Sunday, April 12, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Clowns 'Too Scary' For Children's Wards In Hospitals12:32am UK, Wednesday January 16, 2008
Clowns are too scary for kids in hospital and are not the best decoration for children's wards, according to new research.
Clowns: funny or frightening?
A survey found that decorating wards with images of clowns was more likely to frighten young patients than cheer them up.
More than 250 children aged between four and 16 were asked for their opinions - and every single one said they disliked clowns as part of hospital decor.
Even some of the older children said they found clowns scary, Nursing Standard magazine reported.
The youngsters were questioned by the University of Sheffield for the Space To Care study aimed at improving hospital design for children.
"As adults we make assumptions about what works for children," said Penny Curtis, a senior lecturer in research at the university.
"We found that clowns are universally disliked by children. Some found them frightening and unknowable."
Children liked colourful spaces and references to contemporary culture, she said, adding that it is important that young people are consulted over the design or change of hospital environments.
Marjorie Gillies, a senior nurse at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow, said: "We found that having clowns and decorations everywhere is too much. We have gone back to plain walls with areas decorated appropriately."
The authors of the study are now producing a guide on how to create child-friendly environments. it appears clowns will be absent from that curriculum.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
SEX FELON SPARKIE THE CLOWN CHARGED
Registered sex felon charged. Man who works as clown accused of molesting girls
By Rick KleinThe Dallas Morning News - 10/16/99
Balch Springs police have arrested a registered sex offender - known to many area children as "Sparkie the Clown" - after two girls told police that he molested them.
Officers allege that Ronald Steve Chewning Jr. had inappropriate contact with two neighborhood children this summer while not in costume. The girls, ages 12 and 13, told investigators that he touched them in the front yard of his Balch Springs home, police Detective Chris Meehan said.
"When he moved in, they all became friends," the detective said. Mr. Chewning, he said, moved from Denton County, where he had been convicted of molesting a girl.
The 30-year-old suspect has admitted having contact with the girls in Balch Springs but said any inappropriate touching was accidental, Detective Meehan said. He said he was merely playing with the girls in the front yard of his home in the 11700 block of Crumpton Drive, the detective said.
"He said he was showing them wrestling moves," he said. "He said it [any inappropriate contact] was by accident. They said it made them feel uncomfortable."
One of the girls said Mr. Chewning touched her on several occasions, police said. The other girl reported being molested once, Detective Meehan said.
Mr. Chewning was arrested Wednesday on two second-degree felony counts of indecency with a child by contact. He was being held Friday in the Balch Springs Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail and could not be reached for comment.
Police have not released the alleged victims' names because of their ages.
Officers say they have no evidence that Mr. Chewning molested children while working as a clown but are trying to contact people who have hired him. Mr. Chewning ran a one-man clown business and worked as Sparkie at birthday parties and civic functions in the area, Detective Meehan said.
He performed last weekend at a park in Balch Springs, the detective said. "We want to see if he uses the clown costume to access children."
Mr. Chewning pleaded guilty to indecency with a child by contact, a second-degree felony, in 1994 for an incident involving a girl in Little Elm in Denton County.
According to court records, he touched the breast and genitals of a 12-year-old. Mr. Chewning was given eight years' probation; if he had served it successfully, no conviction would have appeared on his record. But he violated his probation and began a three-year prison sentence in December 1995, according to state records.
He left prison in February 1998 and was placed under state supervision - which is similar to probation - for the remainder of his prison sentence, records show.
Under the terms of his release, he was required to register as a sex offender and to avoid contact with children, said Stennett Posey, a spokesman for the parole division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Mr. Chewning was known to have worked as Sparkie the Clown when he registered as a sex offender, according to the state database. He registered in Denton County and re-registered in Balch Springs after moving there in August, Detective Meehan said.
Balch Springs police believe Mr. Chewning did not restart his clown business until early this year. That would have been shortly after his state supervision ended, Detective Meehan said.
No law prevents a convicted sex offender who is no longer under state supervision from having contact with children - as a clown or in any other capacity, Mr. Posey said.
By Rick KleinThe Dallas Morning News - 10/16/99
Balch Springs police have arrested a registered sex offender - known to many area children as "Sparkie the Clown" - after two girls told police that he molested them.
