By MADISON BROWN<\/p>\n
Sightings of creepy clowns have been terrorizing the country, putting citizens and authorities on high alert.<\/p>\n
The sinister circus characters started to gain attention earlier this fall when children in a South Carolina neighborhood complained to their parents about clowns trying to lead them into the nearby woods.<\/p>\n
Since then, pictures and videos have been circulating on news websites<\/a>, as well as on social media sights.<\/p>\n Last week the clown sightings reached Florida and went viral yet again after someone posted a video on Facebook<\/a> of a clown hiding in the woods in Marian County.<\/p>\n Why are news organizations and people so fascinated and terrified by the concept of creepy clowns lurking outside of their neighborhoods?<\/p>\n Clowns have remained a widespread cultural fear, popularized by Stephen King\u2019s novel It<\/em> and the subsequent film.<\/p>\n The fact that in today\u2019s society, anyone with access to a computer or smart phone can become a \u201cjournalist\u201d by posting pictures and videos makes it easier for these clowns to get national attention.<\/p>\n Because of this, I don\u2019t think the twisted clown phenomenon will end anytime soon. If anything, it might become more popular, especially with Halloween on the horizon.<\/p>\n Real-life \u201cit\u201d sightings could be the perfect money-maker for the Halloween industry, and social media is an easy way to keep the clowns on people\u2019s radars.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By MADISON BROWN Sightings of creepy clowns have been terrorizing the country, putting citizens and authorities on high alert. The sinister circus characters started to gain attention earlier this fall when children in a South Carolina neighborhood complained to their … Continue reading