Secrets of the City

I totally remember this going on when I was in the fifth grade. I was so scared of that clown! I think they cancelled recess at my school as well.

Yes, I remember – this did occur. There was a STRANGE episode of clown hysteria / paranoia in this town some years ago. I would suggest the latter end of that range, 92 ish, 93 ish. This is the kind of thing that would be hard if not impossibile to research using the google. Any reports are buried in newspaper archives.

Although, I don’t know that reports of meat cleavers were ever corroborated. That might have been a product of imagination, although that description did seem to make it into the police reports of the day.

There were perhaps three sightings in all. They came to take on the traits of a UFO sighting, with some common elements.

I bet it’s all true.

You can’t trust a clown.

For the record, FWIW, IIRC, it wasn’t actually determined to be a perpetrated hoax, like the blogger suggests. No offending clowns were ever located. Was more likely one of those things of the mind – one person claims they see something, then another sees something just like it. I believe sightings were reported by both adults and children.

I wonder if this has anything to do with this guy

I remember hearing this too. strange. reminded me of why I don’t like clowns
it makes one of my friend’s recess stories sound much more harmless. he grew up in Mason City, Iowa and had tales of Nudie Rudie, a 1970s-era streaker that the kids in that city were all curious about. apparently this guy was seen running around town naked and once ran through a playground or play area. . . obviously during warmer weather than we’re having now!

I totally remember this! Ingrid, what elementary school did you go to again? I can’t remember recess being cancelled at Snail Lake, but I do remember my friends and I completely freaking ourselves out about going to the park in Shoreview Commons.

People were in elementary school in 1993?
Nice way to make me feel ancient on a crisp Tuesday Morning.

I think occasional poster eaganman has access to newspaper archives. Eaganman, can you check?

I don’t remember this, but then I grew up a few miles west of St. Paul

Can’t sleep, clowns will eat me.

Mass psychosis might be the term I’m looking for. I think Gacy was prevalent in the news at the time as his execution neared – good call.

Josie, I went to a really small private Christian elementary school and then I made the big jump to Chippewa. What a transition! But I remember kids in the neighborhood saying they spotted the clown. Wasn’t this around the time a Stephen King book featuring a clown was popular? Maybe I’m mixing up my clowns.

It seems the evil clowns were everywhere back then.

Oh, God, IT. I watched that movie my freshman year of college and didn’t sleep well for a week. I believe my fear of clowns stems from the cleaver-wielding clown and was solidified by Tim Curry. Blech.

Ooop – now solved on metafilter. June 5th 1992 and thereabouts. A Gacy movie had just aired. One harmless clown actually sighted in public, sans meatcleaver. The other sightings were mass psychosis.

You’re trying to rewrite local history ,108!

It’s plain there were meat cleaver wielding clowns everywhere. It’s obvious.

I grew up in Des Plaines, IL; one of our town’s detectives helped solve the case. I was 3-4 at the time. Gacy was part of the terror of our youth. I’m fairly certain a young John Walsh came to my elementary school to talk– before America’s Most Wanted.

Its possible…

Great story though.

meat cleaver wielding clowns everywhere.

I think there was one on the bus this morning?

Oh wait it was just the lady that wears a ratty fur coat, that looks like a 100 miles of bad road and never has time to dry her hair before catching the bus.

She’s The Bride of Meat Cleaver Wielding Clown.

My parents still joke about the “clown in the woods” … some fifth graders were convinced there was a dude rooming the bushes at recess, and a bunch were questioned by the school administration. Scarrrry

The meat-cleaver wielding clown went on to find gainful employment as a vlogger for the Daily Mole. You can see his work here:

http://www.dailymole.com/wordpress/index.php?tag=the-angry-clown

I think Gacy was prevalent in the news at the time as his execution neared – good call.

My knowledge of useless trivia finally comes in handy!

I know that clown, kevin.

MISSION CONTROL: Control to Msparber, you are cleared for midget clown jpeg booster separation. Go in T-Minus fifteen seconds. Stand by.

MSPARBER: Max, Mission Control. Roger. Standing by for go.

MISSION CONTROL: Twelve. Eleven. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Stand by for ApesGrape start.

The meat-cleaver wielding clown went on to find gainful employment as a vlogger

Sure. How long is that going to last?

vlogging? or the daily mole?

vlogging? or the daily mole?

Oooohhh! Zing from Mr. MSM to the little online newbie!

