By Kaydee Donohoo
Staff Writer

Let’s get one thing straight: clowns are scary. Maybe it’s the fact that they have their faces covered, or maybe it’s the “bad carnie” stereotype.
It’s also the fact that scary clowns are more prevalent in media than their positive-for-children counterpart. Awful clowns come to mind first, such as the clown from “It,” the Joker and his creepy mouth, and the bunch from American Horror Story to name a few.
So it’s no wonder that creepy clowns showing up at night in a number of siting is viewed as terrifying. Late night pirate sightings would not have the same effect.
I will admit that the thought of running into a clown at night alone, or even in broad daylight in public, frightens me. Yet more than that it angers and annoys me. Who do these people think they are?
Women have a hard enough time walking home at night as it is. Clowning around may seem like a fun game to others, but it is a huge added anxiety for the rest of us.
Therefore I am refusing to let this situation get the better of me. If I have to be afraid of clowns walking at night, I’m going to be certain that I’m not going to be afraid the rest of the time.

Here is where we remember that yes, there are tons of horrifying clowns in popular media, but there are also a nice handful of clowns we’ve grown up with as well.
We must remember Cameron as “Fizbo” in “Modern Family.” We also can’t forget Krusty the Clown from “The Simpsons.” He would appear unrecognizable without his clownish hair and makeup, yet no one is afraid of Krusty. Sideshow Bob is the one who is an attempted murderer, and he even appears less clown-like. Sideshow Bob, The Joker, and Harley Quinn  are all “bad clowns” who we love in our media.
As you quicken your pace walking home from a night class, eyes darting to the potential clowns in the bushes, remember that as ’90s kids we loved Loonette and Molly from “the Big Comfy Couch,” or perhaps “JoJo’s Circus.” There are the clowns from “Dumbo,” and the elephant himself has the tradmark makeup for a scene or two. There’s the dramatic retelling of events from Chuckles the Clown in “Toy Story 3.”
Clowns belong on our screens as in list above. They do not belong out in the streets or woods late at night for no other purpose than to be a scary trend.
Whether you are annoyed, angry, or terrified, the clown craze is going to get old soon enough, and you will no longer have to worry. Hopefully as this blows over no one is going to get hurt.
My final thought is to roll my eyes and scoff at these people who  think it’s funny or creative to play a part in this trend. I’m sure that 99.99 percent are people who have no idea what’s it’s like to be consistently nervous to walk home at night, or have to plan a life around avoiding it. It just really makes this whole clown craze obnoxious.