While the Joker theme may seem humorous at first, there is often a dark underpinning. This is true not only of clown tattoos but in popular culture as well. We need to look no further than the Batman character the Joker to see that this funny character often has a dark sinister side. For some unexplainable reason we are drawn to the duality of the sinister character being funny as well.
Then there are clown characters that depict popular clowns throughout history. Bozo the clown comes to mind as one of the most popular clowns ever. The silliness of the clown tattoos may serve to remind the wearer that they shouldn't take life so seriously. Someone at Oxford on tattoo may also want to remind others to be more lighthearted.
For some unknown reason, clowns actually strike fear into the hearts of many. Just look at Stephen King's IT and the sinister clown portrayed in the terrifying story. Some people even have an extreme phobia of clowns.
We may never know why this seemingly innocent, funny character often conveys emotions of terror. It is one of the most ironic tattoos ever. For some, the clown tattoos depict innocence, humor and jest. For others it stimulates terrifying waves of fear.