While Jaclyn Andrews can香蕉视频直播檛 rationally explain her fear of clowns, she香蕉视频直播檚 been avoiding them for years.

Walking the midway at local fairs is totally out of the question, and lately she香蕉视频直播檚 considered double checking with fellow parents before attending kids香蕉视频直播� birthday parties.

She realizes that might sound a little silly to some, but the clowns that haunted her nightmares as a young girl still evoke bad feelings.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 panicked, can香蕉视频直播檛 breathe, sweaty,香蕉视频直播� says Andrews, 35, describing how she feels when she sees a clown.

香蕉视频直播淚 get the overwhelming need to get out 香蕉视频直播� and now.香蕉视频直播�

The fear of clowns, known as coulrophobia, is a relatively new phenomenon with very little research behind it. And while it香蕉视频直播檚 not considered an official phobia by the World Health Organization, its sufferers say the experience is very real.

Pshh, you guys are afraid of EVERYTHING.

香蕉视频直播� IT Movie馃巿 (@ITMovieOfficial)

Andrews, a resident of Hamilton, feels anxious thinking about the days ahead when evil clowns will be a focal point of popular culture and practically impossible to avoid.

A remake of Stephen King香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播� arrives in theatres next week and is expected to draw huge audiences intrigued by the titular shapeshifter, also known as Pennywise, who often takes the form of a clown.

And the upcoming sixth season of 香蕉视频直播淎merican Horror Story,香蕉视频直播� which begins airing Tuesday on FX Canada, is generating buzz for the return of Twisty, a demented clown with a taste for trickery and murder.

Clowns have existed since ancient Egypt, although their trademark white faces and colourful costumes weren香蕉视频直播檛 established until the early 1800s when British entertainer Joseph Grimaldi began playing Joey the Clown. A similar look was adopted by Scottish businessman John Bill Ricketts when he brought the modern circus to the United States a few years later.

For many decades the happy-go-lucky personas of modern clowns like Bozo and Ronald McDonald seemed in style, but a notorious American serial killer is considered to be the inspiration for the advent of the more sinister brand of clowns.

Before he was convicted for the murders of 33 young men in 1980, John Wayne Gacy seemed like a relatively average guy, who sometimes dressed as Pogo the Clown, a character he created while volunteering at children香蕉视频直播檚 hospitals. After he was jailed, Gacy painted portraits of himself in clown costume and the artwork became the focus of exhibitions 香蕉视频直播� and protests.

香蕉视频直播淧eople learn to be afraid from the movies they see, and from the news they read 香蕉视频直播� watching other people be afraid,香蕉视频直播� said Martin Antony, a professor of psychology at Ryerson University.

香蕉视频直播淕acy may have triggered certain directors and writers to portray clowns in that way, and that may have exacerbated fear of clowns.香蕉视频直播�

Two years after Gacy香蕉视频直播檚 conviction, the film 香蕉视频直播淧oltergeist香蕉视频直播� featured a scene in which a young boy is dragged under his bed by a toy clown brought to life in the middle of the night. And King香蕉视频直播檚 novel 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播� was released in 1986 and adapted for TV in 1990, with Tim Curry playing the creepy Pennywise.

Andrews swears watching the 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播� miniseries in middle school scarred her for life, especially moments like its opening scene in which a young boy is lured by the killer clown to a sewer.

香蕉视频直播�(香蕉视频直播業t香蕉视频直播�) just did it in for me,香蕉视频直播� she says.

The fascination with vicious clowns only grew as 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播� became a favourite at video stores during the 1990s and other forgotten films like 1988香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淜iller Klowns from Outer Space香蕉视频直播� found another life on DVD alongside the clown-like doll used by serial killer Jigsaw in the 香蕉视频直播淪aw香蕉视频直播� horror movies.

Much to the dismay of professional clown performers, those portrayals helped take the wholesomeness out of a character once considered a fixture of family entertainment.

Rami Nader, a psychologist at the North Shore Stress and Anxiety Clinic in Vancouver, says some people are leery of clowns because they fear their exaggerated painted smiles obscure their true emotions, which makes them unpredictable.

香蕉视频直播淵ou don香蕉视频直播檛 know really what they香蕉视频直播檙e feeling, what they香蕉视频直播檙e thinking or what they香蕉视频直播檙e going to do,香蕉视频直播� Nader says.

A spate of creepy-clown sightings reported across North America last year didn香蕉视频直播檛 help their negative perception. Perhaps inspired by popular prank videos on YouTube, reports of individuals wandering through neighbourhoods while wearing menacing clown masks began to spread. In the U.S., Target stopped selling scary clown masks as a result.

Frank McAndrew, a professor of psychology at Knox College in Illinois, says he learned how deeply opinions of clowns have eroded after his study of 香蕉视频直播渃reepiest occupations.香蕉视频直播�

The online survey, which canvassed 1,341 people, found respondents were bothered by people whose jobs held ambiguous threats, and in particular individuals who made physical contact or exhibited 香蕉视频直播渘on-normative, non-verbal behaviour.香蕉视频直播�

Clowns ranked as the creepiest, worse than taxidermists, sex shop owners and funeral directors.

McAndrew says he found the ambiguity of a clown香蕉视频直播檚 performance art seemed to rattle the respondents the most.

香蕉视频直播�(They said), 香蕉视频直播榃e don香蕉视频直播檛 know if there香蕉视频直播檚 something to be afraid of, but we have a paralysis about not knowing whether we should be scared,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� he said.

The professor also discovered some members of the clown community weren香蕉视频直播檛 exactly helping rebuild their reputation as non-threatening. After his study was published, McAndrew said some clowns began to 香蕉视频直播渟talk香蕉视频直播� him on social media and called the president of his college in an attempt to get him fired.

But McAndrew also found that discussions about his findings online revealed a stark apathy from even those who aren香蕉视频直播檛 afraid of clowns.

香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 recall seeing anybody ever saying, 香蕉视频直播榊ou know, I really like clowns,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� he added.

David Friend, The Canadian Press