Americans fear clowns more than death itself

Are the creepy clown stories pouring in from across the nation keeping you up at night? Then count yourself among the 42 percent of Americans who report having coulrophobia — that is, a fear of clowns.

Americans are actually more afraid of clowns than even death itself, a Vox/Morning Consult poll revealed Friday. Clowns were also recorded as being more terrifying than climate change, needles, or terrorist attacks. Even ghosts have nothing on clowns, and ghosts can move through walls and can't be killed, so that's saying something.

Clowns have people so unnerved that a whole two-thirds of Americans demand some sort of government response on the issue. Another one-third of Americans said that the FBI should investigate the clown situation.

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Let's just go ahead and blame this one on Stephen King. Way to go, Stephen King.