Clowns are supposed to be funny and the good ones are. As a kid, all the children loved clowns and I don't think there was any such thing as a scary one. Things were not yet that sick. I've seen clowns live and on TV that were hilarious! A lot depends on the individual, their act, and the make-up is supposed to take advantage of their natural features and face in some humorous way that fits their routine. It is an art getting the right look and no two are supposed to be the same. But in the end, starve a trade and naturally like anything else, it will probably suffer. In the end, people make out of it whatever it is they expect or want to see.