Re: John Wayne Gacy

I used to be a security guard at the building that the attorney that prosecuted him was at. He gave me the book he wrote about it and $50 for Christmas. My claim to fame. heheh

Now we know what Dennis Tester was up to “back in the day.”

And now you know…the rest of the story…GOOD DAY!

Let’s make this a “Do you remember or am I batshit crazy” thread!

In second or third grade in the early nineties I remember there being an epidemic of people filling Super Soakers with caustic chemicals like bleach. Does anyone remember this?

Also, around that time I remember there being something going on where people where putting drugs on stickers. Does anyone recall this going on?
In second grade my mom told me not to take stickers from strangers. Years later I pointed out that her warnings were stupid no drug dealer would give a second grader a drug sticker because they’re a horrible client base.

Does anyone remember that morning in 1983 or so when the town was abuzz with the death of Prince? Some morning radio show reported it, and they all picked it up. By the afternoon, it was exposed as false.

Now we know what Dennis Tester was up to “back in the day.”

Could be something he just did in his spare time.

Remember the kook who used to cut women’s butts as they drove by on their ten-speeds?

That was my, Dad.

(J/K Dad.)

Sick!

Here’s the answer to the clown question.

The case of the meat-cleaver-wielding clown apparently has been cracked.

Bromberg, 43, said Thursday that the misunderstanding began the night she graduated from clown school at Lakewood Community College in White Bear Lake. After graduation, she drove her silver Corvette to the library in North St. Paul to drop off a few clowning books.

It’s always just a misunderstanding with these clowns, isn’t it?

I went to school at Capital Hill and remember this well. the clown, as I remember, was spotted on the roof of the MLK center. several children swore that they saw the clown, doing this and that, hiding mostly. I don’t remember anything about a meat cleaver, but I do remember telling a teacher that I had seen the clown in some bushes, armed with a bazooka.

That reminds me of the blockbuster hit “Killer Clowns from Outerspace”

My younger cousin saw that when he was little and birthday parties haven’t been the same for him ever since.

When my oldest son was born, his godfather Dan wrote him this lullaby and sang it to him very gently while lovingly rocking him in his arms:

Sleep is so good.
Sleep is so good.
Sleep is so good, so now go to sleep.

Clowns won’t hurt you.
Clowns won’t hurt you.
Clowns won’t hurt you, if you stay in bed.

Snakes are scary.
Snakes are scary.
Snakes are scary, when they’re in your bed.

Very loving. Very tender.

Bromberg, 43, said Thursday that the misunderstanding began the night she graduated from clown school at Lakewood Community College in White Bear Lake. After graduation, she drove her silver Corvette to the library in North St. Paul to drop off a few clowning books.

Theres a ton of fodder here for exploration.

There’s a clown school? In White Bear Lake? They condone people dressing up as scary clowns? Sheesh. That’s reason enough never to visit White Bear Lake.

@ Nateek

Seriously? I actually laughed audibly at that. I hope that lullaby gets passed on for several generations.

They probably come out of the school looking like this

Lakewood was known perjoratively as Driftwood back in the day. I was of college age at that time. Its ‘Century’ now.

I dont know if the clown curriculum remains. I wonder what a degree in clowning is called?

Why is everybody looking at me?

AH!

All clowns are scary. Blech.

Do your part:

STOP CLOWN PORN NOW!

True story. He really did sing it. Often. He has a beautiful, dulcet voice. He’s 6′4″. About 2 bills. He’d have my little boy all nestled in tight, and then sweetly sing those words. It slayed me every time. I love that song.

Note: this Dan of whom I speak has been one of my best friends since 9th grade and is affectionately (and universally) known as Stinky Dan.

Also note: ironically, he has impeccable personal grooming and now sells insurance.

AH! MY EYES!!!

Put that away stat!

Oh man! I remember that! I went to school at Capitol Hill, right across the way from the MLK center.

I remember our second–maybe third–grade teacher sat us all down and explained to us all what a “rumor” was, as by that point the story had spiraled out of control to include guns, machetes, even entire armies of grenade-wielding clowns. Ahh, the rampant minds of youth…

I had all but put this out of my mind until you posted this today… wow. Total nostalgia wave.

Aww, I missed all the fun!

In revenge, let me introduce you to Ouchy The Clown, a professional dominatrix (if a guy can be a dominatrix, I suppose) who specializes in intimate shaving with a straight razor.

The main page of this link is worksafe, if you don’t mind your IT department maybe knowing you’ve been looking at the web page of a clown who’s into professional BDSM. Some of the other pages are not. You have been warned.

Enjoy the circus, folks.