Colbert, quit clowning around! Stephen Colbert made light of the scary clown epidemic that is creeping everyone out during The Late Show on Wednesday, October 5.
The late-night host, 52, joked that there are “innocent” clowns out there getting a bad rap because of the situation. So, to help the balloon animal-making lovers, he shared a “Save the Clowns” PSA with the audience.
“I feel for these clowns,” he said. “They’re just trying to entertain us — they shouldn’t have to answer for the actions of a few insane posses.”
Colbert told viewers that children and parents should leave the room before he aired the footage. In the video, clowns from near and far defended their existence. Luckily, the tears didn’t smear their face paint.
“Clowns are people too,” one clown said.
A second added: “Now I’m afraid women might think the idea of sex with me is creepy.”
Another colorful character got one of the biggest laughs of the night. “What’s funnier than a grown man in big shoes and makeup? Maybe a fat guy falling down, but that’s it,” he said.
As the world knows, Halloween has come early — in the worst way ever. Mostly unconfirmed reports of “killer clowns” are now terrorizing neighborhoods and communities in the U.S.
News outlets across the nation have been reporting on the saga. Last month, schools in Reading, Ohio, closed after a clown threatened students. In one horrific incident, a 16-year-old was actually stabbed by a man wearing a clown mask in Reading, Pennsylvania. Other clown pranksters have been spotted in Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina and California.
The mayhem has caused an uproar — and even horror writer Stephen King (who wrote the clown novel It in 1986) wants it to stop. “Hey, guys, time to cool the clown hysteria,” he tweeted on Monday. “Most of em are good, cheer up the kiddies, make people laugh.”
Watch Colbert in the video above!