Episode description

From creepy Christmas cards to the waves of clown panic, we dive into the spooky side of the these circus acts and how, in 1981, Massachusetts started national clown chaos.

Sources:

Balsamini, Dean, and Melkorka Licea. “Creepy Clown Trend Dates Back to '80s, but This Time  It's Different.” New York Post, New York Post, 9 Oct. 2016, nypost.com/2016/10/09/creepy-clown-trend-dates-back-to-80s-but-this-time-its-different/.

CBS Boston. “Reported Creepy Clown Sightings At Mass. Schools Prompt Police Response.” CBS Boston, CBS Boston, 4 Oct. 2016.

Dessem, Matthew. “The Wave of Evil Clown Sightings Is Nothing to Worry About. It Happens Every Few Years!” Slate Magazine, Slate, 3 Oct. 2016.

“Evil Phantom Clowns.” NEW ENGLAND FOLKLORE, newenglandfolklore.blogspot.com/2013/04/evil-phantom-clowns.html.

Giaimo, Cara. “In 1981, Clowns Allegedly Appeared Across Boston, Similar to Current Clown Panic.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 7 Sept. 2016.

Lovejoy, Bess. “What Do the Scary Clowns Want?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 15 Oct. 2016.

Manson, Marilyn. “Columbine: Whose Fault Is It?” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2018,

McAndrew, Francis T., and Sara S. Koehnke. “On the Nature of Creepiness.” New Ideas in Psychology, Pergamon, 30 Mar. 2016,

McRobbie, Linda Rodriguez. “The History and Psychology of Clowns Being Scary.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 31 July 2013.

Marratoan, Michael.  “Insane Clown Posse Speak out against Clown Sightings: 'Nothing More than Mass Hysteria and Moral Panic'.” Vanyaland, 7 Oct. 2016.

Smith, Tovia. “Creepy Clown Issues Have Gotten Worse.” NPR, NPR, 7 Oct. 2016,