Unless you are somehow blissfully ignorant of the soul-crushing bouts of despair that are current events, you’ve probably heard about the recent clown sightings. Yep, clowns. Those wacky performers with absurd outfits, ridiculous makeup and goofy mannerisms who are absolutely terrifying. The first clown sighting occurred a little over a month ago in Greensville, South Carolina, where several clowns were reportedly trying to lure children into the woods. After this incident garnered national attention—presumably due to its similarity to a horror film—dozens of sightings followed and as of this moment, still follow. There have even been sightings at several colleges, including IC.

Now before you join a mob and go clown hunting like some Penn State students, you should know that most of these sightings are hoaxes. Although honestly, that isn’t really surprising. People love drama and don’t want phenomenons like these recent clown sightings to end. So to keep themselves entertained, some people will call the police and lie about seeing a clown in their area. Not only is this a waste of law enforcement’s time and resources, it’s also dangerous. Ever heard of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”? Soon enough, nobody will bat an eyelash when someone’s screaming at the top of their lungs while getting chased by Chuckles the Clown’s psychotic, machete-wielding cousin. But for some, clowns are always frightening, whether part of a national phenomenon or not.

There’s a word for the fear of clowns: coulrophobia. And considering the hysteria surrounding recent clown-related events, it seems to be a very common fear. In terms of my own phobias, clowns are right up there with alligators/crocodiles, crowded places, small talk and artificial intelligence. But I’ve never had a traumatic experience with clowns when I was younger, and I’ve never read or seen Stephen King’s It. To me, they’ve just always been creepy.

To understand why a bunch of asshats think it’s funny to dress up as clowns and scare people, we have to understand why clowns are scary in the first place. Clowns have had many names and roles through their surprisingly long history, such as jesters, harlequins and mimes. However, the clowns that have been sighted across the US look more like a drug-fueled cannibalistic Ronald McDonald than any of these three examples. The Smithsonian actually published an article on its website that explores both the history of clowns and coulrophobia. The article cites pop culture and real life events as causes for a rise in coulrophobia. Examples of both include Batman’s nemesis the Joker, as well as John Wayne Gacy, a serial killer who also performed at charity events as “Pogo the Clown.”

So yes, there are legitimate reasons why people are terrified of clowns. And just because you get a kick out of scaring someone, doesn’t mean you should do it. I feel like I shouldn’t have to say that, but obviously some people aren’t getting the message. Oh and be careful this Halloween, clown costumes will probably be as popular as Harley Quinn from "Suicide Squad." And if you do happen to stumble upon a clown, I don’t think I can legally suggest that you tase them, mace them or simply punch them in the face. But if you do any of that, know that you have my full (virtual) moral support. Now I know virtual moral support is worth next to nothing, but it’s the thought that counts, right? Anyway, happy hunting—I mean Halloween!