Donald Trump Jr. wanted to brag about his father's approval rating, but the only way to brag about it would be to fudge the numbers, so that's exactly what he did. But not very well.

Junior wanted it to look like Trump's approval rating was better than Barack Obama's at this point in their presidencies, but since that wasn't possible, he took a screengrab of a cable news graphic that compared Trump to Obama, and then Photoshopped a 50% approval rating over Trump's real 40% approval rating so that it beat Obama's 45% approval rating. He did such a botched job that you can actually see 40% trying to hide behind the 50%.

He then put it on Instagram, writing, "“Amazing. I guess there is a magic wand to make things happen and @realdonaldtrump seems to have it. #maga #amreicafirst [sic]”

Yes, fake news is real. Junior kept the ridiculous post up for over 12 hours before it finally disappeared.

Via Think Progress

Top image: DonkeyHotey/Flickr Read the rest

TIL: Chronicle Books has published The Clown Egg Register, a book authored by photographer Luke Stephenson and fine artist/clown Helen Champion on -- you guessed it -- the Clown Egg Register:

For more than 70 years, Clowns International—the oldest established clowning organization—has been painting the faces of its members on eggs. Each one is a record of a clown’s unique identity, preserving the unwritten rule that no clown should copy another’s look. This unique book is a mesmerizing assembly of more than 150 of these portraits, from 1946 to the modern day, accompanied by short personal histories of many of the clowns. Here are Tricky Nicky, Taffy, Bobo, Sammy Sunshine, the legendary Emmett Kelly, and Jolly Jack, clowning since 1977 and still performing today with a penguin puppet named Biscuit...

Here's what Mark wrote about the Clown Egg Register in 2014:

Apparently, a clown's face can't be copyrighted, but if you decorate an egg with the clown's face, you can copyright that, which stops unscrupulous clowns in their tracks.

The book is available for pre-order now for $16.95 (March 20 release date).

Here's a peek:

Read the rest

Looking for a really unique vehicle that will garner a lot of attention? One that will have your neighbors asking, "What's in that Bozo's driveway?"

Well, quit (start?) clowning around and check out this 1957 Morris Minor named "Clarabelle." She's just $7K. The wind-up key, polka dots, light-up red nose, and flower boxes are all included:

One-of-a-kind automobile! Seen in many parades, TV and events. She has been on display and honored at the National Auto Museum and at the International Clown Convention. Eight years in the making. Lovingly built in Northern Nevada by a professional clown family. Custom glitter paint. Top hat opens to wave at the crowds in a parade. Rear flower pot bumpers. Moving hand-carved silver colored "skate key." Light inside red nose. Hand carved white hands in front and hand carved steering wheel.

Thanks, Jared! Read the rest

The Advocate reports that three suspects are being sought after a robbery in Baton Rouge, one of them dressed in a clown hood: "Ernie Ballard III, a spokesman for the university, said three men robbed a student of an iPhone outside of the dorm building before fleeing the area.He said no one was injured." Read the rest

Instagram user Lonseometown9 documents their ongoing series of street art that transforms dumped sofas, chairs, and televisions into sad clowns. Read the rest

Like it or not, clowns are "in" these days. (Fwiw, I blame that new IT movie.)

Now, thanks to San Francisco clothing maker Betabrand, clowns are both "in and out."

Their "Clowna Sutra" men's shirt takes its inspiration from the Kama Sutra obviously, but features more red noses, wigs and oversized shoes than the original.

Take a look for yourself (don't miss the squirting lapel flowers and balloon dogs):

There must be some real funny business going on at Betabrand, as this silly/smutty short-sleeved shirt was actually designed by the company's own founder and CEO, Chris Lindland.

It's currently available for $57.80.

Thanks, Iain!

Previously: There's an evil clown donut delivery service in Texas Read the rest

Burger King Russia has filed a complaint with the country's anti-monopoly agency to have the film It banned because, they say, Pennywise the killer clown is free marketing for McDonald's. From Newsweek:

Read the rest

That revamped IT film is bringing clowns, downright terrifying ones, right back into the pop culture spotlight.

One donut shop in Texas is leveraging the trend by offering a scary clown delivery service. On Monday and Tuesday, September 25 and 26, you can have Hurts Donut (great name!) in the Dallas suburb of Frisco do the dirty deed for you. And by "dirty deed," I mean "have an evil clown deliver your friends donuts."

In an interview with Dallas area site GuideLive, Hurts Donut co-owner Kas Clegg denies the service was directly inspired by IT clown Pennywise, "We always try to keep up with the trends, and clowns are trending right now... We just love scary clowns."

Have future enemies in the Frisco area? Call 469-214-8001 to schedule delivery. The clown delivery fee is $5 in addition to the regular delivery fee of $5. So, $10 plus whatever the donuts cost.

The donut shop notes on Facebook, "If we have enough interest in surrounding communities, let us know in the comments below, we may pick a day for out of town clown deliveries as well!"

Thanks, Chris!

Previously: Steven King's "It" hurting the clown business Read the rest

Pennywise, the creepy clown in Steven King's "It," and the recent increase in "evil clown sightings" around the country have fueled the anti-clown movement in the US and hurt clowning as a legit business. From the Hollywood Reporter:

"Last year we were really blindsided," says World Clown Association president Pam Moody of the evil clown sightings — typically pranksters in store-bought clown masks who lurked near schools and in residential neighborhoods, sometime with weapons in hand. "We've since created a press kit to prepare clowns for the movie coming out."

