Tunkhannock Area High School Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania September/OctoberThe 2017 ProwlerVolume XIV, Issue XXXV Americans Impacted by IT Clowns in America on the Screen and Off By LOGHAN HIRKEY that didn’t shut down banned them Since the movie producers of IT from wearing clown costumes to public announced on April 26th, 2016 that a Halloween events. new version of Stephen King’s brilliant The police also got into the mess novel IT would be coming in theaters in by banning all clowns from public 2017, people throughout America reacted events (marches, speeches, etc.) Even PROWLER STAFF PHOTO with a lot of strange ideas. In a few short McDonald’s claimed they were going to Red balloons make appearances all over the country! months people went into hysterics and give Ronald McDonald (their mascot) a the IT balloons have been found in homes However, not all reactions have been started dressing up as clowns; clowns break until this mess settled down. and even the movie theaters itself. The negative. There have also been some would show up at public events, houses, Professional clowns and Stephen King most popular spot for the balloons is positive aspects of the movie coming and even schools. Many videos of himself were not amused and claimed, Lititz Pennsylvania, where the police out. Many people made their own spoof clowns chasing cars or being on security “Stop the ridiculous acts of dressing immediately took the balloons down. remakes of scenes from IT, some of the cameras went viral around the nation. up as clowns and let the hysterics calm Many people believe this to be less more popular spoofs include: “THE IT So many clowns started showing up that down.” By November of 2016 the clowns harmful, but officers are still fining any ROOM”, “Lincoln Police Department people soon became scared to leave their started fading until there were only 1 or 2 person they find tying the balloons to (there’s doughnuts down here)” and “2017 driveway for fear of a clown coming up incidents across the entire nation. drains. TRAILER BUT ITS CAT IN THE HAT.” beside them. Fast forward to present time when Many people posted pictures on Funny parodies are also made based By around October of 2016 the people the movie is actually in theaters, twitter and claim them to be “humorously on this successful movie. Overall, this who weren’t amused by the clowns had people started up with the reactions in creepy”. However, the buzz of all these popular movie impacted a lot of America had enough. Schools began shutting a different way. Throughout big cities scary pranks have definitely amped up the and will probably impact it months later. down due to the people dressing up as red balloons have been tied to drains sale rates and have more people talking Sources: www.inverse.com , www. clowns around school. The other schools everywhere. In addition to storm drains about IT. theguardian.com , www.facebook.com miniseries. While the original had two house fire when he was young, and aside IT Review storylines, the children of Derry, and then from the racial issue as previously stated, You’ll float, too. as adults fighting Pennywise, the 2017 is bullied by his grandfather for not being remake focuses solely on the kids. able to kill the sheep on his farm. Richie By EMMA RUSHWORTH Six outcast kids, dubbed “The Loser’s struggles with his self-esteem issues, made The huge anticipation for the remake Club” by school bullies, are tortured clear by his constant overconfidence. of Stephen King’s IT, starring Bill throughout the film, from swirlies to The movie in itself was incredible. Skarsgård as the title character Pennywise dumping wet garbage all over them. The Well directed, amazing actors and the PHOTO COURTESY BRITASIANNEWS.COM the clown, was not in vain. The book, token black kid, Mike, is also targeted for perfect blend between pure terror and light originally published in 1986, spun into his race. also has a severe stutter, for which he is hearted comedy. Richie and Eddie had a TV miniseries produced in 1990, The kids all struggle with something also bullied. Eddie has mommy issues, the theater audience laughing for at least starring renowned actor Tim Curry. In that the clown can feed off. Bev, the as in his mother is more of a smother. half of the movie. Since they are teenage the storyline, Pennywise is a clown who fiery-haired heroine, is molested by her She instills upon him a hypochondriac boys, the humor was mostly “your mom” feeds off of the children in the fictional father and bullied at school. Billy, the fear, making him take placebos (which he jokes, but still funny nonetheless. There town of