2016 Clown Panic

The wave of rogue clown appearances in 2016, which caused public anxiety and even led to bans on clown costumes, was not an isolated incident. Similar instances of creepy clown sightings have occurred periodically, dating back to at least 1981 in Massachusetts, when schoolchildren reported a van full of candy and menacing clown suits. These waves of clown hysteria tend to follow a pattern, with initial reports leading to widespread phobia, but investigations typically reveal no evidence of a significant clown threat. Verified cases often turn out to be viral marketing stunts or harmless pranks.