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A Tear for a Clown: Ronald McDonald to limit appearances after clown scares.
The "Question"
"Should I Change My Name" Do To The Creepy Clown Scares?
Well, at least we won't be seeing one creepy clown so much.
McDonald's announced Monday that Ronald McDonald is going on the down low.
His appearances will be limited due to the rise in clown-related disturbances in the US and more recently around the world.
Creeped out by clowns? This might be why..
McDonald's and franchisees in local markets are mindful of the current climate around clown sightings in communities and as such are being thoughtful with respect to Ronald McDonald's participation in community events for the time being," McDonald's spokeswoman Terri Hickey told CNN in an email.
For a long time, Ronald McDonald was a globally recognized icon synonymous with the fast food giant, but the clown hasn't featured as prominently in McDonald's advertisements in recent years.
"This does not mean that there will be no appearances by Ronald McDonald, but that we are being thoughtful as to Ronald McDonald's participation in various community events at this time," Hickey said.
Americans have been dealing with more and more clown sightings recently, and the internet has helped the creepy craze spread like wildfire.
Is it a viral stunt? Marketing?
No one knows for sure, but here are six possible explanations.
What's with all the clowns everywhere? "6 legit possibilities"
1. It's folklore with a modern twist.
Benjamin Radford is a folklorist and the author of the non-fiction book "Bad Clowns," so he's definitely someone you'd want to call with any clown-related concerns. He says the current fad we're enduring is nothing new, and similar waves of stories and hysteria have happened before.
"In the 1980s, there were these 'phantom' clown reports," he says. "There were stories out of Massachusetts of schoolchildren saying they were chased or lured by clowns, and parents and teachers took it seriously."
If that sounds familiar, it's because the pattern closely resembles one of the first clown encounters that tipped off this latest fascination: In August, kids in an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, reported seeing clowns in the woods, trying to lure them into the darkness.
2. It's viral marketing.
Think about it. It makes sense. Here were are, all talking about clowns. Is someone capitalizing on the fascination?
It wouldn't be unheard of. Radford says creepy clown imagery has been used in viral marketing before, and the whole point of stunts like that is to get people talking.
In fact, one creepy clown video from Agawam, Massachusetts, has already been revealed to be a viral marketing stunt for a local haunted house. So even if this whole clown thing didn't start off as a marketing ploy, it's certainly created some fertile ground.
It's also hard to ignore the fact that, you know, there's a remake of the classic horror story "It" coming out next year. While it seems like perfect timing, the movie's makers aren't toying with your delicate emotions just to get you in the theaters. A Warner Brothers spokesman told CNN there is "absolutely no connection" between the film and recent clown sightings.
3. It's an expression of human anxiety.
Clowns are a source of childlike amusement, but they can also be scary and weird. Life is also scary and weird. It's not a coincidence. Perhaps clowns are like specters of anxiety and discomfort, bogeymen that personify our deepest fears.
"These sorts of panics tend to surface when there's underlying social anxiety," Radford says. "This is an election year, there's lots of political and ideological divisions, there's also of course [the awareness of] school shootings and terrorist attacks." That last part explains the kernel of concern from parents and law enforcement. Even IF most of these sightings and incidents are overblown, why take chances?
Radford says the clown sightings of the 1980s came at a similar time -- one of cultural upheaval. "There was the satanic panic, the hysteria over Dungeons and Dragons, and sensationalized media reports of Satanists trying to abduct children," he says.
It's a different world today, but underlying patterns are the same.
"These reports get circulated, often sensationalized, there's a smattering of rumors and urban legends, and then there's some idiot who actually dresses up, and then before you know it there's lockdowns and arrests," he says.
4. It's a social media fad.
If you want to creep yourself out, scroll through one of the several recently-created "clown sighting" Twitter accounts. They're full of horror-movie-quality clown videos, ostensibly documenting clown encounters in the wild. (FYI, the video below has some strong language).
Omaha, Nebraska pic.twitter.com/3VfPxSagEi
? Clown Sightings (@ClownsSightings) October 4, 2016
Amid the sightings -- real or not -- the hashtag #IfISeeAClown took off to predictably hilarious results. Obviously, if we're going to get all upset about clowns, social media users are going to find a way to cash in.
"The scary clown image is perfect for social media. It is custom-made to go viral," Radford says. "You have something that is both scary and funny. It's this combination of horror and humor, laughter and fears."
