Editing Clown (section)

=== 20th-century North America ===
In the early 20th century, with the disappearance of the rustic simpleton or village idiot character of everyday experience, North American circuses developed characters such as the [[tramp]] or [[hobo]]. Examples include [[Marceline Orbes]], who performed at the [[New York Hippodrome|Hippodrome Theater]] (1905), [[Charlie Chaplin]]'s ''[[The Tramp]]'' (1914), and [[Emmett Kelly]]'s ''Weary Willie'' based on hobos of the Depression era. Another influential tramp character was played by [[Otto Griebling]] during the 1930s to 1950s. [[Red Skelton]]'s Dodo the Clown in ''[[The Clown (1953 film)|The Clown]]'' (1953), depicts the circus clown as a tragicomic stock character, "a funny man with a drinking problem".{{citation needed|date=April 2018}}

In the United States, [[Bozo the Clown]] was an influential ''Auguste'' character since the late 1950s. ''[[The Bozo Show]]'' premiered in 1960 and appeared nationally on cable television in 1978. [[McDonald's]] derived its mascot clown, [[Ronald McDonald]], from the ''Bozo'' character in the 1960s. [[Willard Scott]], who had played ''Bozo'' during 1959–1962, performed as the mascot in 1963 television spots. The McDonald's trademark application for the character dates to 1967.

Based on the ''Bozo'' template, the US custom of birthday clown, private contractors who offer to perform as clowns at children's parties, developed in the 1960s to 1970s. The strong association of the (''Bozo''-derived) clown character with children's entertainment as it has developed since the 1960s also gave rise to [[Clown Care]] or ''hospital clowning'' in children's hospitals by the mid-1980s. [[Clowns of America International]] (established 1984) and [[World Clown Association]] (established 1987) are associations of semi-professionals and professional performers.

The shift of the ''Auguste'' or ''red clown'' character from his role as a foil for the white in circus or pantomime shows to a ''Bozo''-derived standalone character in children's entertainment by the 1980s also gave rise to the [[evil clown]] character, with the attraction of clowns for small children being based in their fundamentally threatening or frightening nature.{{refn|group=lower-alpha|

A study by the [[University of Sheffield]] concluded "that clowns are universally disliked by children. Some found them quite frightening and unknowable."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7189401.stm |title=Health &#124; Hospital clown images 'too scary' |work=BBC News |date=2008-01-15 |access-date=2020-05-16 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=BBC News |date=2008-01-16 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7191721.stm |title=Why are clowns scary? |first1=Finlo |last1=Rohrer |access-date=2020-05-16}}</ref> The natural dislike of clowns makes them effective in eliciting laughter by releasing tension in acting clumsy or rendering themselves helpless.<ref>{{cite journal| last1=Durwin| first1=Joseph| title=Coulrophobia and the Trickster| journal=Trickster's Way| volume=3| issue=1| publisher=Trinity University| location=San Antonio| date=15 November 2004| url=http://digitalcommons.trinity.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1080&context=trickstersway| format=PDF| issn=1538-9030| access-date=2020-05-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trinity.edu/org/tricksters/trixway/current/Vol%203/Vol3_1/Durwin.htm |last1=Durwin |first1=Joseph |title=Coulrophobia and the Trickster |publisher=Trinity.edu |access-date=2020-05-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624001158/http://www.trinity.edu/org/tricksters/trixway/current/Vol%203/Vol3_1/Durwin.htm |archive-date=2011-06-24}}</ref>
}} The fear of clowns, particularly circus clowns, has become known by the term "coulrophobia."<ref>{{citation|last1=Crosswell|first1=Julia|title=The Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins|edition=2nd|date=2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-954792-0|entry=clown|entry-url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199547920.001.0001/acref-9780199547920-e-1047|entry-url-access=subscription|url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199547920.001.0001/acref-9780199547920|access-date=May 6, 2020}}</ref>