2016 lurking clowns epidemic

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37455073

Kentucky police have arrested a man dressed as a clown lurking in a wooded area amid a wave of clown reports in at least six US states.
Jonathan Martin, 20, was charged with wearing a mask in a public place and disorderly conduct in Middlesboro.
He was found at about 0100 EST (0600 GMT) on Friday in "full clown costume" and mask crouching among trees by an apartment complex, according to police.
Recent reports of clowns trying to lure children into woods have sparked alarm.
Police have warned individuals against dressing up in clown costumes, adding it could lead to criminal charges.
"Dressing as a clown and driving, walking or standing in public can create a dangerous situation for you and others," police in nearby Barbourville, Kentucky, said in a statement online.
"While dressing up is not, in and of itself against the law, doing so in public and thereby creating an unnecessary sense of alarm is illegal."
Why are clowns scary?
Alleged clown encounters have been reported in recent weeks in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky.
Image copyrightBELL COUNTY DETENTION CENTER
Image caption
A police photo showed Mr Martin in his clown costume
But the recent wave of creepy clown sightings has also led to a string of false reports to both police and on social media.
Police in Annapolis, Maryland, recently found reports of students being scared by clowns on the way to school to be untrue.
A 24-year-old man was charged with making false reports in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, after he told police a clown knocked on his window.
Meanwhile, an 11-year-old girl was arrested in Athens, Georgia, for bringing a knife to school because she was scared by social media reports that clowns were attacking children.
Mr Martin's arrest comes as Kentucky residents have reported sightings of a clown matching the description of his costume.
A photo posted on Facebook on Wednesday showed a clown in Waco, Kentucky, dressed in a similar black-and-white costume.

What's all this then?

we have one in town now! we are all very excited here.

http://www.recorder.com/Greenfield-dispatch-reports-call-about-man-in-clown-costume-lurking-in-Fairground-4822358

surely lurking in a fairground is a clown's job?

empty fairground...the fair was weeks ago.

I hadn't realised that they'd established the identity of the Northampton clown from a few years ago. the interview makes him sound a bit like Aldridge Prior from Viz

He wrote on his own Facebook page: “There’s been lots of rumours that I’m the Northampton Clown but I am NOT! But thanks for all the interest as it’s shot my views right up.”

And he added falsely: “And I don’t live in Northampton any more.”

Yesterday the sleepy-looking joker opened the door in his pyjamas and, at first, insisted: “I am not the clown”.

But when we showed him our photos he changed his tune.

He confessed: “OK, I am the clown but I’ve been trying to keep it as ­mysterious as possible. To be discreet so people didn’t find out.

“Your pictures are from the day I went to meet a little girl who only has six months to live.

“Her mum messaged me saying she really wants to meet you before she dies. I took a picture with her and gave her a clown teddy and stuff.

“On Facebook I’ve had over a thousand death threats. It was just a bit of fun at first and a lot of people seem to enjoy it but it gets a bit hard sometimes with the death threats.”

Powell, who grew up in Paignton, Torbay, claimed a man threatened to knife him at Sixfields, Northampton Town FC’s ground.

He said: “I swear he had a knife and told me he would stab me if there were not so many people around.”

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/northampton-clown-unmasked-alex-powell-2366915

i thought this was about ilx's silent majority

^^^

"While dressing up is not, in and of itself against the law, doing so in public and thereby creating an unnecessary sense of alarm is illegal."

Wait, so clowns in public are just illegal now?

surely lurking in a fairground is a clown's job?

― door unlawful carnal knowledge (Noodle Vague), Sunday, September 25, 2016 1:05 AM (thirty-three minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

empty fairground...the fair was weeks ago.

― scott seward, Sunday, September 25, 2016 1:14 AM (twenty-four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

*chills*

"While dressing up is not, in and of itself against the law, doing so in public and thereby creating an unnecessary sense of alarm is illegal."

Wait, so clowns in public are just illegal now?

