A Reason To Fear Clowns

For a man in Wales the reasons to fear clowns ('Coulrophobia'), recently took a decidedly real turn, and for a very solid reason. This is because he was taken out of the audience to participate in a clown stunt, one that very nearly went tragically wrong.

Of course there have been real killer clowns who would give you a real cause for fear .....

John Wayne Gacy as 'Pogo The Clown'

.... John Wayne Gacy the multiple child killer, who was executed on 10th May 1994, was also known as the "Killer Clown", due to him dressing as "Pogo the Clown" (a character he devised himself), to provide charitable services at fund-raising events, parades and children's parties.

But you hardly expect the the clown from the Circus Zyair's show in Caerphilly, Wales to be dangerous (except possibly to humour). However that proved to be case when he manoeuvred the volunteer into a spot in the circus ring, and then attempted some sort of back-flip, which was supposed to look like it was powered by the volunteer, but which I assume was meant to leave the volunteer still standing, while the clown who had performed the stunt would end back on his feet.

Unfortunately the trick backfired, and as the clown flipped over he took his victim with him .... the clown then landed very heavily on the volunteers head as it lay on the ground. It knocked the man spark out, and left him unconscious for several minutes.

Real 'Near' Killer Clown

The crowd were obviously unsure whether to laugh or not .... it could after all have been part of the act, and the volunteer actually a stooge. However the clown was well aware that something had gone wrong, and that he had an unconscious member of the public on his hands. He then seems to have panicked, because instead of immediately calling for medical help, he attempted various ways of removing the body by himself. This with the man's fiancé and children in the crowd.

These ranged from trying to sit him up, stand him up, and even drag him about. When none proved to be immediately successful, and with the victim still totally unconscious, he waived some stage hands into the ring .... eventually three of them managed to manhandle the man, still unconscious, out of the ring.

Now I have to say upfront, that the man was a tremendous good sport, because when he eventually revived, he didn't call his legal eagle (as I am afraid that I may well have done in the same circumstances), but he did complain that he could have been seriously injured by the manhandling while he was unconscious, especially if he had already damaged his neck in the original incident.

But, as I say, he seems to have taken the view that in the end no harm was done .... "I was very lucky. I could have died or been paralysed. I don't blame the clown. What I was upset about was the way I was carried off. I was manhandled when I could have been seriously injured."

He said the circus (which declined any public comment - their legal eagle had obviously been in touch with them), had offered to refund his family for their tickets, and a free visit when it visits Carmarthen on Saturday - which he hopes to go to! ..... In the current blame culture I am refreshingly gob smacked.

One other oddity, and apropos of nothing in particular ... both the victim and the potentially 'killer' clown in the story are named 'Ben'.