I teach theatrical makeup at a local college and clown makeup is one of the topics I cover in my course.

Around two years ago, when I mentioned the upcoming lessons to my class, one girl became quite agitated. She said she was deathly afraid of clowns and had been this way since she was very young. There was no way in the world that she would be able to participate in applying clown makeup - and, for that matter, absolutely no way that she would even be in the same room with someone wearing a clown face.

She explained the origin of her phobia, and I must admit I had never heard anything like it: When she was a little girl, her father took her to see a small circus that was performing in Brooklyn. A clown was in the ring, and he suddenly noticed someone in the audience he disliked in the extreme - the clown then pulled a gun from within his costume and fired at the man, hitting him with at least one bullet. At first the audience thought it was part of the show, but when they realized this was a gun-wielding maniac clown, there was general pandemonium.

My student was absolutely certain that this was the way it happened. Ever since, she said, she had a terror of clowns of all types.

Now, to get back on topic:



I know, I know....

I just couldn't resist.

Signor V.