Sep 18, 2017
The following contains subject matter that may not be
appropriate for younger listeners or anyone with any sort of fear
of clowns. Listener discretion is advised.
I was wrong when I thought my days of referencing Tim Curry were
over when I finished up The Story behind Clue Series. But with the
release of IT in September of 2017 came shattered box office
records and a majority of my favorite podcasts talking about the
new version with Bill Skarsgard in the title role. But as a kid, I
knew the 1990 version after my dad bet me $10 I couldn’t sit
through the made-for-TV version starring Tim Curry. And, weirdly,
Stephen King’s IT became probably one of my favorite horror films
and Pennywise became an icon in the world of scary movie
monsters.
The Stephen King novel the movies are based on is looked at as one of the pivotal moments the subject of today’s episode went from a character bringing happiness and laughter to a character that it’s said 42 percent of Americans are afraid of.
I’m your host, Emily Prokop, and this is The Story Behind Clowns.
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This episode was brought to you by The Story Behind Executive Producers who support the show through the Patreon Page at patreon.com/thestorybehind: Stargate Pioneer from GonnaGeek.com, Mat from the One Word, Go! Show, Linguist Sam, Diane from History Goes Bump, Scott Smith from Recovering from Religion, Dan Brenic from Netflix N’ Swill, Jarrod Dunham from TheHistoryphile.net, Heather Welch from Sunshine and PowerCuts, and Jason Bryant from Mat Talk Online.
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Media:
VIDEO: Stephen King Interview about IT and Pennywise Inspiration - Frostmare TV
Sources:
The History and Psychology of Clowns Being Scary - Smithsonian Mag
Hospital clown images 'too scary' - BBC
History of Clowns - Clown Bluey
Hamlet: Summary: Act V, scene i - SparkNotes
Scaramouche - Encyclopædia Britannica
Grimaldi the Clown - Victoria and Albert Museum
The Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi - The Public Domain Review
Jean-Gaspard Deburau - Encyclopædia Britannica
John Wayne Gacy (Murderer) - Biography.com
Stephen King Discusses How He Came Up With The Idea Of Pennywise - ComicBook.com
Americans Are More Afraid Of Clowns Than Climate Change, Terrorism, And ... Death - VOX
Thanks To Creepy Clowns, Ronald McDonald Is Lying Low - Huffington Post
Why You Shouldn’t Panic About This Year’s ‘Clown Panic’ - People
A Psychologist Explains Why Clowns Are So Scary - New York Post
The Force reawakens deceased cast — probably for years to come - Washington Times