Now we've gone full stupid

"Let us tell you about the Evil Clowns!"

Target Removes Clown Masks From Stores After Recent Scares « WCCO | CBS Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Target officials said Sunday they have removed some clown masks from stores and online due to the recent rise of “crazy clown” scares.

A recent craze that has gone to social media shows people wearing creepy or scary looking clown masks and going up to people to scare them. There have been arrests associated with the creepy clown craze, and a high school soccer coach was fired after a photo of himself wearing a mask at his team’s final practice appeared on social media.

Many of the instances were intended to be pranks, but some feel the incidents went too far and were threatening.

“Given the current environment, we have made the decision to remove a variety of clown masks from our assortment, both in stores and online,” Target spokesperson Joshua Thomas said. 

Target officials said not all clown costumes have been pulled and that kids looking to be a happier form of a clown can still find those in stores and online.

Vox: "The Great Clown Panic of 2016 has been perpetuated by pretty much everyone except actual clowns"

The clown hysteria seems to revolve around two nightmare scenarios. The first one is that a group of people dressed as clowns are preying on children. The second is that “evil” clowns — who seem to represent either people dressed as clowns or professionals who make it their job to dress as scary clowns (like this guy) — are somehow straying outside their professional purview and creepily wandering the streets. But there is no evidence anywhere that either of these scenarios is actually occurring. There is no evidence that a ring of people dressed as clowns are preying on children. There is no evidence that “evil” clowns exist and are currently taking to the streets. ...

 The US has a history of clown panics, and they’re always part of a larger social unease.

And the history of clown panics in both the US and Europe is explained by Smithsonian online: "The History and Psychology of Clowns Being Scary."

But why are we worrying about clowns when space aliens are killing people who get too close to the truth?!?!?!?!?