(Please Don't) Send In the Clowns?

Okay, here it is. The beginnings of a new area for law and popular culture scholars to investigate.

Clowns and the Law!

Out of concern for community reactions, and because of the recent wave of scary clown sightings, some municipalities are banning clown costumes for Hallowe'en.

Christine Hauser, Clowns, Candidates, and Other Halloween Missteps
Amber Jamieson,  No Clowns Allowed: Scariest Halloween Costume of 2016 Faces Bans Across US
Maureen Sullivan, Boo--Connecticut Schools Ban Clown Costumes For Halloween

Effects of Clown Costumes: What Evidence Might Support a Clown Costume Ban?

Esther Bergdahl, Why Clowns Are a Particular Kind of Scary

Ah, but wait: We have First Amendment concerns.

Eugene Volokh, Kemper County (Miss.) Bans Clown Costumes, Likely Violates the First Amendment 

PI, Assault and Battery, and Clowns

Law Offices of Cohen and Jaffe, Personal Injury Attorneys Discuss the Impact of Scary Clowns on Halloween Safety
Mark Pesto, Fears of a clown: Pa. entertainers 'afraid' to travel amid reports of unnerving sightings

There's even a Twitter account:

Clown Sightings (@ClownsSightings)

And don't forget the IP prong:

Law and Magic Blog: Clowning Around, or More on Clowns and Copyright

Law and Popular Culture Generally

Benjamin Radford,  Bad Clowns (University of New Mexico Press, 2016).

Time to quit clowning around (oh, you knew that was coming). Things to do. I will, however, check out more clowns and the law issues. I have some ideas..... will check the databases...back soon.