I honestly don't know where my fear stems. It has sort of been a family joke that I've always been afraid of them. I have a niece who is the same way about gnomes. Of course she gets no number of gnome gifts as a joke, although no one has ever jokingly gifted me a clown. I'm happy with my clown and am already planning on turning her into a graphic for tees and mugs and such. I might as well take the fear and make it work for me :)