the rix mix

Decorating children's wards with paintings of clowns to create a nurturing atmosphere could backfire, research suggests.

A University of Sheffield study of more than 250 children, aged four to 16, found the images were widely disliked.

Even some of the oldest children found the images scary.

Patricia Doorbar is a child psychologist in North Wales who has carried out research into children's views on healthcare and art therapy.

She said: "Very few children like clowns. They are unfamiliar and come from a different era. They don't look funny, they just look odd."

I've never liked them. Or paintings of them. or horror movies about them. I dated a girl who occasionally played a clown for children's parties, weird driving her to the gigs when she was in costume. I wasn't sure if she enjoyed it or if it was just something easy for her to pick up a few dollars; or why kids would rather have a clown than a regular magician or someone dressed in a superhero costume, or an inflatable Moonwalk?