Salt Lake Tribune · Mar 26, 2018
No laughing matter: When exactly did clowns become scary?
(Brooke Palmer | Warner Bros. Pictures | The Associated Press)This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Bill Skarsgard as the evil clown Pennywise in a scene from the film "It," based on the book by Stephen King. Such was the daily uniform of Bozo the Clown, who entertained kids for decades when TV was in its infancy. It’s also a uniform that for many now seems grotesque and sinister.
The death of longtime Bozo performer Frank Avruch this week triggered both feelings — warm memories from some and a shiver of fear from others who associate clowns more with the film “It.”