― jmm, Sunday, September 25, 2016 1:31 AM (twelve minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

UK police were significantly more temperate during our 2013 lurking clown epidemic, merely saying that they would offer "strong words of advice" to anyone dressing as a clown in public:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/stop-clowning-around-police-urge-public-to-ignore-creepy-clowns-after-sightings-across-uk-8970548.html

"Clowns are inching closer and closer to Memphis..."

http://wreg.com/2016/09/24/tennessee-department-of-safety-reports-clown-sighting-in-jackson-area/

UK police were significantly more temperate during our 2013 lurking clown epidemic

ah, mad clown

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/article/cops-catch-creepy-clown-in-kentucky

I want to hear the juggalo community's input on this. Are they down with the clown in this instance?

Kops Katch Kreepy Klown in Centucky.

The clowns are a nice addition to all the heroin zombies wandering around Kentucky. All they need is a few conceal carry nuts loaded for bear to add to the parade and they are ready to roll.

Feels like real-life creepypasta

Dispatcher: "Police, please state your emergency."
Caller: "Someone just Ctrl V'd a freakin' clown near my house."
Dispatcher: "Please stay indoors and keep away from the windows. We're dispatching a SWAT team."

NPR gettin in on the clown action

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/24/495298587/sinister-clowns-are-scaring-people-in-multiple-states

SWAT Team Leader: "OK team, I want you all to be careful. This clown is armed."
SWAT Team Member: "What with? Pistol? Shotgun?"
SWAT Team Leader: "No. A bucket of confetti and..." *BITES LIP AND CLOSES EYES IN AN ATTEMPT TO CONTROL TEARS* "...an old-timey car horn."

TBF, this is pretty fucked up:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CtDA7C-XEAAYqUN.jpg

If there's no thread about masks can we remedy that stat?

Last week I was listening to AM radio and I thought I hadn't woken up yet when the news reporter said, "police are at a loss due to multiple sightings of clowns lurking about near wooded areas!" I kept thinking there's no way I just heard that.

Ha this current wave of clown sightings started in Greenville, SC where I live.

Kind of amazing to watch this metastasize from a goofy local panic into a full blown national hysteria.

Why can't clown just stand near the woods? Do they have to lurk?

what if all this is just viral marketing for the New IT movie?

man

can't we just have this

It makes me wonder if there's a long-standing culture of people doing this as a sort of practical joke and it's only now being reported. Or is it just that the idea of being 'a creepy clown' is a go to act for people who want to freak other people out?

“You can’t charge someone for carrying a machete,” DeFoor said. “And there’s nothing illegal about wearing a clown costume, or on Halloween we’d be arresting thousands of people.”

Meanwhile, an 11-year-old girl was arrested in Athens, Georgia, for bringing a knife to school

Imagine walking around a deserted area and noticing a clown looking at you from the shadows

Smith issued a statement Wednesday after he received numerous calls and texts about four men dressed as clowns who were riding in a car last weekend on West Merriman Avenue in Wynne. The clowns, he said, were "bloody-faced" and "scary."

"I'm not talking about the Bozos or the Ronald McDonald clowns," Smith said. "They're OK. It's the evil, scary clowns who have the intent to scare and harass people."

Smith isn't joking. He said he will arrest those bedecked in the "non-family-style" clown outfits, take them to the sheriff's office in Wynne and charge them with harassment or disorderly conduct.

"By no means do I want to impede anyone's effort for doing something like holding a clown party or to dress up for Halloween," the sheriff said. "But to do it to cause fear in the general public won't be tolerated."

City of Wynne a lot more tolerant than I've given it credit for.

He said he will arrest those bedecked in the "non-family-style" clown outfits, take them to the sheriff's office in Wynne and charge them with harassment or disorderly conduct.

the good news is that police can minimise the impact on public funds by squeezing up to 15 clowns in one cop car

this is all probably just catfishing gone wrong

Ooooorrrrrr ..... it's a bunch of killer evil clowns. I mean, who really wants to take the chance?

