‘Clown Panic’ Explores the Fear Within a Terrifying Society
I’ve never liked clowns; I can’t help it. I understand they are meant to bring happiness to others, but my mind can’t get past the inherently creepy smiles painted on their faces. As a psychologist, I understand irrational fears, but I can also rationalize that a painted-on smile can easily hide true intentions and emotions behind a facade. And every once in a while, a real-life event helps solidify those irrational beliefs, like the events in the new documentary on Hulu, Clown Panic. Cause it’s bad enough that the entire world is falling apart around us, why not add in some killer clowns in the mix?
Director Ed Perkins has made it his mission to explore both sides of the 2016 clown epidemic, showing how terrifying it was for those personally involved and for American society as a whole. As clown sightings increased across the country, fear and tempers grew, and many people wondered just how safe we all were. However, Perkins peels back the layers to show the humans on both sides of the problem, and what was gained (or, more so, lost) in a topsy-turvy world of clown smiles and chainsaws. Through the lens of wanting to know more, the director of Clown Panic doesn’t necessarily lean into the horror aspect of this story, but instead highlights the reality of the situation and the terror that comes along with that.
[Warning: spoilers from Clown Panic are below!]
A world gone mad in Clown Panic
I’m sure there are some who will switch on this Hulu documentary and struggle to believe that killer clowns in 2016 actually happened. However, as someone who both disliked clowns and lived just a few miles from one of the sightings, I can attest that these events are incredibly real. It was a strange time in American history. Between the summer and Halloween of that year, so much was happening across the country, much of which felt like a circus in so many ways.
We were living through one of the strangest moments in election history, sitting on a precipice between Hillary Clinton and the eventual president, Donald Trump. The world felt chaotic, almost like a fever dream, and anger rose on both sides of the political binary. No one felt safe, and as uncertainty grew, panic rose. So when everything feels wrong, where is the world to turn?
The appearance of these killer clowns across the United States resulted from the civil unrest everyone was feeling. While some turn inward when they feel the world is falling apart, some take that energy and put it back out into society. At times, that can be a good thing; however, in this instance it was anything but.
These clowns did nothing but create more fear in a world that was already dangerously on the edge of a mental breakdown, and what happened should come as no shock to anyone; the clowns became public enemy number one, and people were out for blood. What may have started as an innocent prank, although I argue that these actions were definitely not innocent, turned violent quickly as tensions rose.
However, what else can we expect from a world gone completely mad?
Another side to the killer clowns
Perkins uses the events of the 2016 clown epidemic to explore both the forest and the trees of the situation, highlighting both the humanity within it and what these events truly say about our society. There are those who truly suffered as a result of what happened, such as those who lost loved ones to the attacks. However, Clown Panic does so well because it also looks at other perspectives.
Take actual clowns, for example. While we were living through the events and the fear that came with them, actual clowns were suffering even more. As people grew angrier because of the attacks around the country, the general population turned their backs on those who just wanted to put a genuine smile on people’s faces.
Clown Panic excels at looking at both perspectives we know and those that may have never crossed our minds. To understand this specific moment in time from all sides of the coin, this documentary has peeled back layers and exposed as many avenues as possible. However, it’s also impossible to examine everything, so while Clown Panic looks at the microcosm of what’s occurring, it also spends quite a bit of time with some very specific stories.
A grieving mother, two schoolmates caught up in the events, and a clown who lived in fear of losing his livelihood. These vignettes are just a fraction of the stories out there, but they offer a glimpse into how the world was turned upside down during this time. By allowing audiences to sit with some very specific stories and people, Clown Panic ultimately speaks volumes about the fear and uncertainty by looking intimately at just a few involved.
This is one of Clown Panic’s strengths. Audiences become so drawn into the few stories we see, and by sitting with them, you grow emotionally attached. You feel every iota of emotion pouring out of these people, and it turns your own emotions up, too. Be it panic, fear, or sadness, Perkins pulls them to the surface with his impeccable vision and artistic eye, which makes this a must-watch for me.
Final thoughts on Clown Panic
So, as someone who doesn’t like clowns, how did Clown Panic fare? Thankfully, the focus was less on the terrorizing and more on the people affected by it, which makes the most sense. However, that doesn’t mean the documentary isn’t scary, as there’s plenty of tension to leave you unnerved. Honestly, viewers should feel unnerved by these killer clowns, which again points to the director’s brilliance and vision. As Perkins peels back the layers, the audience is exposed to the horrors that come when the world turns upside down, leaving you once again scared, but not because of clowns. Instead, it’s because of the humans underneath.
Clown Panic is streaming on Hulu! Have you checked it out yet? What did you think? Share your thoughts on social media and tag @bsb.insider to keep the conversation going!
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