It's all part of the folklore tradition, but instead of sharing around fires and whispered bedtime conversations like we used to, we re-tweet and post about it, embellishing and adding additional touches along the way.
"It's called ostentation," Radford says. "The idea that you are enacting a legend. People see this scary clown narrative happening on the news, and they're like, 'Hey I want to be a part of this!'"
5. It's an alternate reality game.
Do you remember Slenderman, the creepy internet character that figured into a brutal teenage stabbing case in 2014?
To some people, Slenderman was part of what is called an "alternate reality game." No, not like Pokemon Go, which is an "augmented" reality game -- think of them more like puzzles and interactive narratives that supposedly take place in the real world and are told over various platforms. It's a souped-up version of a myth, and part of the fun of an ARG is immersing yourself in the make-believe of it all.
Slenderman, a modern myth
Sound familiar?
There's no hard evidence to suggest this clown fad is actually part of an official or organized alternate reality game, but given the way it's spread and documented online, it's not hard to imagine the spirit of ARGs has infused some of the storytelling. Imagine this situation: Someone dresses up like a clown or leaves a clown artifact around for someone else to find and document.
CLOWN CLIMBS TO THE TOP OF HIGHWAY BILLBOARD IN NEW JERSEY pic.twitter.com/FzysGz2znL
? Clown Sightings (@CLOWNlNGS) October 5, 2016
6. It's not always just make believe.
Hey, the easiest explanation is that there really are a bunch of creepy clowns out there hell-bent on some nefarious end. Call it Occam's Rubber Nose.
But if you really want to take it seriously, the recent spate of creepy clown news is disturbing precisely because it's hard to tell where myth ends and reality begins -- we know, intellectually, that it's mostly a bunch of hogwash, but then someone gets arrested for making violent clown threats and we start to question it all.
"Rumors can have consequences," Radford says. "This isn't just fun. People are scared, there have been cases where people have become violent [ Or shot at other people, out of fear ]. I think the important thing for the public to realize is underneath all of these sensationalized headlines, there isn't any original threat. The real threat is overreaction to the story, not the clowns themselves."
By, Ronald Mac SPRAY
The "Question"
"Should I Change My Name" Do To The Creepy Clown Scares?
Well, at least we won't be seeing one creepy clown so much.
McDonald's announced Monday that Ronald McDonald is going on the down low.
His appearances will be limited due to the rise in clown-related disturbances in the US and more recently around the world.
Creeped out by clowns? This might be why..
McDonald's and franchisees in local markets are mindful of the current climate around clown sightings in communities and as such are being thoughtful with respect to Ronald McDonald's participation in community events for the time being," McDonald's spokeswoman Terri Hickey told CNN in an email.
For a long time, Ronald McDonald was a globally recognized icon synonymous with the fast food giant, but the clown hasn't featured as prominently in McDonald's advertisements in recent years.
"This does not mean that there will be no appearances by Ronald McDonald, but that we are being thoughtful as to Ronald McDonald's participation in various community events at this time," Hickey said.
Americans have been dealing with more and more clown sightings recently, and the internet has helped the creepy craze spread like wildfire.
Is it a viral stunt? Marketing?
No one knows for sure, but here are six possible explanations.
What's with all the clowns everywhere? "6 legit possibilities"
1. It's folklore with a modern twist.
Benjamin Radford is a folklorist and the author of the non-fiction book "Bad Clowns," so he's definitely someone you'd want to call with any clown-related concerns. He says the current fad we're enduring is nothing new, and similar waves of stories and hysteria have happened before.
"In the 1980s, there were these 'phantom' clown reports," he says. "There were stories out of Massachusetts of schoolchildren saying they were chased or lured by clowns, and parents and teachers took it seriously."
If that sounds familiar, it's because the pattern closely resembles one of the first clown encounters that tipped off this latest fascination: In August, kids in an apartment complex in Greenville, South Carolina, reported seeing clowns in the woods, trying to lure them into the darkness.
2. It's viral marketing.
Think about it. It makes sense. Here were are, all talking about clowns. Is someone capitalizing on the fascination?
It wouldn't be unheard of. Radford says creepy clown imagery has been used in viral marketing before, and the whole point of stunts like that is to get people talking.