Someone should bring this to Trump's attention, asap.

http://ht.ly/xO7Q304y9TF

“This is a growing problem across the commonwealth. Please do NOT engage in this illegal behavior. Dressing as a clown and approaching people can result in someone getting seriously hurt. I strongly recommend not to engage in this behavior and want everyone to be aware of the Va. law which prohibits this behavior,” said Sheriff Donald Smith.

keep thinking this is a thread about ILM

i think the Green Bay WI one was the original, but huh:
http://wbay.com/2016/08/05/gags-the-green-bay-clown-exposed/

*clown menace*

one of my first ILE threads. i had no idea what the future would hold!

What's A Bigger Cliche: "I Hate Mimes!" Or "I'm Scared Of Clowns!"

I hate clowns almost as much as I hate mimes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O52mNrTjYTE

is it illegal to hit a clown with your car

if you do and it hurts your car, the clown has to pay, right?

2016 lurking clowns in bars epidemic

Gags the (Green Bay) Clown interviewed: https://soundcloud.com/maxatkruz/gags-interview-with-director-adam

"I'm not talking about the Bozos or the Ronald McDonald clowns," Smith said. "They're OK. It's the evil, scary clowns who have the intent to scare and harass people."

#notallclowns

so is this the new politics thread or what

hur hur

We should have an ilx gathering where we all go to a bar as clowns

fuck no

my wife's sister is attending Puddles Pity Party tonight and if you didn't know what that is, it's this

https://vimeo.com/108635845

A clowny clown clown

for some reason i find puddles surprisingly unobjectionable

He's a talented singer I guess. I just don't have time for clowns in any way shape or form. They're baconed as fuck.

it really is an epidemic

http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/34862208-75/reports-of-creepy-clowns-appear-in-eugene-springfield-area-prompting-warnings-from-law-enforcement.html.csp

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/10/05/scary-clowns-spread-white-house-weighs-in-on-creeps-and-stephen-king-defends-the-good-ones/

Also on Tuesday, creepy clowns were invoked at the White House. During a news conference, a Bloomberg reporter asked White House press secretary Josh Earnest if President Obama was aware of the clown reports and associated arrests. Earnest said he did not know if the president had been briefed on creepy clowns, and deferring to the FBI and Department of Homeland Security on the jester specifics.

imo, this is all part of the larger Trump phenomenon.

From pirates to zombies to creepy clowns.

our school district sent out an email yesterday telling parents that they were dealing with creepy clown threats, but they're pretty sure they're hoaxes. my daughter hasn't reported any creepy clowns.

Great, now my middle school daughter actually *has* brought up creepy clowns. Is there a helpful article I can show her addressing this as a non-issue?

the problem with clowns, vs the boogeyman or slenderman for example, is that they're real

feel like large cities will have less of a problem with this than rural communities. more wackos per capita

I basically told her that there are plenty of people in this country who are dangerous, and the vast majority of them are not dressed like clowns. I told her they are a much bigger problem, so no use worrying about clowns. At least you can see them coming!

Also, clowns are 'real' only in the sense that anybody in a costume is real. People dressed as skeletons, or vampires or werewolves are real too. But also totally not real.

A skeleton is inside everyone
Werewolves and vampires are fictional creatures with certain physical aspects people emulate

As far as I know clowns are not mythical creatures, they are literally people wearing exaggerated clothing and face paint with wigs. If you dress like that, you're not dressing to emulate some fictional creature, you are an actual clown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ3IcBhur50

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley#

http://ebayclowns.tumblr.com/post/151250662572/is-there-a-word-for-people-who-really-like-clowns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S8poOaSlGc

Cl(o)w(ntology)

thish ontology of clownsh

Clown riot at Penn State

http://heavy.com/news/2016/10/creepy-clowns-penn-state-riot-lock-down-campus-college-threatening-video-pennsylvania/

This was a terrible day to teach adolescents, in case any of you were wondering. Never did I imagine my job title would involve defending the right to clown.

so is this the bath salts/face eating of 2016

I'm sick of the zeitgeist and it's obscure phenomena begging for psychoanalytic unpacking. Sick go death

*to

any doubts about whether this was viral marketing for the 2017 IT remark should be laid to rest by that first image in the link about the Penn State "riot" (sounds more like a "flash mob" to me, and I say that with full intent to disparage)

http://i.imgur.com/uUk1Cg1.png

Remember when the kids used to plank?

