This needs to stop now, please.
In what has become the most fucked up trend of 2016, the highly-publicized "clown sightings" throughout the US (where unknown whackos have dressed up in creepy costumes with the intention to terrify and in some cases attack victims), has now spread to Australia and Melbourne outfit Clowns have been forced to address the epidemic.
The band have taken to their Twitter account numerous times in recent days to reiterate that they are in no way related to the trend, after a number of people slammed the group for assuming they are involved.
"REMINDER: We are a band from Australia and in no way are we related to the recent clown sightings in the US so plz stop messaging us filth," Clowns tweeted on Friday.
In response to one abusive message, they responded, "We've been called Clowns for 7 years, we have toured the states twice in 2015. A very quick scroll on the [Twitter] page which you found us on would confirm this".
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REMINDER: We are a band from Australia and in no way are we related to the recent clown sightings in the US so plz stop messaging us filth. pic.twitter.com/1mup16pp9H
— Clowns (@Clownsband) October 7, 2016
And the profanity keeps coming. pic.twitter.com/eEr5SV7pR6
— Clowns (@Clownsband) October 8, 2016
Got ya pic.twitter.com/R1njqdKGgH
— Clowns (@Clownsband) October 9, 2016
Meanwhile, US veterans Insane Clown Posse have also weighed in on the subject, with member Violent J calling the killer clown reports "sensationlised" in an opinion piece for Time.
"If you want to see the ultimate example of these 'killer clowns' in action, consider what happened to our hard-working, mostly blue-collar fans, the Juggalos," Violent J wrote.
"In 2011, the FBI named the Juggalos in its National Gang Threat Assessment. Ever since, they have been targeted, profiled and blatantly discriminated on by law enforcement agencies across America. Over the last four years, we’ve been working with our legal team and the ACLU of Michigan, to prove to the US Department of Justice that this completely ridiculous gang label slapped on Juggalos is literally destroying lives.
"Fact: People simply walking their dogs while wearing an ICP shirt have been stopped, searched and added to the local gang member database—when no crime has been committed. This has happened hundreds and hundreds of times across the U.S., and the stories just get worse from there.
"Just know that, despite these sensationalized reports about “killer clowns” wreaking mischief across the nation, there are real clowns out there killing ours and your very rights as an American citizen," he continues.
"Now that’s truly scary, and nothing to clown around about."
Read the full opinion piece here.
Check out a few of the creepy 'sightings' below (viewer discretion is advised).