Post title is a pull quote from the article: Fake Clown Attacks Put French Police On Alert and Trigger Vigilante Response

I guess the Wasco Clown thing has gone global.  Gangs of what are being decribed as “Fake Clowns” are apparently roaming the French counrtyside sowing  terror and committing at least a few crimes, as reported by the U.K. Guardian.  The fad, said to be fueled by social media, is to get into your clown gear and go act scary. There are more than a few people who are scared of clowns anyway, so someone wouldn’t have to do much to look menacing.  Just standing there might be enough.  But not satisfied with the subtle approach some are choosing to roam around in groups, carrying various weapons.  The story states some have pistols, but I doubt that.  This is France we’re talking about.

The term “Fake Clown” caught my eye.  How can you tell a fake clown from a genuine one?  Aside from the blood dripping fangs and the  weapons of mayhem I mean.  Do French clowns carry special ID’s?  I suppose the context would be a tip off.  Guy with a big bunch of balloons at the carnival?  Possibly geniune.  Large gang roaming the coutryside after curfew toting machetes and scythes?  Hmmm.  Probably not card carrying members of The Costumed Comic Entertainers Guild.  Anyway, as one French Newspaper put it, these clowns aren’t funny anymore.  Rather, ces clowns ne sont pas drôles plus.

All this bad publicity has France’s real clowns somewhat perturbed.  Phillippe Herrreman, who runs a team of eight clowns called The Clowns of Hope said that he hoped the evil clowns would soon disappear.  For some clowns there is always hope.

In the meantime, my prediction is that eventually one of these clowns is going to get killed.  Rather, l’un de ces clowns va se faire tuer.

I think it says “you’ve found one”