suspect his punker friend was v disappointed when he realized what he meant by going "Pennywising"

the happy slapping pandemic was much worse

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/oddities/20161005/instagram-account-says-creepy-clowns-are-coming-to-pasadena-whittier

they better watch out for the old lady on Colorado Boulevard

take it back, this might be 2016's "knockout game"

no, people are actually wearing dumb clown outfits

I saw at least two youth dressed like that Goku dragonball guy in the last year, including one at a mall food court. Where is my warning and news report for that shit?

are there that many people actually wearing clown outfits? i want a timeline

One of the schools near me had two lockdowns because of alleged clown sightings.

why aren't there more photos? everyone has cameras in their phones now. i am skeptical

In another part of the county, someone did post a picture online of guy in a clown mask holding a bb gun and standing on a bridge.

lol xpost

https://twitter.com/SightingOfClown?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

on the one hand, this whole thing seems really forced

on the other hand, what the hell, you know what, why not, some clowns here and there, who gives a shit, why not some clowns standing around, some here some there, just a couple of clowns, standing

feel like following any of these assholes home discreetly, then putting on a Grim Reaper robe, holding a scythe, breaking into their room, and standing at the foot of their bed in the wee hours of the morning every night until they find some new shitty fad

hm

that is exactly what all these people think xp

Violent jay and shaggy 2 dope must be enjoying this

Lurking clowns feed on fear, imo. The greater the panic over this, the more people will be inspired to clown. The solution is to stay calm, or deport all clowns.

clown threats

http://www.cleveland.com/garfield-heights/index.ssf/2016/10/instagram_clown_accused_of_mak.html#incart_river_home

The file art they're using with these is killing me.

A person dressed as the scary clown from the movie "It" poses at a convention in Argentina.

https://twitter.com/CIown_Sighting

also ^^^

Here's another one:

http://komonews.com/news/local/puyallup-student-arrested-as-creepy-clown-mania-spreads-in-w-wash

PUYALLUP, Wash. - A Puyallup high school student is behind bars Wednesday after a series of clown-related threats spiraled out of control, forcing the school to be placed in a modified lockdown Tuesday.

Tribune column here headlined "Laugh, creepy clowns. Go on, laugh."

Meanwhile this is the story my daughter brought home:

http://abc7chicago.com/news/reports-of-clowns-approaching-students-spread-to-chicago/1538828/

Just checked a Facebook parent thread here, and there are kids having trouble sleeping, no longer interested in trick or treating, spreading rumors that clowns are killing people by the dozens (kids are gullible). My fave comment: "We have clowns threatening to kill people and billionaire villains running for president, so it's proof more than ever that we need Batman."

Not hearing so many complaints about sexy clowns, I guess we have to wait until closer to Halloween for that.

clown sex is barely documented, the province of cryptozoologists and cranks

All these dudes out there just trying to impress potential Harley Quinns.

"Since you stopped leaving pornography out here you have no use for these woods, and they have become a home for the clowns. They suit us fine."

https://samkriss.wordpress.com/2016/10/05/a-creepy-clown-manifesto/

Least frightening place to see a killer clown: midtown New York. Most frightening: rural Tennessee

clown sex is barely documented, the province of cryptozoologists and cranks

― look at the morning people (Jon not Jon), Thursday, October 6, 2016 9:59 AM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Sad Clown Porn - why?

Toronto now too:
http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/group-of-clowns-threaten-taunt-tcdsb-students-1.3103333

Thought it was spelled "clouwns" up there, live and learn

I've gotten into the worst arguments with people over whether or not "w" is a vowel when used in words like clown and drown. (It is.)

Especially when Nico says it

going to have Nico's pronunciation of "clown" in my head all day

"w" is a vowel

my fav DC Talk jam

https://youtu.be/a21DTmOP9Yw

God damn cock blocking link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJggcFYhiu4

http://www.youtube.com/ODqj9Mq39FM

Ugh. Stupid phone messing up my stupid jokes. Anyway, someone can pretend they just heard a Barbra Streisand song about clowns, and also an Elvis Costello song about clowns.

nah i'm good

How to talk to your kids about scary clowns

I am going to dress up like a clown, sneak into my kid's room at night, wake them up and say hey, it's just me, your dad, no reason to be scared of clowns.

