I don't think that the notion that Clowns are creepy is all that new, or is a media creation.

There are various reasons why we might find such an image unpleasant.

The permanent inappropriate smile. Far from being a sign of permanent happiness, we associate a fixed smile in RL with the rictus of death or with derangement.

Another reason might be that clowns are a hold-over from a culture we no longer share. The traditional Clown is an ancestral form of slapstick, like the Punch and Judy Show in which arbitrary and excessive violence is seen as amusing. We no longer take the kiddies to public executions, and yet Clown slapstick is born out of the same low impulse.

Further its a cultural shorthand shorn of its content. Clowns carry on the traditional form. But the purpose they serve has shifted in modern times to other styles of humor. There's a disconnect between the expectation of humor and the frequent lack of it in the execution. Its as if the checklist; smiley make-up, orange wig, big shoes, baggy clothing, is itself supposed to provide the laughs. Mime and physical comedian Bill Irwin ⚠️ ↗ has proven in his shows like The Regard of Flight and others, that if one rethinks the form and modifies the costume to avoid cliche, then the audience can watch with a more open mind; at which point its the humor and the skill on display.

Dante