The Joker.
Chuckie.
Twisty.
The sight of a clown face has us reaching for the nearest pillow to cover our eyes or hockey stick to use as a weapon.
Freud explained those with a phobia of clowns – a condition called coulrophobia – to be fearful of the character's distorted features that seem human-like but are uncanny to the human eye because of their grotesque exaggeration.
We say it's because they've got bright red hair, enjoy smiling at children and wear gloves, but you know, whatever.
So imagine our horror when we learned there are people across the US and UK who are currently terrorising neighbourhoods and school children by dressing up as clowns.
Since August, clowns have been popping up in both continents in an attempt to lure children into the woods, threaten students in schools, chase customers in supermarkets and break into people's houses.
Since then, there have been countless criminal incidents from an 11-year-old girl in Georgia, US being arrested for brining a knife to school because she was trying to protect herself against clowns, to two boys being arrested for robbing a Domino's and Taco Bell while dressed as clowns.
As a result, schools across America are temporarily closing and some institutions are banning clown costumes this Halloween.
Brad Butler of costume retailer Halloween Express told US news programme Eye Opener TV: 'Clown mask sales are up more than [300%] from a year ago the same period online. In the top 10, eight of them are 'evil' clown masks this season whereas last year, five of the top 10 were 'evil.'
Er, what the hell is wrong with people?
Firstly, clowns wandering the streets wanting to chase civilians is single-handedly one of the scariest things we've ever heard.
Secondly, it's bad business for real-life clowns who are trying to make a living.
To make matters worse, it's not as if the police can ban clown costumes – after all, clowns aren't technically illegal.
Terrifying, sure. Illegal, not so much.
So, if you're even thinking of dressing up as a clown this year. Just don't, alright?
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
