Sienna Tohar - Week 12 - Recalling the 2016 Clown Sightings (why???)

 Warning: If you’re disturbed by clowns, you might want to refrain from reading the following. 

    Okay, so before 2020 happened, I always recalled 2016 to be one of those really strange and unfortunate years. I won’t explain every little thing that happened that year since we were all there, but thinking back to it, I wondered which one of those peculiar events really stuck out to me. Then I remembered the clowns.

First of all, there are so many questions to be asked right off the bat. How did it start? Why did it start? Where was it all going? What was the purpose, and good grief, why clowns? I’ll be honest, I really have terrible memory, but this is something I surely haven’t forgotten, not because it necessarily scared me, but just because I thought it was so weird. I don’t want to sound insensitive to those who actually are afraid of clowns, but they never really creeped me out. Although, to be fair, I never actually experienced one of the 2016 clown sightings myself (if you know what I’m talking about, you just know). 

So, for anyone who doesn’t know, back in 2016, there was a time where people were reporting a bunch of random clown sightings. It started in the U.S. and spread throughout Canada and an additional 18 or so countries. People would dress up as clowns and purposely make themselves look eerie and threatening, lurking around forests and schools. Many of them attacked and threatened people, as well. Some have recalled this to be the 2016 Clown Incident,  The 2016 Clown Scare, and even The Great Clown Panic of 2016. The hysteria stemming from these sightings was actually so bad, that schools had to close. Sales of clown suits in Scotland went up and many Floridians went trick or treating while armed that year (one family was attacked by around 20 clowns). Many areas banned clown costumes/masks and many stores removed them from their shelves. The World Clown Association even had to comment and release a statement (of disapproval) about it. I didn’t even know such an association existed! And of course, worldwide reports of clown sightings and attacks were made. This is just one of the articles I found that was released during these sightings when the panic started to rise 

https://www.theverge.com/2016/10/7/13191788/clown-attack-threats-2016-panic-hoax-debunked

Apparently, all the clown nonsense started as a marketing stunt for a film called Gags in which a man in Green Bay, Wisconsin roamed streets while dressed as a clown, gaining global attention, which is exactly where the sightings actually started in August. Some also believe many sightings to have been for promoting horror films 31 and the 2017 film adaption of It. A film inspired by these events actually came out in 2017 called Behind the Sightings. 

 

 

    Did I really decide to read up on this? Yes. Did I gain anything from it? I sure didn’t. Is there anything I could use this knowledge for in my near future? Nope, probably not. In fact, I have no clue why this is just one of those weird thoughts that permanently lives in my head, but it just does. Like, when you can’t sleep at night because your brain is just reminding you of strange or embarrassing experiences, this is one of those strange things that I just can’t forget (and believe me, I’ve tried. I suppose I’m lucky for lacking the fear of clowns). Recalling it just feels like a fever dream.

Also, I apparently wasn’t the only one thinking about this in 2020. Here’s an article that came out in September explaining and remembering the sightings. 

https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/clown-purge-memory/ (sorry about the profanity) 

This urge to learn more truly came out of nowhere for me, except curiosity. Although, I did learn that even through all the creepy photos, videos, and reported incidents, clowns still don’t really send shivers down my spine (not in 2016 and not now). Besides, the world is occupied with other concerns right now. So, even though we’re living during a global pandemic (please don’t forget that!!!) at least we’re not living through another Great Clown Panic. Always try to find light in a dark situation! 

Do you guys ever have strange random thoughts that you just can’t get rid of? Do you remember the clown sightings? Are you afraid of clowns? Until next time!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_clown_sightings#:~:text=The%202016%20clown%20sightings%20were%20reports%20of%20people,be%20a%20marketing%20stunt%20for%20a%20horror%20film.