Why do people have a fear of clowns?

I remember reading that little kids naturally fear "distorted" human faces, so that might explain why kids are scared of clowns. I'm not sure why adults are afraid of them, though lol

John Wayne Gacy probably started the whole clown fears for children AND adults alike! Pfft!

There is something too free about wearing makeup . . . It's a disguise where you can be who you want to be . . . Unfortunately who people REALLY want to be, morally, doesn't always match up with what you and I may think is morally correct . . . So when people where disguises a certain percentage might be doing so for insidious intents . . .

I saw "It" last night, and I must say there is something off-putting about a clown talking to a young boy while salivating . . .

I'm not scared of them.

It is because you cannot read their expressions. They paint their faces to look happy or sad, but you can't see the true emotion. Also it hides their actual features. They wear clothes that alter their body shape. If they were dressed in anything other than a clown costume doing the same thing wouldn't you find that creepy?