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Clowns!

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* All of the following stories have been posted online since just yesterday. Let’s start with the Naperville Sun

Residents should call 911 if they see someone dressed as a clown behaving suspiciously, according to a community alert posted on the DuPage County sheriff’s office Facebook page.

“The DuPage County Sheriff’s Office is aware of the recent ‘clown sightings’ occurring locally in our parks, on the paths and trails, and even on our roadways,” according to the alert, which features a photo of clown shoes and the sheriff’s office seal.

It warns residents not to confront any clowns and, “always maintain a safe distance.”

* Aurora Beacon-News

School District 308 officials said a clown-related social media threat concerning Oswego Monday was a hoax. […]

The post involved a threat from a clown carrying black balloons.

* Lake County News-Sun

The creepy clown phenomenon that has recently swept the nation hit Lake County Tuesday as police departments in Round Lake, North Chicago and Waukegan reported clown threats made on social media and in person at one Waukegan school during lunch recess, prompting that school to briefly be put on lockdown.

* Elgin Courier-News

Carpentersville police and School District 300 officials issued statements Tuesday calling clown-related reports a prank and aiming to assure residents there have been no credible threats or known local sightings of red-nosed creeps.

* Chicagoist

Closer to home, a “performance artist” was detained by UIC police—but not arrested or charged—after joining the trend, or making a pointedly meta commentary about the trend, or… something.

The pic…


they just arrested a clown on my campus. i am livid. pic.twitter.com/xkliyWyY7j

— Ilyas Ashar (@ellyorwhatever) October 4, 2016

* And this is from the Oak Lawn Patch

Social media was all a-twitter Monday evening with the reported sighting of a creepy clown in Worth.

The Chicago Ridge Neighborhood Watch Facebook group posted a photo from a member’s daughter, who took a picture of the joker’s backside near 111th Street and Harlem Avenue, across the street from the Worth Police Department. […]

Sightings of people dressed as creepy, menacing clowns have been reported in 26 states, according to the Boston Globe. […]

Earlier Monday, the @IllinoisClown account tweeted that he was in Shorewood, heading for Plainfield.

* From @IllinoisClown’s feed today


Wow….I've got the biggest hangover! Hydrating, and heading to #SpringfieldIL#IllinoisClown pic.twitter.com/to1X6EKO4R

— Illinois Clown (@IllinoisClown) October 5, 2016

* Related…

* Phil Luciano: Creepy-clown hysteria hurts two local clowns

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:03 pm

Comments

  1. American Guy Fawkes movement. Fitting, somehow.

    Comment by walker Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:06 pm

  2. First they came for the clowns, and I did not speak out—
    Because I was not a clown…

    – MrJM

    Comment by @MisterJayEm Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:06 pm

  3. As far as I know, it is still legal to dress as a clown.

    Comment by NoGifts Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:09 pm

  4. Oswego 308 was really nervous about all this Clown business.

    For the record… I have been in front of a laptop for 5 days straight…

    Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:12 pm

  5. Are these ‘clowns’ trying to bring needed attention to IL’s disfunctional government? If so, good job; if not, just go away-we already have a clown as IL gov.

    Comment by sal-says Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:12 pm

  6. Are these party clowns or rodeo clowns?

    Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:13 pm

  7. I think “rodeo clown” is no longer PC

    Comment by steve schnorf Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:15 pm

  8. 47th, they’re neither.

    “Creepy clowns” is the term, I believe. But I’m guessing they’ll eventually come up with a less pejorative reference which we will then all be obliged to adhere to.

    /snark

    Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:15 pm

  9. -School District 308 officials said a clown-related social media threat concerning Oswego Monday was a hoax. […]-

    Ah shucks Willy - I was sure you had been mis-behavin’!
    #Trending /s

    Comment by WhoKnew Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:15 pm

  10. Creeps using social media to intimidate children, the new fad. Quite a few of Waukegan public school students plan to stay home Friday because of a follow-up threat by some “clowns”. Sick.

    Comment by Wensicia Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:16 pm

  11. “Free Range Uncircused Clowns?” Rich?

    Great, now our police will need to carry pies and seltzer bottles to go with their tasers and guns.

    Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:18 pm

  12. - WhoKnew -

    Now, I want to be clear…

    Was I questioned? This time? No, not this time.

    Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:19 pm

  13. OK everyone needs to stop with the clown shenanigans. Between this and the skull hurricane, I am DONE.

    Comment by Politix Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:21 pm

  14. ===using social media to intimidate children===

    Or possibly it’s kids trying to get out of going to school. Back in the day, kids called in bomb threats or set off fire alarms. Can’t do that any more.

    Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:21 pm

  15. ===“Free Range Uncircused Clowns?”===

    We may have a winner.

    Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:22 pm

  16. Isn’t this something Drudge has been peddling? Along with demonic possession, climate change denial and Trump (I detect a pattern)?