I'm scary how? I mean, scary like I'm a clown, I alarm you? I make you scream, I'm here to fuckin' alarm you? What do you mean scary, scary how? How am I scary?

from some moron at my kids' school today:

Good afternoon Families,

Several of our schools have heard from concerned parents who said their students are talking about clowns committing potential acts of violence. Threats have been posted on Instagram and other social media platforms. Over the past few weeks, several have gone so far as to reference specific schools in Fulton County.

We are aware that some other school districts in metro Atlanta have received similar reports. Similar threats have also been made in recent weeks to schools around the country. Please know that in the majority of instances across the nation, these rumors have been deemed a hoax or a prank. While we believe the messages to be hoaxes, we will nonetheless take any threat towards our students and staff seriously and have been extra-vigilant.

We wanted parents to be aware that the Fulton County Schools Police Department is working with local authorities to investigate these reports to assess their validity. Please know that student safety is our number one priority.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call your principal.

Thank you for your support and partnership in keeping our students safe.

The fact that any administrator took the time to write and distribute that explains a lot of things that are shit-sideways.

important map: http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-definitive-map-of-americas-creepy-clown-epidemic

When a clown meets a clown comin' through the rye

The Florida school district locked down S.S. Seward Institute for a time Tuesday after a report that there was a clown at the school...

http://www.recordonline.com/news/20161004/local-school-locked-down-after-reports-of-clown-inside-school

A mob of Pennsylvania college students set out to hunt clowns early Tuesday after rumors spread that one was on the loose near campus.

http://time.com/4517709/penn-state-clown-hunt/

The Florida school district locked down S.S. Seward Institute for a time Tuesday after a report that there was a clown at the school...

http://www.recordonline.com/news/20161004/local-school-locked-down-after-reports-of-clown-inside-school

― scott seward, Thursday, October 6, 2016 3:22 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i was so confused on this being Florida, Orange County, in New York state, I had to look it up :-)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida,_Orange_County,_New_York

I wish it were the Scott Seward Institute.

"the clowns are menacing from inside the institute"

institute-toot

Wherever there's a clown menacin' a guy, I'll be there.

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1028/7399/products/170932_grande.jpeg?v=1445388342

is floppy boot stomp surging on Spotify yet

http://mashable.com/2016/10/12/batman-creepy-clowns-uk/#CieVpu7nqqqo

Yeah, this is quite tiresome already. There was a report of a guy dressed as a clown chasing a young child in a park near me in Lewisham this week. I think I might have seen him as well. I saw a guy on a motorbike with a mask on. The thing none of these reports really say is how far these guys are invested in their whole clown thing. Did the clown in the report just wear normal clothes and a clown mask like I think I saw. Cos that's just a bit rubbish really.

i'm telling you guys, it makes me feel weirded out because SHARK ATTACKS seemed ever-present and unavoidable for a week just over fifteen years ago. constant rotation on cable news, a handful of think pieces, and now it seems like nothing because September eleventh rolled around that year and no one talked about sharks

what if the clowns are a goddamn harbinger

This happened around here in the 80s too. It's actually sociologically interesting

sharks, Satanic preschool teachers, happy slapping, anti-gingerism, killer clowns, gang member initiations, it's always something

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right...

Funny story. A friend was hosting a sleepover for her young son and a few friends. No one was sleeping, so she decided, fine, I'll take them to the park at 11:30pm to run around with flashlights until they get tired. That lasted three minutes before they ran back, scared, saying they'd seen a bunch of clowns. Fine, bad idea, she thought, and took them home.

The next day she found out from her older kid that yeah, there were a bunch of clowns that night! Apparently upperclass high school kids scaring some freshmen party in the park or something.

we've reached the thinkpiece stage:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/opinion/sunday/what-do-the-scary-clowns-want.html?_r=0