Derry, Maine. The clown returns presumptuous main character, is haunted mistakenly calls gazebos). Stanley, the son were many jump scares, and a few truly every 27 years, which makes this year’s by the disappearance of his brother of the town rabbi, can’t seem to make his gruesome moments. Overall, an excellent release perfectly timed from the original Georgie at the hands of Pennywise. Billy dad happy. Mike heard his parents die in a movie that I would see again. A clown’s whole purpose is The Horror of Clowns to act in a way that defies Well, this will be a therapy session normal human behavior. By BAILEE JONES incredibly unsettling to people. It appears Unpredictability causes to be a fundamental reflex. People have distrust and apprehension In theory, clowns are meant to be the same reaction towards ventriloquist in humans. Take the drunk figures of fun that provide amusement to guy on a street for example, the masses with their hijinks, not causing dummies; they can cause an unsettling feeling to arise. they’re avoided because they screams of fear. Big smiley faces, party are clearly not conforming to tricks and bright colors; none of these Human faces that deviate from the norm are upsetting to people. And clown social norms and come across things are usually associated with intense as a possible threat. fear. But yet, when combined in the form faces differ in very elaborate ways; the huge painted-on smiles, the bright colors, It’s even worse if faced of a clown, they regularly cause the exact with a clown in a social opposite reaction to the one intended. the overly exaggerated eyes, all of these combine to provide a recognizably- context, which with clowns, Coulrophobia, although not recognized as it inevitably is. Social anxiety an official phobia, just goes to show how human face which doesn’t behave as it should, which is unsettling on a deep is something that runs high common the fear is. It has inspired its own in the human population. We diagnosis. subconscious level. The human brain fear being judged or mocked. After years of research, the most doesn’t deal with such inconsistent Clowns usually like to involve prominent reasoning is that clowns have a stimulus well, which causes further the audience and sometimes tendency to cause a negative reaction deep discomfort. pull pranks on individuals, CARTOON By JACOB EZZO in our brains. It is important to remember It is not just the face, humans are which combined with their appearance, Yes, clowns can creep out many people, but that clowns are people, people covered in sensitive to body language as well. We clowns are set up to cause a deep sense of face paint with horrible fashion choices, gain a lot of knowledge about a person Pennywise takes it to another level - every 27 fear. years! but still people nonetheless. And because by the way they move and their posture. It seems like clowns face a they’re people, they have human faces and Clowns throw that all out of whack, with disadvantage when it comes to how people of which are scary in their own ways. bodies just like the rest of us. But that is their purposeful stumbling and oversized view them. The scary-clown stereotype Whether that be a clown who feeds off of where problems arise. movements. isn’t new in our society. Take the most children’s fears or a man who dressed as a The “uncanny valley” effect is the Clowns are unpredictable. That is famous examples of clowns: The Joker, clown and murdered twelve boys, they all phenomenon where things that look what they’re known for during their acts; Pennywise, and John Wayne Gacy, all have a tendency to make your skin crawl. human but “aren’t quite there” are you never know what may happen next. 2 THE PROWLER EditorialEditorial VOLUME XIV ISSUE XXXV Tunkhannock Area Letter from the Editor High School Welcome to our first edition of The Prowler! 135 Tiger Drive By OLI HEISE Well, summer has come to an end, and As you’re probably aware, the first Tunkhannock, PA 18657 we’ve reached that time where we all have month of school has been hectic. Fall (570)836-3111 to get back to the grind. Most of you have sports, such as football, volleyball, cross- already adjusted to the routine of waking country, boys’ and girls’ soccer, and girls’ up early, coming to school, moving on to tennis, have been in full swing. We also Chief Editors extracurriculars after school, and doing have a fall play coming up! This fall’s play Olivia Heise nightly homework. Personally, I have yet will be “Crazy Town,” and I don’t know to adjust to the waking up early part. about you, but I’m pretty excited to see Bailee Jones This year The Prowler has an abundance what it brings.