When my kids tell me they want to go on a TV show I know exactly how they feel. I wanted to go on Bozo the Clown when I was a kid and ride in the Bozo-mobile!
I would have probably loved nothing more than to wear a store-bought, Bozo the Clown costume for Halloween. I mean, what’s not to love about a cheap, flame-retardant costume, right? Ben Cooper, Inc., produced thousands of these things.
Scary Clowns
Clowns have never freaked me like they do some people. I had a roommate in college who made me put away the stuffed clown my grandmother made me when I was five because it made her have panic attacks. This is the same roommate who would dry heave if I talked while brushing my teeth. College could be a real eye-opener, friends.
Bozo, 1971, via badwood_digital on Flickr
I have to admit, this vintage Bozo puppet is a little scary.
Looks like an evil birthday clown. I think his nickname is Killer.
Sweet Bozo was created in the late 1940s, and was a popular kid’s show from the 1966 through the late 70s. I only remember it from the years we lived in Los Angeles and Colorado Springs though. By the time we moved to West Texas, access to my favorite kid shows declined. We lived in a rural town and I’m assuming cable lines had not yet been laid. Bummer, fer ser. I no longer got to watch Shazam, Isis, The New Zoo Review, the Little Rascals, Three Stooges or Bozo.
Bop Bags | Punch Me | 1970s
Flipper, Mickey Mouse, Bam-Bam Rubble Yogi Bear, Popeye, Batman and Bozo the Clown Bop Bags via Kerrytoon
The first piece of Gen X nostalgia I remember buying was a Bozo bop bag in my late 20s. =) If you had one of these as a kid you were super cool.
Did you like Bozo the Clown as a kid?
You’re welcome, Naila! Thanks for stopping by.
Good one!
I can definitely see the clown in the dark hallway as a problem. How creepy.
“I have nightmares filled with clowns.
and you’re there too.
You have a great big nose
and stupid floppy shoes.
You’re becoming one,
I can see the signs —
I hate clowns almost as much
as I hate…mimes!”
Too Much Joy, “Clowns”
Sorry for typos above, gah.
As far as I know, Bozo, did not show up in on TV in Ontario, Canada where I was living. I remember Isis and the Little Rascals though.
I think the scary clown image made no impression on me until Stephen King used it in IT; but again, that was the 80s already, and I didn’t really read King, just caught bits here and there because his work was everywhere.
The only scary clown that I encountered was one stuck to a wall at the bottom of the stairs leading from my best friend’s basement rec room in the mid 80s. We used to rent movies and watch them til late at night on weekend visits, but then had to get past The Clown In The Dark Hallway to get upstairs to go to bed. Yep, we did that at a run.
They are so much fun. Great for taking out frustrations. =)
Oh goodness, I had completely forgotten about those punching bags! I had a Popeye one!
I was a fan too. Thanks for the memories!
~Naila Moon
http://yaknowstuff.blogspot.com/2012/10/day-4-mummy-dear.html
Must be all the horror movies about them. =0 Willie Whistle sounds very fun. You made me curious so I went and googled him and saw a video. Wow. His voice was very squeaky!! Thanks for commenting Caffeinated Joe!
I did like Bozo a lot, as a kid. And we had a local clown on TV here, Willie Whistle. He only spoke, you guessed it, in a whistle-y voice sound. Wonder whatever happened to him? Anyway, what is it about clowns that is making them more and more creepy as the years go by?