Clowns

[Chaosy]

This is a bit late to the party but recently there has been a 'ban' on dressing up as a clown because there is apparently a fair lot of people who got clown-phobia or something.
I thought this just another retarded thing from Murica until roughly one week ago when my eight year old brother went to a Halloween party which was hosted by his class (or the teachers rather).
So basically 20 gradeschoolers eating snacks in cheap costumes.

On the invitation they specifically stated that they were not allowed to dress up as clowns.
Which blew my mind. By bringing up clowns you only encourage it. The only reason a 8 year old would willingly choose a clown costume over another costume would be to be a rebel.

Thoughts?

 

[LordDz]

It's not banned due to "a clown phobia", it's probably much more banned due to people dressing up as clowns and threating people.
Or, attacking them and trying to murder them.

Knivbeväpnad clown gick till attack
Kickboxer attacked by clown with 10in machete fears he's ‘disabled for life’
Personer utklädda till clowner har attackerat flera personer - Klartext
There's more, but you get the point

Like, you're probably allowed to be a clown anytime in the future, but right now it's a bit of a no-no after all the things with clowns happening around the world.
Because, it scares people. Like genuine fear. Kinda defeats the purpose of a party.

 

[Chaosy]

Well in the case of 8 year olds, I doubt any of them were aware of any such attacks and thus wouldn't be scared.
If anything, kids would be the ones that love clowns the most.
And also - in theory - they could have dressed up as Hitler or some Isis member. But not clowns - no, no.

It's kinda laughable ;P

 

[LordDz]

... No you're not allowed to dress up as Hitler or ISIS. If you dress your brother as Hitler and send him to a Halloween Party, you're going to get some very concerned calls.

It's not laughable. I understand your point of freedom to dress like what you want, but currently there's news reports of 10 year olds threatened by people dressing as clowns,
it's not that far fetched that a 8 year old would know about it. Or that the parents who hold the party know about it.

Here's even a news report of an 8 year old being scared by a clown and jumping down from his balcony.
Oliver blev skrämd av clown – hoppade från balkong

Continuing googling, I find even more reports...
Larmet: Clowner skrämmer barn i Västervik
Clown bröt sig in i vardagsrum
Man attackerad av tre clowner i Falköping
Clowner utsattes för misshandel: ”Kommer sluta mycket illa”
Clown hotade lastbilschaufför med kniv på en parkeringsplats utanför Örebro
15-årig ryttare blev jagad av två clowner

Just find something else to get your brother to dress as.

 

[pyf]

Well in the case of 8 year olds, I doubt any of them were aware of any such attacks and thus wouldn't be scared.
If anything, kids would be the ones that love clowns the most. [...]

Coulrophobia - Research - Wikipedia

It's not banned due to "a clown phobia", it's probably much more banned due to people dressing up as clowns and threating people.
Or, attacking them and trying to murder them.

2016 clown sightings - Wikipedia

 

[GhostWolf]

I say, if you're going to ban clowns, ban furries too. Or halloween masks and pranks. Or just any prank and costume in general.

OR, you can possibly let the police force do its job (assuming it's doing its job wherever you live) and get people doing things you consider bad?

People do evil things with science, should science be banned too?

Some people treat their pets bad, so should we ban having pets?

I think I can stop here.

 

[Chaosy]

... No you're not allowed to dress up as Hitler or ISIS. If you dress your brother as Hitler and send him to a Halloween Party, you're going to get some very concerned calls.

True.
But it as far as the invitation was concerned it would be OK.

Continuing googling, I find even more reports...

You can probably find the same thing about, some other kind of costume.
And even if that's not true, those are still minority.
Most eventually have sex etc despite some people having Genophobia. Which is would trigger by seeing a couple kiss in public (I suppose it depends from person to person)
But that's not banned now is it?

I might be taking it too far when it comes to example but there are so many thing that are not banned that some few people simply hate or are super scared of.
My mother is scared to tight spaces such as small rooms, she get panic attacks if a room lacks windows and hates locking doors. Not sure what the phobia is called but I know for certain that we don't stop building small rooms such as elevators.

 

[pyf]

[...] Which is would trigger by seeing a couple kiss in public (I suppose it depends from person to person)
But that's not banned now is it?

Kiss - Cultural significance - Wikipedia
Kiss - Legality - Wikipedia

[...] scared to tight spaces such as small rooms [...] panic attacks if a room lacks windows and hates locking doors. Not sure what the phobia is called

Claustrophobia - Wikipedia

 

[LordDz]

Coulrophobia - Research - Wikipedia
2016 clown sightings - Wikipedia

Not sure what you mean by quoting those links, yes I'm aware that it happens in other countries.

