{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-c03aa079.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-517835be.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Professional clowns fight back against \u0026quot;creepy\u0026quot; image' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54d259d8eafeecae1e0dd6' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54d259d8eafeecae1e0dd6' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nProfessional clowns fight back against \u0026quot;creepy\u0026quot; image\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eLEAD IN:Professional clowns are trying to shrug off their \"creepy\" image ahead of Halloween as clown hysteria sweeps the world. Being a clown these days is no laughing matter with reports across the US, Europe and Asia of people...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eLEAD IN:Professional clowns are trying to shrug off their \"creepy\" image ahead of Halloween as clown hysteria sweeps the world. Being a clown these days is no laughing matter with reports across the US, Europe and Asia of people intentionally scaring people in full clown costume.STORY-LINE:Getting ready for his latest performance. But Milton Sheppard is not interested in scaring anyone. This professional clown has been teaching a workshop in New York every Sunday for the past 8 years to aspiring clowns. At his studio in The Bronx he helps his students to develop an alter-ego or a clown persona like his own Fluffy the Clown. Sheppard also guides them in how to create a costume, apply their make-up and to perform a routine in front of dozens of children.He says he doesn't have much time for the people who are tarnishing the reputation of clowns by adding to the \"creepy clown\" hysteria sweeping the globe.  \"Scary clowns are nowhere close to being a real, true professional clown. Clowns have a set of skills, you got to learn how to face paint, you got to learn how to put on clown make up, create a clown persona and most importantly you got to have a routine, a successful routine,\" he says. Today, his student is Melanie. She is an ordained minister at a church and is interested in doing outreach work with children and the elderly.He says clowns come from all backgrounds: \"There are all kinds of people: we have doctors, lawyers, judges, correctional officers, police officers, emergency room nurse, we have teachers, retirees.\" Sheppard himself works as a chef at a restaurant on weekdays.He has been working as a clown for more than 18 years and says his favourite part of the job is to bring a smile to the children.But he has also had some bad experiences with people that are not comfortable around clowns. \"Rarely but when it does happen I try to be understanding and don't force myself on them, let them come around eventually. I had an incident in which a woman, a grown woman, was scared of clowns, she had clown phobia. So what happened is that I left her alone, she had a couple of drinks and sooner or later, she wanted to take pictures, she wanted to have a good time. These things happen,\" he explains.Lately, videos of people wearing creepy clowns masks and scaring or even attacking others have gone viral on social media. It started in the US in August and during the past months the craze has spread to Australia, Great Britain, Ireland and other countries.Retailers like Target have stopped selling creepy clowns masks ahead of Halloween.But for Wayne Baker, owner of a costume store in The Bronx, this is just \"hype\" and he remembers how some years ago people would wear the \"Jason Hockey Mask\" from the Friday the 13th films. \"And I think that the clown, the creepy clown is a Halloween classic. It rates with Freddy Kruger, Michael Myers, you know, Chucky, you know. So yes, it's a little scary but it's nothing any different than the Mad Doctor,\" he says.He hasn't noticed increasing sales of his creepy clown masks or costumes but believes that \"any publicity is a good publicity\". Eventually, as Halloween approaches \"there are going to be a certain amount of people that are going to want to be the creepy clown,\" he adds.Coulrophobia is the Latin term to describe the phobia of clowns.Clinical psychologist Kristin Kunkle treats patients with unusual phobias and anxieties. \"It is actually relatively common for people to feel creeped out by clowns, but it is fairly rare for someone to have a full blown phobia of clowns to the point that it gets in the way of their lives. For example if a child is so afraid to go to a birthday party because there might be a clown that they miss out on all birthday parties then that would be getting in the way of their life. So what we would do for someone who is significantly afraid of clowns and has been for a very long time is we would gradually expose them to their fear,\" she says from her office at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders.But are New Yorkers concerned about creepy violent clowns taking over the streets of Manhattan just weeks from Halloween? \" Yeah, I have seen it on social media, I didn't think too much of it, I guess it's kind of creepy,\" says Doyeun Kim. Not far from there, the owners of this townhouse on the East Side have gone all out with their Halloween decoration. Not a creepy clown in sight. New York - 16 October 20161. Various of professional clown and clown teacher Milton Sheppard applying his clown make-up during a workshop2. Milton taking a picture with his student Melanie 3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Milton Sheppard, professional clown:\"Scary clowns are nowhere close to being a real, true professional clown. Clowns have a set of skills, you got to learn how to face paint, you got to learn how to put on clown make up, create a clown persona and most importantly you got to have a routine, a successful routine.\"4. Various of Milton showing Melanie how to do an opening act at a clown performance 5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Milton Sheppard, professional clown:\"There are all kinds of people: we have doctors, lawyers, judges, correctional officers, police officers, emergency room nurse, we have teachers, retirees.\"6. Various of Milton and Melanie doing some exercise for relaxation 7. Cutaway of Mickey and Minnie giant heads at the store8. Melanie, student at the clown workshop, trying an opening act9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Milton Sheppard, professional clown:\"Rarely but when it does happen I try to be understanding and don't force myself on them, let them come around eventually. I had an incident in which a woman, a grown woman, was scared of clowns, she had clown phobia. So what happened is that I left her alone, she had a couple of drinks and sooner or later, she wanted to take pictures, she wanted to have a good time. These things happen.\"10. Tilt down of Frank Bee Costume Center, which also hosts NYC Clown Studio11. Various of Halloween props and decorations outside the store12. Sign reading \"NYC Clown Studio\"13. Various of inside of the store14. SOUNDBITE: (English) Wayne Baker, owner of Frank Bee Costume Center:\"And I think that the clown, the creepy clown is a Halloween classic. It rates with Freddy Kruger, Michael Myers, you know, Chucky, you know. So yes, it's a little scary but it's nothing any different than the Mad Doctor.\"15. Various of inside the store16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Wayne Baker, owner of Frank Bee Costume Center:\"In one way, any publicity is good publicity. So there'll be a certain amount of people that are going to want to be the 'creepy clown'.\"New York - 17 October 201617. Clinical Psychologist Kristin Kunkle, expert in phobias, at the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD)18. Sign at the door19. SOUNDBITE: (English) Kristin Kunkle, Clinical Psychologist at Columbia University:\"It is actually relatively common for people to feel creeped out by clowns, but it is fairly rare for someone to have a full blown phobia of clowns to the point that it gets in the way of their lives. For example if a child is so afraid to go to a birthday party because there might be a clown that they miss out on all birthday parties then that would be getting in the way of their life. So what we would do for someone who is significantly afraid of clowns and has been for a very long time is we would gradually expose them to their fear.\"20. Cutaways of people walking down the street 21. SOUNDBITE: (English) Doyeun Kim, VOX POP:\"Yeah, I have seen it on social media, I didn't think too much of it, I guess it's kind of creepy.\"22. Various of Halloween decorated townhouse23. 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