Real-Life Clowns are Losing Work Because of the Upcoming IT Movie
We've all seen the trailers for IT, and they left us shivering with terror and anticipation for the new adaptation of the Stephen King novel. Now movie fans aren't the only ones scared by the upcoming horror movie. People who make a living working as real-life clowns are scared that they are going to lose more than a few hundred pennies thanks to Pennywise.
Last April King tweeted that the face-painted performers were "pissed at me. Sorry, most are great. BUT," he continued, "kids have always been scared of clowns. Don't kill the messengers for the message."
King was referring to the financial hits the legitimate clowning industry was suffering thanks to Pennywise the killer clown — just one of many forms taken by the evil entity referenced in the book's title.
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
In the Book, Pennywise, described by King as "a cross between Bozo and Clarabell" with "funny tufts of red hair on either side of his bald head" that has remained the most iconic incarnation — thanks in no small part to Tim Curry's unnerving portrayal of the character in the 1990 ABC miniseries.
In the newest version of It, Pennywise is played by 27-year-old Bill Skarsgard and real clowns around the world are already preparing for another round of bad press.
The World Clown Association told The Hollywood Reporter:
"Last year we were really blindsided," says World Clown Association president Pam Moody of the evil clown sightings — typically pranksters in store-bought clown masks who lurked near schools and in residential neighborhoods, sometime with weapons in hand. "We've since created a press kit to prepare clowns for the movie coming out."
That guide, “WCA Stand on Scary Clowns !!,” reminds the WCA membership that the "art of clown is something to be treasured and enjoyed" and that "just because someone wears a rubber Halloween mask, that does not make one a clown!" It also recommends "that young children not be exposed to horror movies" such as It.
The President of the WCA says kids by instinct are naturally scared of clowns, just as they are leery of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.
"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."
"It all started with the original It," she notes. "That introduced the concept of this character. It's a science-fiction character. It's not a clown and has nothing to do with pro clowning."
The industry has taken a major hit thanks to this recent surge in "scary clown" in pop culture.
"People had school shows and library shows that were canceled," says Moody. "That’s very unfortunate. The very public we're trying to deliver positive and important messages to aren't getting them."
And the backlash has affected the legit clowning world in other ways. One WCA member arrived early for a children's birthday party recently and waited outside in her parked car.
"She looks up and there are four police officers surrounding her," Moody says. "Someone in the neighborhood called in a clown sighting."
Despite all the headache the upcoming horror film has caused for the clowning world lots of people are really looking forward to the arrival of It in theaters on September 8.