Even though police and other officials say that they’re taking the clown sightings very seriously – because menacing people is a real and actual crime, people – online sales say that clown costumes are extremely popular right now.
At one popular online retailer, HalloweenCostumes.com has seen an uptick of 40% and HalloweenExpress.com has seen an increase of 30%. So… maybe all the clown sightings are, in some small way, improving the economy?
But, seriously – those of us who have been studying horror for a long time now are not surprised. In years where there have been national and international crisis and the general population is more stressed and frightened than usual (think WWI and the Depression), the sales and enjoyment of horror and scary media and activities jumps hugely. Some say that the experiencing of horror circumstances and surviving to tell the tale supplies us some catharsis and relief from our day to day stresses and fears. And I think we can all agree that this year has been more than just A LITTLE STRESSFUL!!!!
So, per usual, be wary of strangers. But don’t worry too much about the clowns – worry about them just enough to get that good feeling from surviving yet another night.
Pleasant nightmares, chickens.