http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/373893
Crap answer. There's a difference between a comedian and a clown.

I wonder when clowns in the sense of the painted smile and mostly hidden faces originated? I wonder how society's impression of them has changed? There was a time when saying you were scared of clowns was some kind of unusual thing. I think it's about a majority opinion now.

The clown is exactly the Fake Smile, we fear them because it's such clear dishonesty. They were good because they were pretending happiness and sometime there is no choice but that. Did we in the past need to pretend more? Or was it that in the past we really felt that happiness more? Or did a lot of people actually always fear clowns but they went along more, they pretended to pretend more; whereas now it's more acceptable and becoming old really to bother mentioning being scared of clowns?

A jester and a clown are much closer. But the jester was usually a midget? Less potentially harmful?

It is still possible to see a "clown" in the sense of being a harmless and even positive thing today. Something happened though where the traditional painted face close is way out of favor now. Maybe John Wayne Gacy was enough.

Much more goes into humor, can be tied into humor, can be tied into clowns. Jim Carrey can be called a "clown". That's not what I refer to. But I understand there is a such a thing as an innocent smile.