And a lot of other countries are also suggesting for people not to dress up as a clown for halloween, due to people being scared of it.
No clowns allowed: scariest Halloween costume of 2016 faces bans across US

True.
But it as far as the invitation was concerned it would be OK.

No it wouldn't. I don't understand this argument at all, when has it ever been OK?

My mother is scared to tight spaces such as small rooms, she get panic attacks if a room lacks windows and hates locking doors. Not sure what the phobia is called but I know for certain that we don't stop building small rooms such as elevators.

But if she was invited to the party, maybe she wouldn't be forced to sit inside a small room, maybe they'd even allowed her to be outside?

So it's like we have two ways here:

Either
1) Choose a different costume than being a clown for a year, it's a party, it's supposed to be fun
2) Dress up as a clown. If people feel bad about it, fuck them!

 

[Celaquil]

I say, if you're going to ban clowns, ban furries too. Or halloween masks and pranks. Or just any prank and costume in general.

OR, you can possibly let the police force do its job (assuming it's doing its job wherever you live) and get people doing things you consider bad?

People do evil things with science, should science be banned too?

Some people treat their pets bad, so should we ban having pets?

I think I can stop here.

This.

Basically: You won't stop people who already do criminal acts from doing what they do simply by incriminating the way they dress.
Neither will you help the case where people are afraid of them by incriminating it. If there is one thing those people need in their
lives, it is to see people who are not evil who dress like clowns. They need to know that it is only a costume, and that it is the person
inside the costume that matters. The bottom-line point is: Incriminating something because someone uses that something for something
bad when that something is not inherently bad is simply stupid. It's like incriminating the Quran because... Terrorism. Classic examples,
both, of dumb instances of causation of correlation which is caused by ignorant fear. As a collective species, we really need to learn not
to do this anymore.

Now on a normative level, however, it is different. I would not personally dress up as a clown this Halloween, or send my kid to a party
dressed up as a clown this Halloween, because of the current idiocy that is circulating. (People dressing up as clowns and doing criminal
shit). When, however, all of this subsides, I'd have no qualms doing so or would not react to anyone doing so either. And that is a result
of social integrity, for the same reason as I wouldn't dress as Hitler or as an ISIS member, it's because I would not want to be associated
with those people, those ideals. Which is what would likely happen.

 

[Chaosy]

No it wouldn't. I don't understand this argument at all, when has it ever been OK?

They specifically state: "Not allowed to dress up as a clown." not saying anything about any other type of costume.
Of course, not dressing as Hitler should be the Norm. An unwritten rule if you will. But it's still mind blowing to me that they bother to write "No clowns" but don't mention the other 100 things I can think of that you shouldn't dress up as, that are worse than clowns.
I don't expect them to write a 100 page list of things you cannot dress at, but I don't get that they choose clowns over things that are way worse.

But if she was invited to the party, maybe she wouldn't be forced to sit inside a small room, maybe they'd even allowed her to be outside?

It's not about the party it's about society in general. Let's only care about those with certain phobias.
You can be allergic to nuts on the level that you might DIE from being nearby someone eating it. (they actually banned nuts on my school because of this)
Yet they are sold in stores and allowed to be eaten on the street.

I would not personally dress up as a clown this Halloween, or send my kid to a party
dressed up as a clown this Halloween

I wouldn't either. I just find the rule silly regardless

 

[Cherrymage]

Meh, it's just a clown after all. Why care so much about clowns? It's nothing scary, and personally I feel clowns are boring.

It's not like you're dressing like Hitler or something.
GhostWolf is right. If clowns were not allowed because some people were afraid, then ban Halloween and all other costumes too. Because ghosts, vampires, etc. are also scary to some other folks

 

[pyf]

Not sure what you mean by quoting those links, yes I'm aware that it happens in other countries.

The second link helps put things into perspective worldwide, in a single page and all in English.


The first link it a bit of a misfire on my part, as it proves nothing. I inferred it may be possible, negative clown images are progressively replacing positive clown images in the younger generation's minds. Which conflicts with the idea that kids would be the ones that love clowns the most.

In a 2007 study aimed at improving hospital design for kids and teens, it is reported many of them stated that they actively feared clowns. Wikipedia references these two pages here and here to substantiate this.

After reading this study, I believe children expressed this view only towards clowns decorations (which are not clearly shown as far as I can see), and possibly a single one of them.

Original 2007 study:
Centre for the Study of Childhood and Youth
(see 'The hospital as a physical space: children's perspectives')


Yet, some child psychologists may consider clowns to come from a different era, while also saying very few children like them, since they are unfamiliar and just look odd.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7189401.stm