The Great Clown Scare of 2016

Clowns were not a popular costume this year for Halloween, all thanks to the clown scare throughout the world. What started off as a practical joke in South Carolina, turned into a frightening, sick joke moving up the coast.

Reports of clowns haunting more than 20 states had people on edge. School districts were threatened by creepy clowns on social media, attempted attacks were made and fake reports were filed, as well as several arrests. Penn State University had a serious problem on its hands, as students took to the streets to riot. Notably, no American children have been physically harmed.

Last month, a man in a clown mask stabbed a teenager in the shoulder in Sweden. While creepy clown sightings aren’t new, as they date back to at least 1981, they surely have everyone frightened. The great clown scare is a hoax, essentially a ploy for attention, but the terrifying side of clowns is real.

The hysteria is all too real and revolves around two nightmare scenarios. The first is a group of people dressed as clowns preying on children and the second is the evil clowns straying outside and creepily wandering the streets. While there is little evidence of these scenarios actually occurring or that the evil clowns exist, people are reacting and perpetuating the hoax. Thankfully the viral clown panic that swept the country has simmered down and perhaps we can contribute it to Halloween — what’s next evil Santa Claus?