That guide, “WCA Stand on Scary Clowns !!,” reminds the WCA membership that the "art of clown is something to be treasured and enjoyed" and that "just because someone wears a rubber Halloween mask, that does not make one a clown!" It also recommends "that young children not be exposed to horror movies" such as It...

The industry has taken a hit thanks to all this "scary clown" business. "People had school shows and library shows that were canceled," says Moody. "That’s very unfortunate. The very public we're trying to deliver positive and important messages to aren't getting them."

You could be the next proprietor of the Clown Motel in Tonopah, Nevada. Packed with kitschy-creepy clown figurines, paintings, and mannequins, it's conveniently located next to a cemetery with the graves of residents and prospectors who died of a strange plague in 1902. Reportedly the ghosts of some of those folks haunt the Clown Motel. You could own it for $900,000 so long as you contractually agree that the Clown Motel won't shut its doors. From Mysterious Universe:

The greasepaint ghouls came from Leona and LeRoy David, a brother and sister who built the motel in 1985 and chose the site next to the cemetery because their father was buried there. They put their small collection of clown memorabilia on display and ran the inn until 1995 when they sold everything to Bob Perchetti, whose family has lived in Tonopah for four generations and most certainly knew the haunted history of the motel and its clownish contents...

Seven-year employee Marlena Dufour says she’s seen apparitions and moving mannequin hands and has heard disembodied voices. Dufur told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that a guest had a room key mysteriously disappear. However, it’s the clowns that cause the most trouble. While many guests come dressed as clowns and enjoy the experience, others have walked into the office and screamed or fainted.

Read the rest

These clowns I know were having a yard sale Sunday, so I swung by. I picked up a sweet plumed marching band hat, a pair of tinted goggles for Burning Man, and a really cool long cloak, also for the desert. While shopping, I spotted this smiling clown face sweater in the rack of multi-colored clothes.

I recognized it immediately.

Wil Wheaton had once (famously) wore one just like it.

That's a friend of mine in the lead picture (who wanted to remain anonymous, for reasons). At the sale, she tried the 100% acrylic monstrosity on with little to no intention of actually buying it. In fact, as she was pulling it over her head, she mumbled a couple times, "I'm no clown. I'm no clown." I took a photo of her not being a clown, because.

When I got home, I posted the photo on Facebook and people wanted to know if I had bought it. I hadn't.

One friend wondered if anyone we knew was involved in The Clownsweater Project which has many photos of people wearing a clown sweater, just like the one at the yard sale. Another friend, Valerie, piped in, "Me!" and shared this photo of herself. In fact, the sweater that she's wearing is the exact same one that Wil wore:

I then started reading up on The Clownsweater Project. I was happy to discover that they've shared its entire history, including Wil Wheaton's part in it on their site:

In 2002 at another EFF Fundraiser at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco, Barney (yes, the purple dinosaur) and Wil Wheaton were pitted against each other in a boxing match...

Between Las Vegas and Reno, there is a sleeping establishment like no other. It's simply called The Clown Motel and it's been deemed "America's scariest motel."

In 2014, Cory described it as follows:

Hundreds of clowns stare from every corner, the walls are hung with clown-portraits, and there is a "historic miners' cemetery" out the motel's back door, wherein rest the mouldering corpses of the victims of a mysterious epidemic that is only known as "Tonopah plague."

Now it can be yours for $900,000.

According to LasVegasNow.com, the motel's current owner (of 22 years) Bob Perchetti is selling it so he can retire, "I'm going to go fishing. I want to go enjoy myself. I'm going to do a little camping with the grandkids."

One condition of the sale: "the new owners can upgrade it but don't lose what the people love."

Wait, does that mean the clowns or the corpses? Either way, no thank you. Read the rest

A person in Virginia devised a strange-but-effective method to discourage bears from rummaging in the garbage cans. I'm sure the bears will have their revenge.

Read the rest

Pornhub reports that creepy clown surges spark creepy clown urges. As the creepy clown fad has spiked, so has interest in clown-related erotica. And it's popular with the ladies: "women are 33% more likely to search for clown porn than men." Read the rest

The creepy clown ebb and flow is currently in full flow, so Atlas Obscura has created the definitive creepy clown incident map, replete with dates, details, and outcome. Read the rest

The Associated Press reports that McDonald's restaurants are to lay off using mascot Ronald McDonald for a while, until the current phase of "creepy clown" sightings fades.

The burger chain said Tuesday that it is being “thoughtful in respect to Ronald McDonald's participation in community events” as a result of the “current climate around clown sightings in communities.”

The company did not provide any other details about how often its red-haired mascot makes appearances and how or whether that will change.

McDonald's decision comes after a rash of pranks and threats nationwide and abroad that have involved eerie clowns. The trend began this summer with unconfirmed reports in South Carolina. Since then, reports have involved costumed hoaxsters frightening people on the street or people terrorizing others via social media.

“They just kept coming, and coming, and coming, across multiple states. Clowns in vans. Clowns in the woods. Clowns lurking in the shadows. Clowns chasing people or doing crimes.” Read the rest