logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2022
38m 5s

58: Clowns that Kill: the Dark History o...

Audioboom Studios
About this episode
Welcome to the Dark History podcast. Clowns, you either like them or you hate them. There really isn’t much of an in between. But how could something as simple as a clown manage to get such strong opinions from people? In today’s episode we explore the long, dark, drunk, and complicated history of the clown. And I knew this story would be dark, but ooo boy, this was even darker than I expected.

Episode Advertisers Include: Ship Station, Framebridge, Hello Fresh, OUAI Haircare
Up next
Aug 20
180: Harmless or Toxic? The Hidden Killers in Your Beauty Routine
Hi friends, happy Wednesday! Did you guys ever see those ads for the Rejuvenique face mask? It was this electric face mask that looked like it was straight out of Friday the 13th. The guy on the infomercials was like “imagine what doing 8 situps a second could do for your abs! We ... Show More
54m 30s
Aug 13
179: The Oil Scandal They Tried to Erase from History
Hi friends, happy Wednesday! I always wanted to date Robbie Sinclair from Dinosaurs. Anyone else? [CRICKETS] So whenever I drive by a Sinclair gas station, you know, the one with the dinosaur logo? I always think of him. His spiky hair. That letterman jacket. I don’t care that he ... Show More
58m 28s
Aug 6
178: The Most F*ed Up Baby Products in History
Hi friends, happy Wednesday! I don’t know if this is happening to any of you out there, but suddenly, everyone I know is having a baby. Which means I’m looking at one baby registry after another. Honestly I don’t mind, I love buying baby stuff. It’s so little and cute. But lately ... Show More
54m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2018
Clown Panic
Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and bonus episodes of shows like Dear Prudence and Slow Burn. Sign up now to listen and support our work.Decoder Ring is a podcast about cracking cultural mysteries. Every month host Willa Paskin,Slate’s TV critic, takes on a cultural quest ... Show More
38m 16s
Apr 2021
Sightings: The Creepy Clowns
The 2016 clown sightings made headlines around the world. What started as simple pranks soon turned into something sinister with threats, assaults, and arrests. For more information, or other stories, check out ADarkMemory.com Thank you for listening! Episode page: https://adarkm ... Show More
15m 48s
Jul 2020
#6- The Killer Clown - Serial Killer (Case of John Wayne Gacy)
Are you afraid of clowns? Most clowns when they take off their makeup and costumes they're just normal people. But today's case is about a clown... when he took off his makeup he was something scarier... a serial killer.  "Do you want to see a magic trick?" - it's about to get re ... Show More
1h 51m
May 2024
Where does our phobia of clowns come from?
Clowns are supposed to make you laugh, but often can make you shudder. What is supposed to be a figure of fun is for many the stuff of nightmares. Coulrophobia —the irrational fear of clowns that’s surprisingly common. This has been reinforced by popular culture, and many horror ... Show More
3m 49s
Dec 2021
Sex Lies & Murder: The Killer Clown
West Palm Beach is known for fun, sun, beautiful beaches - and in 1990, killer clowns. Marlene Warren opens her front door to find a clown delivering balloons, who then shoots her point blank. Police have their work cut out for them to figure out who is behind the killer clown’s ... Show More
45m 13s
Oct 2023
Welcome to After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal
Introducing After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal, the podcast that takes you to the shadiest corners of the past, unpicking history’s spookiest, strangest, and most sinister stories. Meet your hosts, historians Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling, who will be taking a look ... Show More
4m 17s
Oct 2022
Selects: How Clowns Work
Jesters of some sort have been around since ancient Egypt and China. Our modern clown was invented around 1800 and ever since they have been getting steadily creepier. Learn all about clowns in this classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
46m 48s
Jun 2021
The Tulsa Race Massacre
In 1921, an act of terrorism would turn a once thriving Black community to ash and rubble overnight. It was an event so horrific that many historians now call it the single worst incident of racist violence in U.S. history. But what led up to that fateful day? And why were folks ... Show More
41m 44s