    FWIW, when she was a kid, my wife used to work at the Baskin Robbins at Cumberland and Higgins.

    Gacy used to come in every day, often in his clown costume, always drunk off his tukkus. He’d hit the liquor store next door, and then stop by and order a triple-scoop something-something with the works.

    Everybody knew he was bad news, just not how bad.

    Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:22 pm

  17. So no fans of Shakes the Clown on Cap Fax eh? That movie is the Citizen Kane of alcoholic clown movies.

    Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:23 pm

  18. No action from the IL GA. Obviously, outlawing clowns would be like passing term limits.

    Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:26 pm

  19. I hope I didn’t read this on capitolfax….A word of advice - if you find yourself surrounded by a mob of clowns… go for juggler!

    Comment by Triple fat Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:26 pm

  20. –Back in the day, kids called in bomb threats or set off fire alarms–

    They sure did. That was like a rite of passage.

    Your kid pulls a fire alarm now, and you’re both in really big trouble.

    Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:26 pm

  21. - 47th Ward -

    I honestly forgot about it. Robin Williams and Bobcat Goldthwait.

    Well played.

    Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:27 pm

  22. A company called KatzSmith Productions is filming a remake of Stephen King’s “It” for release in 2017. This might all be a viral marketing campaign.

    Comment by Lester Holt's Mustache Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:28 pm

  23. This is all very funny until someone gets their eye knocked out.

    Comment by Groucho Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:32 pm

  24. In one report, a group of 50 clowns was menacing passersby until they heard police sirens, then they all climbed into a Fiat and drove off. /s

    Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:34 pm

  25. Homey don’t play that

    Comment by Ggeo Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:34 pm

  26. Clowns. Providing more inspiration to dislike them. Oy.

    Reminds me of the old cannibal joke…
    “Does this clown taste funny to you?”

    Comment by A guy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:34 pm

  27. ===This is all very funny until someone gets their eye knocked out===

    Or worse: https://twitter.com/dabeard/status/783324994004717568

    Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:35 pm

  28. Apparently Kramer’s fear of clowns well-placed:

    https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjcl7P9zsTPAhVFSiYKHc8CCUQQtwIIKjAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DUo6QIPOhI7w&usg=AFQjCNFsTIyaMvrXucF-vsDYzzDfX8GeRw

    Comment by SAP Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:36 pm

  29. And a very young Adam Sandler Willy. It was Bobcat’s magnum opus, a masterpiece of the genre.

    Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:37 pm

  30. Also, isn’t “creepy clown” redundant? Is there another type of clown I’ve never seen?

    Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:39 pm

  31. - 47th Ward -

    Ah, yes. Sandler.

    Agree, difficult to think about another alcoholic clown driven vehicle without beginning and ending with Shakes.

    Glad you brought this up, it’s good to remember movies you forgot you knew.

    Thank you.

    Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:41 pm

  32. All I know is, if someone in clownface kneels, rather than stands, for the national anthem, the world is going to explode.

    Comment by Dave Dahl Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:41 pm

  33. Yeah, people, you can’t just go around shooting random clowns. Mimes on the other hand… /s

    Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:43 pm

  34. All clowns are creepy. They were creepy long before there was Twitter. Seriously. I support the police over reaction.

    Comment by Siriusly Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:45 pm

  35. So this wouldn’t be a good time to play the Steelers Wheels song “Stuck in the Middle with You” that starts with “Clowns to the left of me …”?

    Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:47 pm

  36. In an attempt to make his earlier comments more inclusive, John Kass referred to them as feral clowns /s

    Comment by AC Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:48 pm

  37. Missed one, Rich.

    From The Pantagraph:
    http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/local-police-investigating-clown-sightings/article_4a2bb357-f9b9-53ab-81fd-686dd8852918.html

    Comment by hisgirlfriday Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:48 pm

  38. Mimes!

    Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:48 pm

  39. -Agree, difficult to think about another alcoholic clown driven vehicle without beginning and ending with Shakes.-

    There was that bank robbing clown movie with Bill Murray.

    Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:49 pm

  40. I guess Oswego 308 took this very seriously, emails were sent out too by the district..

    Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:50 pm

  41. –It warns residents not to confront any clowns and, “always maintain a safe distance.”–

    And whatever you do, don’t smell the flower.

    Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:50 pm

  42. As if I needed a warning from the police to avoid clowns…

    Comment by AC Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:55 pm

  43. I was in Montana around the first of September and heard a talk show on Canadian radio. They were having a great time going on about the reports in the Carolinas about clowns trying to lure children into the woods by offering money. The children said the clowns lived in a house in the woods. Police found an abandoned house with no signs of habitation. Reports continued including one of clowns getting into a car and driving away. The number of clowns was not reported.

    Comment by Bigtwitch Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:58 pm

  44. “Send in the clowns. Don’t bother they’re here.”

    Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:58 pm

  45. “Quick Change” was the Bill Murray clown movie.

    His character “robbed” a bank, pretty good cast including Geena Davis, but…

    “Shakes”… “Shakes” defines the genre, not just a film about clowns…

    Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 4:58 pm

  46. @Politix

    I thought smiling skull hurricanes and hordes of terrifying clowns were suppose to come AFTER The Beast’s arrival in Revelations…

    Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:00 pm

  47. Little help??? I’m looking for a fourth for my Mt. Clownmore to go with Ronald McDonald, Bozo, and Krusty.

    Comment by SAP Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:01 pm

  48. A spokesman for the group of cartoonish individuals seen roaming through Illinois neighborhoods this October has indicated that they find the term “clown” highly offensive. He said they prefer to be called “legislative candidates.”

    Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:01 pm

  49. When you see poodle balloons at the dog park, run.

    Comment by Casual observer Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:05 pm

  50. All part of Krusty’s last-minute write-in campaign for President.

    Comment by Streator Curmudgeon Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:07 pm

  51. Clowns have given me a serious case of the willies(sorry OW)since I was a little child. I hope they lock ‘em all up!

    Comment by And I Approved This Message Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:09 pm

  52. CCL. It’s a scary world nowadays

    Comment by JDuc Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:10 pm

  53. - And I Approved This Message -

    Oh, that’s fine. You were just clowning around.

    Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:12 pm

  54. Beware of clowns outside their natural habitats.

    Comment by FormerParatrooper Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:13 pm

  55. Looks like Big Braintree and Profit are deployin’ foot soldiers

    Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:33 pm

  56. How unfair is it that Trump is running for president and clowns are getting a bad reputation.

    Comment by striketoo Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:37 pm

  57. On a somewhat serious note, our phones have been blowing up for three days with crazed parents calling to see
    If we are doing anything about the creepy clowns.

    It is just nuts how susceptible parents are to unmitigated and totally unfounded hysteria. This is why schools are almost forced to overreact these days.

    I spent 45 minutes with one hysterical mother yesterday only to find out she won’t have a child in our school until NEXT YEAR!!!!

    I am having my third cocktail of the evening.

    Tomorrow I am going to track down a clown college and prank them.

    Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:40 pm

  58. “A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants”

    Chuckles the Clown….The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

    Comment by Johnnie F. Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 5:49 pm

  59. –Also, isn’t “creepy clown” redundant? Is there another type of clown I’ve never seen?–

    How dare you call yourself a Chicagoan?

    Bob Bell as Bozo? Ray Rayner as Oliver O. Oliver? Roy Brown as Cooky?

    Creepy? What’s the matter, did you miss Bucket #1 in the Grand Prize Game?

    Now Marshall Brodein (TV Magic Cards) as Wizzo….. he was creepy.

    Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 6:16 pm

  60. Bozo was OK I guess, but Cooky? No way, totally creepy. And you yourself mentioned Chicago’s most infamous creepy clown, JWG.

    Still gives me the creeps just thinking about it.

    Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 6:49 pm

  61. I love Shakes, but you guys really ought to check out other Goldwaithe films. Sleeping Dogs Lie is a masterpiece.

    Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 7:03 pm

  62. 47th, Cooky the Clown was in no way creepy.

    When I was in high school in Tooele, Utah, there was a big local scare that devil worshipers were gathering at the local desert airport for weekly rituals. It even made the local paper.

    The rumor persisted for months, even though it was easily proved false.

    Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 7:15 pm

  63. Legislature should establish a “State Clown Day” with an honorary “Bozo” parade that Rauner of course would lead. This would hopefully alleviate all this clown mayhem!

    Comment by XDNR Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 7:21 pm

  64. It’s Bruce, er, uh, mmm, I mean Bozo…

    Comment by Property of IDOC Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 8:54 pm

  65. This State will continue to be terrorized by clowns until we have term limits, workers comp reform and right to work laws.

    Comment by Quizzical Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 10:27 pm

  66. This (and the wine) inspired me to use the internet to find anagrams for Bruce Rauner. Don’t ask me why. It’s just the way my brain works. A few were mildly amusing. Then I entered Mike Madigan. Some of those results were quite funny.

    Comment by Anonsense Wednesday, Oct 5, 16 @ 10:41 pm

  67. No love for Chicago’s own Ray “Spanky the Clown” Wardingley?

    http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/spanky-for-mayor-is-ray-wardingley-just-another-clown-running-for-office/Content?oid=886463

    – MrJM

    Comment by @MisterJayEm Thursday, Oct 6, 16 @ 8:35 am

  68. CLOWN LIVES MATTER

    Comment by Allen D Thursday, Oct 6, 16 @ 8:50 am

  69. The Governor likes to dress up in costumes.
    I think “Creepy Clown” would be very appropriate.

    Comment by Bleugrass Boy Thursday, Oct 6, 16 @ 9:00 am

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