Thanks to 'It,' professional clowns are actually losing work

August 29, 2017

Well, It has caused some real trouble for the clowns—and the World Clown Association isn’t happy about the fear Pennywise has struck in the general public.

“We’ve since created a press kit to prepare clowns for the movie coming out,” president Pam Moody tells The Hollywood Reporter.

Said press kit reminds members in the World Clown Association that the “art of clown is something to be treasured and enjoyed” and “just because someone wears a rubber Halloween mask, that does not make one a clown,” reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Of course, this is turning out to be a rough year for happy clowns, with evil clown sightings terrorizing the world last fall—“last year we were really blindsided,” Moody explains—and even shows like American Horror Story building on the terrifying hype.

The Hollywood Reporter talked to Moody, who also happens to be Sparky the Firefighter Clown, and she says that children are nervous about clowns—like Santa Claus… (Ask us, and we say that's not a fair comparison at all…)

“They're different from regular people—they're costumed characters. But no one is picking on the Santa Clauses, because that would ruin the retail business,” she says. “It would ruin Christmas for everybody.”

She says Pennywise has nothing to do with the business of “pro clowning,” and she’s irked Stephen King has ruined business for them.

In fact, The Hollywood Reporter even report that a “legit” clown showed up to a children’s birthday party, waited outside her car and ended up having four police officers surround her after a neighbor called in a “clown sighting.”

King doesn’t seem to feel too bad about the state of “pro clowning,” and TBH we can’t disagree with him.

The clowns are pissed at me. Sorry, most are great. BUT…kids have always been scared of clowns. Don't kill the messengers for the message.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 10, 2017