Why do so many people have a fear of clowns?

It's strange how clowns send so many folks running for the exits. Actually, maybe not. Anyone who's read "It" by Stephen King or stumbled across a picture of serial killer John Wayne Gacy in floppy shoes is understandably a bit on-edge at the circus (or the rodeo, for that matter).

The official term for this irrational aversion to red-nosed entertainers is coulrophobia. While many are merely creeped out by clowns, the fear runs much deeper for others, affecting their daily lives.

Several theories attempt to explain the origins of the phobia, though none seem definitive. One of the more interesting comes from Kathryn Cillick. She believes most people are afraid of clowns because it's impossible to gauge a clown's true emotions. Thanks to painted-on smiles, people can't distinguish if the clown is as happy as he seems or if he's actually about to bite somebody's face off.

Several celebrities are decidedly anti-clown. Rapper P. Diddy has a "no clown" clause in his concert contracts. Johnny Depp had nightmares of clowns as a kid. And, of course there's Bart Simpson, whose utterance "Can't sleep, clown will eat me" speaks volumes about his feelings on the subject.

Thank goodness Jerry Lewis' "The Day the Clown Cried" was never released, lest we all be in straitjackets.