will find jobs, but for now things seem to be tough. And It looks creepy as hell.
