SNAKE CLOWNS!

[Rusty Edge]

I didn't realize he was Clarabelle.

from Wikipedia- "Bob Keeshan as Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Pennywhistle, and The Town Clown"

As for opera, did you mean Pagliacci ? also from wiki-

"Around 1890, when Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana premiered, Leoncavallo was a little-known composer. After seeing Mascagni's success, he decided to write an opera in response: one act composed in the verismo style. Leoncavallo claimed that he based the story of Pagliacci on an incident from his childhood:[1] a murder in 1865, the victim of which was a Leoncavallo family servant, Gaetano Scavello. The murderer was Gaetano D'Alessandro, with his brother Luigi an accomplice to the crime. The incident resulted from a series of perceived romantic entanglements involving Scavello, Luigi D'Alessandro, and a village girl with whom both men were infatuated.[2] Leoncavallo's father, a judge, was the presiding magistrate over the criminal investigation."

[Unorthodox]

As for opera, did you mean Pagliacci ? also from wiki-

"Around 1890, when Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana premiered, Leoncavallo was a little-known composer. After seeing Mascagni's success, he decided to write an opera in response: one act composed in the verismo style. Leoncavallo claimed that he based the story of Pagliacci on an incident from his childhood:[1] a murder in 1865, the victim of which was a Leoncavallo family servant, Gaetano Scavello. The murderer was Gaetano D'Alessandro, with his brother Luigi an accomplice to the crime. The incident resulted from a series of perceived romantic entanglements involving Scavello, Luigi D'Alessandro, and a village girl with whom both men were infatuated.[2] Leoncavallo's father, a judge, was the presiding magistrate over the criminal investigation."

Probably?  I mostly got my info from some old magazine article 90s time frame when I was first setting up a haunted midway/sideshow haunt.  The opera wasn't one of the things I chose to research further as that era really isn't what we'd consider 'clown' today.

[Unorthodox]

So, I have kids at all levels of the school system.

Report:

Elementary School:  Principle held assembly to announce that the clown rumors were not true and they were all very safe. 

Middle School:  All anyone wants to talk about is the clowns with wild rumors about how they are stalking and killing people.  Computer science teacher using it as an example of the dangers of misusing social media, pointing out all the kids getting arrested for making fake facebook claims/threats. 

High School:  Most think it's a big joke. 

[Buster's Uncle]

It is a big joke.  People are just stupid, thus it gets unfunny in a hurry.

[Unorthodox]

15 year old behind a lot of scary clown threats

http://www.startribune.com/hopkins-police-question-teen-for-scary-clown-threat-to-many-twin-cities-communities/395987581/

[Unorthodox]

Article trying to trace the creepy clown origin:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater/dance/2016/10/05/serious-clowning/ZQbGT7OyfDmNnKvhnBGH1J/story.html

[Unorthodox]

Clown tries to kidnap 1 year old:

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2016/10/05/clown-tries-to-kidnap-child-in-concord/

[Unorthodox]

6 more teens arrested:
http://www.courant.com/breaking-news/

[Unorthodox]

I think I'm ruling "Clown" out from my costume choices in the 5K this Saturday. 

[Unorthodox]

http://pix11.com/2016/10/05/hunt-for-car-full-of-terrorizing-clowns-ends-in-arrest-in-new-jersey-police/

More teens dressing in real life. 


I'm amending my original comment that American Horror Story was influencing this new generation of woods dwelling clowns to include The Purge series influencing the Urban weapon wielding people in a clown mask as the woods clowns have largely now been replace with the Urban clowns. 

I'm genuinely surprised we haven't really seen much of the giant mallet trope:

! No longer available

[Buster's Uncle]

Giant mallets could be funny, even clever - and it's not clever people crappycatting this...

[Unorthodox]

[E_T]

:rofl:

[Unorthodox]

New York Knife Clowns.

http://nypost.com/2016/10/06/knife-wielding-clown-blocks-subway-doors-chases-teen-through-station/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-clowns-with-knives-threatened-teens-in-new-york-city-long-island/

[Unorthodox]

ALRIGHT GK, YOU'VE BEEN BUSTED! 

GK dresses as clown and leaves note to cancel Halloween or kids will die:

http://tmzworldnews.com/killer-clown-spotted-at-school-leaves-note-says-cancel-halloween-or-kids-will-die/

(Note, that is NOT a real story, just found it funny enough to post.  Fake news is not helping, people.  )