Professional Clown Club Furious With ‘American Horror Story’s’ Murderous Twisty Character


American Horror Story: Freak Show just aired its second episode but already the season has gotten huge exposure for its extra creepy characters thus far. Its most attention grabbing character, Twisty the Clown, is not only stirring up nightmares, but the character is creating tensions in the clown world.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a professional clown club is up in arms over American Horror Story’s Twisty the Clown, who goes on killing sprees and walks around with toys and decapitated heads in his knapsack.

For those who aren’t aware, this is what Twisty the Clown looks like.

It can be argued that clowns in general are terrifying, but some of them make a living out of bringing joy (and sometimes tears) to children. This season the FX show brings a whole slew of “freaks” but there’s one character that stands alone, and outside of the traveling freak show. Twisty the Clown is not about balloon animals, and his party tricks are incredibly sinister. The creepy clown theme works for American Horror Story but, according to Clowns of America International, this is just a menacing image that perpetuates an evil stereotype.

Glenn Kohlberger, the president of Clowns of America International spoke about how members are dwindling and how Hollywood is to blame.

“Hollywood makes money sensationalizing the norm. They can take any situation no matter how good or pure and turn it into a nightmare.”

Currently the membership has 2,500 clowns, which is lower than the 3,500 it had the year prior. As for American Horror Story’s Twisty? Kohlberger, who’s known as Clyde D. Scope, is adamant about not supporting this imagery.

“We do not support in any way, shape or form any medium that sensationalizes or adds to coulrophobia or ‘clown fear.”

This isn’t the first time we’re hearing about Hollywood’s love of making clowns creepy. One of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema stems from Stephen King’s novel It. The two part television film, directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, saw a menacing clown Pennywise (Tim Curry) kidnap and attack children from a sewer.

As for the man behind Twisty the Clown? Character actor John Carroll Lynch must be celebrating for snagging the most deranged role on television.

In an interview with The Huffington Post, Lynch spoke about the role.

“I think a lot of it has to do with people’s general fear of clowns and fear of people in masks. But I also think it’s this kind of kooky discomfort around this person where you don’t know what his agenda is. You have to be able to tell an interior story without any dialogue, and that’s really a terrific challenge.”

[Image via FX]

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