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Madeline Steiner, Postdoctoral Fellow of History, University of South Carolina

The creepy clown emerged from the crass and bawdy circuses of the 19th century

United States PT Barnum Entertainment
Clowns in American circuses were once considered a form of adult entertainment. ArtMarie/E+ via Getty Images

The scary clown has become a horror staple.

Featuring Art the Clown as the main villain, Damien Leone’s new film “Terrifier 2” is so gruesome that there are reports of viewers vomiting and passing out in the theater. And every Halloween, you’ll see vicious clowns stalking haunted house attractions or trick-or-treaters dressed as Pennywise, the evil clown from Stephen King’s “It.”

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