Officers allege that Ronald Steve Chewning Jr. had inappropriate contact with two neighborhood children this summer while not in costume. The girls, ages 12 and 13, told investigators that he touched them in the front yard of his Balch Springs home, police Detective Chris Meehan said.
"When he moved in, they all became friends," the detective said. Mr. Chewning, he said, moved from Denton County, where he had been convicted of molesting a girl.
The 30-year-old suspect has admitted having contact with the girls in Balch Springs but said any inappropriate touching was accidental, Detective Meehan said. He said he was merely playing with the girls in the front yard of his home in the 11700 block of Crumpton Drive, the detective said.
"He said he was showing them wrestling moves," he said. "He said it [any inappropriate contact] was by accident. They said it made them feel uncomfortable."
One of the girls said Mr. Chewning touched her on several occasions, police said. The other girl reported being molested once, Detective Meehan said.
Mr. Chewning was arrested Wednesday on two second-degree felony counts of indecency with a child by contact. He was being held Friday in the Balch Springs Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail and could not be reached for comment.
Police have not released the alleged victims' names because of their ages.
Officers say they have no evidence that Mr. Chewning molested children while working as a clown but are trying to contact people who have hired him. Mr. Chewning ran a one-man clown business and worked as Sparkie at birthday parties and civic functions in the area, Detective Meehan said.
He performed last weekend at a park in Balch Springs, the detective said. "We want to see if he uses the clown costume to access children."
Mr. Chewning pleaded guilty to indecency with a child by contact, a second-degree felony, in 1994 for an incident involving a girl in Little Elm in Denton County.
According to court records, he touched the breast and genitals of a 12-year-old. Mr. Chewning was given eight years' probation; if he had served it successfully, no conviction would have appeared on his record. But he violated his probation and began a three-year prison sentence in December 1995, according to state records.
He left prison in February 1998 and was placed under state supervision - which is similar to probation - for the remainder of his prison sentence, records show.
Under the terms of his release, he was required to register as a sex offender and to avoid contact with children, said Stennett Posey, a spokesman for the parole division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Mr. Chewning was known to have worked as Sparkie the Clown when he registered as a sex offender, according to the state database. He registered in Denton County and re-registered in Balch Springs after moving there in August, Detective Meehan said.
Balch Springs police believe Mr. Chewning did not restart his clown business until early this year. That would have been shortly after his state supervision ended, Detective Meehan said.
No law prevents a convicted sex offender who is no longer under state supervision from having contact with children - as a clown or in any other capacity, Mr. Posey said.
Monday, March 23, 2009
PROSTIE CLOWN INVASION
INVASION OF THE PROSTIE-CLOWNSBy Mike Simmons
Overdone, overrun, and certainly over the fun. While I am one who enjoys my halloween haunts, and all those crazy, evil clowns that accompany the annual scare fest every October, the now-to-common prostetic clown has become the mawkishly latest craze for those trying to "wow" us with their clownish good looks.
Maybe they wanted to scare kids with the tenacity of Stephen King's "IT", or always wanted to learn to play a musical instrument, dress up elaborately, and be the second-coming of the rock band Kiss. Looks to me to be a cross between the two.
Whatever their shortcomings in life, this seems to be the latest self-centered, vanity fantasy with a twist of carnival macabre. Honestly, I can't tell one from the other, well except maybe from the different aray of colors of teased out wigs, but does the "look" itself make the man (clown)? I think not. When confronted by one of these look-a-likes, I feel I would do more justice to their attempt to scare me if I were holding a 3' x 6' mirror so these impostured clowns could gaze at themselves in all their hedonistic glory.
Mike Simmons writes clown and haunt articles and appears courtesy of Clowntroversy
Friday, March 20, 2009
CLOWNDOG MILLIONAIRE
CLOWNDOG MILLIONAIRE ALMOST DISQUALIFIEDMonday, March 16, 2009
CIRCUS CLOWN ARRESTED
Circus Clown Arrested On Sexual Exploitation Charges
Posted: May 25, 2004
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Fayetteville police have arrested 23 year-old Thomas Allen Riccio -- who performs as a clown with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus -- on 10 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
Investigators said they found images of young girls performing sex acts on Riccio's computer.
The circus visited the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum last week.
Circus officials had no comment, other than to say they do not condone the behavior.
"This is a criminal matter that is under investigation," the company said in a press release. "While the company does not have any further information on this matter, it does not condone any type of criminal behavior."
