World Clown Association Denounces Creepy Clowns
“Anyone making a threat of violence should be arrested ... This clearly is not the act of a professional clown,” WCA President Randy Christensen says
October 18, 2016
As Stern Show listeners heard Tuesday during Robin’s News, the President of the World Clown Association has issued a statement denouncing creepy clowns.
WCA President Randy Christensen’s statement draws a line in the sand between family-friendly clowns, who he insists “bring a happy, joyful, creative, caring, positive, and fun experience to our audiences,” and creepy clowns, who “are taking something innocent and wholesome and perverting it to create fear in their audience.”
“Anyone making a threat of violence should be arrested, whether this person is wearing a mask or not,” he wrote. “This clearly is not the act of a professional clown.”
Target would seem to agree, as the retail giant recently pulled creepy clown masks from its shelves in the hopes of curbing the rise in creepy clowns.
Here’s the WCA President’s statement in full:
“Dear Friend,
We at the World Clown Association are proponents of positive, family-friendly entertainment. We believe the art of clown is something to be treasured and enjoyed by audience’s world-wide. We bring a happy, joyful, creative, caring, positive, and fun experience to our audiences.
We understand that some people enjoy the “horror genre” of entertainment, but we find that many people are confronted by images of horror characters (impersonating clowns) and are startled by them…which is obviously the goal of these horror characters. In my opinion, these horror characters are not clowns.
Just as a Haunted House event may have a “doctor” wearing surgical gear, carrying a bloody chainsaw, people need to understand that this character is NOT a real doctor. He is a person portraying an evil character in order to scare people. In the same way, people dressed as horror clowns are not “real clowns.” They are taking something innocent and wholesome and perverting it to create fear in their audience.
Please understand, just because someone wears a rubber Halloween mask, that does not make one a clown! The horror movie character, “Jason,” wears a hockey goalie mask. But, people would be mistaken if they actually thought he was a hockey player! We disavow any relationship with these “horror characters.”
We stand with our safety officers who call for an end to the traumatization of individuals and communities. Anyone making a threat of violence should be arrested, whether this person is wearing a mask or not. This clearly is not the act of a professional clown.
The World Clown Association shares laughs and “comic relief” everywhere for the positive, wholesome, enjoyment of their audiences. It is true that various horror clown portrayals work against our goal. We hope our audience realizes that there are different categories in entertainment. We stay on the positive side of things providing fun, g-rated, child-friendly entertainment.
Sincerely,
Randy Christensen
Click here for more information on the World Clown Association. And click here for the latest on creepy clowns across the globe.
