Why are clowns so scary?

[ChippySauce]

I was looking for an article when I scrolled past a post with a clown image (so didn't even read it) and I physically recoiled!
I have no known past incidents in connection so just what is it about clowns that is so terrifying?

The distortion of the human face is always unsettling because its something familiar, but off. The clown is smiling but it's not what we recognise as a happy expression. I think children are particularly sensitive to this 'wrongness' and disturbed by it, but because its in the context of fun and laughter it gets buried and turns into a fear.

Watching The Traitors last night was a bit 😱