Random clown sightings were the talk of last year's news cycle, as a spate of circus performer enthusiasts were lurking in locations all across the nation. Some folks thought that this was an opportune promotion for the then forthcoming remake of Stephen King's IT, but that notion was eventually put to rest by those involved with the film's production. And just to make it absolutely crystal clear, King himself has refuted any involvement with those clowns, although he says he can understand how things blew out of proportion. Here's how he feels about clowns:
Because clowns are scary. There's just no way around that. Clowns can be as angry as they want, and that's their right -- they're clowns! I mean, obviously they love kids. I came out in support of some clowns in Europe who asked me to say something nice about clowns because they go to hospitals and try to cheer up sick kids. I mean, if I were a sick kid and I saw a fucking clown coming, all the red lines would go off on my gear, because I'd be scared to death! So kids are scared of clowns.
Leave it to Stephen King to back the clowns of the world, despite helping contribute to the popular held belief that clowns are creepy. While not all of them are the gothic torture bringers that authors like King have embedded in the literary lexicon, there's certainly quite a number of them that are disconcerting looking, at least. It's a fact that's existed long before IT's 1986 publication, and it's not something that's going to go away anytime soon. So who can blame King for using that fear to turn in a story that still resonates as a hell of a read thirty years later?
It's hard to deny that IT has certainly been hard on hose-makeup-wearing bringers-of-joy, what with the film's release impacting the bookings and livelihood of the clown profession, and Stephen King didn't try to in his interview with Yahoo. And this weekend is probably not going to help any, as Andy Muschetti's first half of the planned two-part adaptation has been projected to be a record-breaking opening for September's box office. But don't hate Stephen King for this, as he shares your thoughts about the creepiness of clowns.
It's going to be a little while before folks start to think about hiring a clown for their children's birthday party, but if the profession could survive the smash success of the original novel for IT, as well as its 1990 miniseries adaptation, then the yin and yang of people's fear and love of clowns can continue to exist in balance. Though, if you need a clown you can trust, allow us to share with you a video of one clown that'll never betray you: recent America's Got Talent contestant, and all around class act crooner, Puddles' Pity Party!
However, if you want a heaping dosage of full blown Stephen King's creepy clown Pennywise, IT is out this weekend. Be sure to take a look at what else is coming in September, as well.