Posted: May 25, 2004
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Fayetteville police have arrested 23 year-old Thomas Allen Riccio -- who performs as a clown with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus -- on 10 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
Investigators said they found images of young girls performing sex acts on Riccio's computer.
The circus visited the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum last week.
Circus officials had no comment, other than to say they do not condone the behavior.
"This is a criminal matter that is under investigation," the company said in a press release. "While the company does not have any further information on this matter, it does not condone any type of criminal behavior."
CLOWN ARRESTED AT POLLING SITE
Issue date: 11/4/08
Police arrest a man for selling flags without a license.
Media Credit: Noelle Motley
An unidentified man wearing a clown outfit was arrested for selling American flags without a permit outside a polling site in Northwest Washington early this morning.The man arrived at Garnet-Patterson Patterson Junior High School, 2001 10th St. N.W., at 7:21 a.m. He was dressed in red white and blue with an Uncle Sam hat and big white glasses. He walked silently up and down the line, carrying flags. A voter asked to buy a flag, and he responded that the flags were a dollar each. As the clown tried to give the flag to the voter, someone called the police. Three police cars arrived, and the officers arrested him. An officer said the arrest had nothing to do with voting. The man took off all his paraphernalia. An elderly man observing the incident said, "I wish they would respond this quickly when there was a fucking shooting."
Police arrest a man for selling flags without a license.
Media Credit: Noelle Motley
An unidentified man wearing a clown outfit was arrested for selling American flags without a permit outside a polling site in Northwest Washington early this morning.The man arrived at Garnet-Patterson Patterson Junior High School, 2001 10th St. N.W., at 7:21 a.m. He was dressed in red white and blue with an Uncle Sam hat and big white glasses. He walked silently up and down the line, carrying flags. A voter asked to buy a flag, and he responded that the flags were a dollar each. As the clown tried to give the flag to the voter, someone called the police. Three police cars arrived, and the officers arrested him. An officer said the arrest had nothing to do with voting. The man took off all his paraphernalia. An elderly man observing the incident said, "I wish they would respond this quickly when there was a fucking shooting."
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
BOZO LAMENT
Do you suffer from coulrophobia? Are you haunted by images of that clown at your sixth birthday party — you know, the one where the clown turned balloon art into something that made your mother scream and your father inexplicably start wailing on him? Well you’re right to be afraid. Deep down, everybody knows that clowns are filled with a barely caged animal rage. Oh sure, it’s all dressed up in the capering, car-stuffing, and pie-flinging. But don’t be fooled by their colorful outfits and improbable hair.
They are dangerous. They will turn on you. And this song proves it:
They are dangerous. They will turn on you. And this song proves it:
Bozo’s Lament
I guess because my name is Bozo I was destined to be a clown
But when I joined the traveling circus I didn’t think that it would bring me down
Make me angry like sniper in a tower
And every Saturday I take off my nose and say never more Pie in my face Five days a workweek
It’s in my face
Pie in my face
It sucks to be a clown
You can go listen to Bozo’s Lament (and read the rest of the lyrics) at Jonathan Coulton’s website. The disturbing illustration is by Jawboneradio. You should check out both of their off-beat works. You may also want to check out the clowns at humor-blogs.com.
CLOWN CAR FROM BADI DEA MOTORS
Brace Yourself, It's HereThe Badi Dea 1999 models have arrived! The 1999 Clown Car from Badi Dea Motors. There aren't many cars out there that can turn heads like the new Clown Car from Badi Dea Motors, but it's not just another pretty face in the crowd. The 1999 Clown car is so "feature heavy" that we ended up with a sticker price about twice what we originally intended, and that means more value for you. Badi Dea, once again, levels the competition by creating the only Clown Car on the market that provides ample room to comfortably seat more clowns than any other vehicle in it's class. The 1999 Badi Dea Clown Car, so easy, even Bozo could drive it!1999Clown Car Features - Standard X \ Optional X
Underseat Lighting X
Carflipper© Jack X
Sunroof Wiper X
Pop Out Boxing Glove X
Pointy Thing in the Front X
Cream Pie Ejector X
MultiFlex Windshield© X
Insta-Brake System X
Adjustable Muffler X
Solid Oak Engine Block X
Balloons(Sport model only) X
Wheels X
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