In fact, one creepy clown video from Agawam, Massachusetts, has already been revealed to be a viral marketing stunt for a local haunted house. So even if this whole clown thing didn't start off as a marketing ploy, it's certainly created some fertile ground.
It's also hard to ignore the fact that, you know, there's a remake of the classic horror story "It" coming out next year. While it seems like perfect timing, the movie's makers aren't toying with your delicate emotions just to get you in the theaters. A Warner Brothers spokesman told CNN there is "absolutely no connection" between the film and recent clown sightings.
3. It's an expression of human anxiety.
Clowns are a source of childlike amusement, but they can also be scary and weird. Life is also scary and weird. It's not a coincidence. Perhaps clowns are like specters of anxiety and discomfort, bogeymen that personify our deepest fears.
"These sorts of panics tend to surface when there's underlying social anxiety," Radford says. "This is an election year, there's lots of political and ideological divisions, there's also of course [the awareness of] school shootings and terrorist attacks." That last part explains the kernel of concern from parents and law enforcement. Even IF most of these sightings and incidents are overblown, why take chances?
Radford says the clown sightings of the 1980s came at a similar time -- one of cultural upheaval. "There was the satanic panic, the hysteria over Dungeons and Dragons, and sensationalized media reports of Satanists trying to abduct children," he says.
It's a different world today, but underlying patterns are the same.
"These reports get circulated, often sensationalized, there's a smattering of rumors and urban legends, and then there's some idiot who actually dresses up, and then before you know it there's lockdowns and arrests," he says.
4. It's a social media fad.
If you want to creep yourself out, scroll through one of the several recently-created "clown sighting" Twitter accounts. They're full of horror-movie-quality clown videos, ostensibly documenting clown encounters in the wild. (FYI, the video below has some strong language).
Omaha, Nebraska pic.twitter.com/3VfPxSagEi
? Clown Sightings (@ClownsSightings) October 4, 2016
Amid the sightings -- real or not -- the hashtag #IfISeeAClown took off to predictably hilarious results. Obviously, if we're going to get all upset about clowns, social media users are going to find a way to cash in.
"The scary clown image is perfect for social media. It is custom-made to go viral," Radford says. "You have something that is both scary and funny. It's this combination of horror and humor, laughter and fears."
It's all part of the folklore tradition, but instead of sharing around fires and whispered bedtime conversations like we used to, we re-tweet and post about it, embellishing and adding additional touches along the way.
"It's called ostentation," Radford says. "The idea that you are enacting a legend. People see this scary clown narrative happening on the news, and they're like, 'Hey I want to be a part of this!'"
5. It's an alternate reality game.
Do you remember Slenderman, the creepy internet character that figured into a brutal teenage stabbing case in 2014?
To some people, Slenderman was part of what is called an "alternate reality game." No, not like Pokemon Go, which is an "augmented" reality game -- think of them more like puzzles and interactive narratives that supposedly take place in the real world and are told over various platforms. It's a souped-up version of a myth, and part of the fun of an ARG is immersing yourself in the make-believe of it all.
Slenderman, a modern myth
Sound familiar?
There's no hard evidence to suggest this clown fad is actually part of an official or organized alternate reality game, but given the way it's spread and documented online, it's not hard to imagine the spirit of ARGs has infused some of the storytelling. Imagine this situation: Someone dresses up like a clown or leaves a clown artifact around for someone else to find and document.
CLOWN CLIMBS TO THE TOP OF HIGHWAY BILLBOARD IN NEW JERSEY pic.twitter.com/FzysGz2znL
? Clown Sightings (@CLOWNlNGS) October 5, 2016
6. It's not always just make believe.
Hey, the easiest explanation is that there really are a bunch of creepy clowns out there hell-bent on some nefarious end. Call it Occam's Rubber Nose.
But if you really want to take it seriously, the recent spate of creepy clown news is disturbing precisely because it's hard to tell where myth ends and reality begins -- we know, intellectually, that it's mostly a bunch of hogwash, but then someone gets arrested for making violent clown threats and we start to question it all.
"Rumors can have consequences," Radford says. "This isn't just fun. People are scared, there have been cases where people have become violent [ Or shot at other people, out of fear ]. I think the important thing for the public to realize is underneath all of these sensationalized headlines, there isn't any original threat. The real threat is overreaction to the story, not the clowns themselves."
By, Ronald Mac SPRAY
and he is a lot more scary than Ronald.
