The clowns in the St Pat's parade in St Louis were a big hit with the crowd

There is a stereotype of clowns being grotesque performers with colorful wigs, fashionable makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large shoes, and other grotesque characteristics, who entertain spectators by acting in a humorous fashion and playing the role of a clown. In terms of the type of act they perform, there are many variations. It is not uncommon for some children to find clowns to be very scary.