Two things I don't like in life - clowns and mimes.
So I guess I shouldn't be surprised that a Halloween event in Oak Park, Michigan has banned clown costumes.
But I am. Kinda. Because of the town's reason: the ban is due to phobias and anxieties around clowns, especially because the event is "centered around young children."
The reason that I am sorta surprised is that I haven't been tracking the descent of clowns into infamy. Of course, not SO long ago, clowns meant laughing at the circus OR generating enthusiasm at a parade.
I suppose you could blame the book and movie, "IT." The town's recreation director cites recent news reports of people causing trouble while dressed up as scary clowns.
So, in general, people ruined it.
According to Oak Park recreation director Laurie Stasiak, not only are they looking out for people with phobias and anxieties around clowns, but the characters have gotten increasingly creepy in the past few years.
Of course, that's another weird reason: Halloween is ALL ABOUT phobias and anxieties. But I definitely have seen Halloween split into two holidays these past few years: you now have events for kids centered around FUN and events for adults focused on scares. And, as we've talked about on this blog before, Halloween for adults has become BIG business.