R.G. Male's Dark Corners: Send in the Horror

...err... I mean clowns. Really, in the minds of many what is the difference between clowns and horror? Nothing. I am not one of the one's who sees the fear that clowns engender, but neither will I be one to dismiss is either. When all you need is some white paint, to spread lipstick too far, and people will wilt and/or wet themselves, who am I to not do it to them?

The name clown doesn't seem to hold much power. People need to see them to fear them. It is an interesting phenomenon. Luckily with some description they can be used in writing to frighten the reading audience. Perhaps the best use for a clown is when its presence is incongruous to the situation. Imagine this if you will. You sit at a stoplight with several other cars. Your vehicle sits right at the mouth of an alleyway. There is a scream and a figure comes running out of the alley.

If the figure is a man in jeans and a t-shirt even if he's covered in blood and wielding a knife then you feel as if you have just been witness to a horrible crime, a tragic event. Now imagine the same scene, except the figure coming out of the alley is wearing large red shoes and a yellow and white striped outfit, and has a white grease painted face with a huge red painted smile and wild crazy hair. Suddenly you have been witness not only to a crime, but also to a great horror that will haunt you for weeks to come, if you ever get over it. That is the power, the terror, of clowns.

One thing that can actually lessen the fear impact of a clown is to make it some kind of supernatural creature. Devil clowns are just never as scary as the real thing. For one thing they can never fit as many of themselves into a compact car as clowns can. Cannibalistic aliens that look like clowns can fit in the tiny car, but something makes them less scary than the human variety. It's a mystery, but it's as plain as the rubber nose on my face.

Mood: festive
Music: Rock 'N' Roll Junkie by Motely Crue and Hangar 18 by Megadeth.