I have no problem with clowns, as long as they're in the proper context. In the circus, they're great - there's a general air of unreality in a circus that doesn't make a clown seem out of place, and hey, slapstick is funny, right? I can laugh very hard at a talented clown. Outside of the circus is a different story - those white faces and exaggerated features look WEIRD in a regular setting - let alone if you're *shudder* alone with them... Let me put it this way - a clown under bright lights? Fine. A clown in the dark? NOT FINE.