Think about your worst childhood memory: it probably involves a clown. Luckily, the world’s greatest minds have come together to figure out why exactly we fear the makeup-ridden beasts the way that we do. 987 people were polled for a “Fear of Clowns Questionnaire” and after all of the answers were tabulated, this is what science came up with.
An eerie or unsettling feeling due to clowns’ makeup making them look not-quite-human. A similar response is sometimes seen with dolls or mannequins.
Clowns’ exaggerated facial features convey a direct sense of threat.
Clown makeup hides emotional signals and creates uncertainty.
The color of clown makeup reminds us of death, infection or blood injury, and evokes disgust or avoidance.
Clowns’ unpredictable behavior makes us uncomfortable.
Fear of clowns has been learned from family members.
Negative portrayals of clowns in popular culture.
A frightening experience with a clown.
Thank you to our friends at Science Alert for providing this incredibly insightful data.
After a series of high-profile train-related disasters in the first quarter of 2023, it doesn’t take a hardened conspiracy theorist to question what’s going on and why these trains are going off the rails. Sources say this is normal, actually, and that train-related accidents are on the decline.
USA Today recently dug into why we’re seeing heightened care about trains and train-related accidents.
Before you start railing against the powers that be, remember, train derailments are more common than you’d think.
As if they didn’t already own your entire existence, Apple is reportedly only two years away from owning the roadways. The company has ditched their plans for a fully self-driving car with no steering wheel or pedals and a focus on “community seating”, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the automobile game for good.
According to Apple sources, “The car is now expected to launch in 2026 at the earliest, but it could be announced sometime in 2025, especially as it will need to undergo regulatory approval and in-depth testing for some time ahead of its public release to consumers in the United States.” This could mean that we’re only a few years away from seeing the iCar take over the streets.
The perverted minds at Hidden Valley and Van Leeuwen have put their heads together to create a truly disturbing combination of flavors. It will be sold at select Walmart stores across the country from March 20 to May 28. The propaganda machine touts the limited edition ice cream as “savory flavors of ranch, including buttermilk, flavorful herbs and a touch of sweetness.”
🤔 Hidden Valley Ranch Ice Cream. Yes you heard that right- it’s real. Hitting Walmart shelves starting 3/10 for a 10 week limited edition rotation. @vanleeuwenicecream pic.twitter.com/dU0lEn6V9i
This comes two years after Van Leeuwen teamed up with Kraft Mac & Cheese for a limited edition ice cream. Hopefully two years from now, they’re all locked away in jail for crimes against humanity.
Long contested and super inconvenient, Daylight Saving Time is here this weekend. The time change will take place at 2:00AM on March 12. At that time, the clocks will jump directly to 3:00AM, differing from the autumn time change when clocks “fall back” to 1:00AM upon the conclusion of daylight saving time.
If we cross our fingers, this will be the last one we have.
Tame Impala – Wings of Time (From the Motion Picture Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves)
Indie-electronic standouts Tame Impala are back with their first new music since 2020. With a new single for the new Dungeons & Dragons movie, the boys from Australia are poised for a big summer.
Manchester Orchestra – The Vision of Valley
Hard rockers Manchester Orchestra are back with a subdued piano record that is accompanied by a VR film of the same name. The band’s shortest project yet, it clocks in at 6 songs at just over 26 minutes. Singer Andy Hull explained, “The more we talked about it and thought about how we could uniquely find a way to present it and film it, we realized people really aren’t making this stuff…What’s really cool about it is you don’t have to have VR headsets in order to experience it. We wanted to give the fans an opportunity to experience it in multiple ways.”
Mike Shinoda – In My Head (From the Original Motion Picture Scream VI)
Linkin Park’s frontman Mike Shinoda is back with a new single, which is also featured in Scream VI. Shinoda teamed up with Kailee Morgue for the single. Scream VI is now in theaters.
MSPAINT: Post-American
Mississippi-born electro-punks MSPAINT have arrived with their first full-length album. After swinging and missing with a number of failed bands, the collective known as MSPAINT decided for this project to ditch guitars and create chaos through other noise-making efforts.
Story of the Year: Tear Me to Pieces
Pop-punk icons Story of the Year are back with their sixth studio album, “Tear Me to Pieces”. The 11 song record is full of loud guitars, unrelenting choruses, and infectious grooves.
Hot Mulligan: Shhhh! Golf is On
Lansing, Michigan’s Hot Mulligan, who are performing on the Sad Summer Fest tour, released a new single this week. Ignore the title of the song, as the emo up-and-comers ripped through this two-and-a-half minute at full volume.
Ghostforest: Le Savage
Not new to the week, but new to the listeners of Q101, this is DVT’s pick of the week. Recommended directly from Joe Shanahan, owner of the Metro, Ghostforest is one of Chicago’s best local bands.
What are you listening to today? The conversation lives on Facebook!
AHOY alumni White Reaper head to Wrigleyville on Friday night for a sold out show at the Metro. Having only played a handful of shows in Chicago since opening for The Black Keys at the inaugural AHOY, we are thrilled to have them back in town. Be sure to get there early, as one of the hottest underground bands going right now, Militarie Gun, plays before them.
Iggy Pop at Salt Shed (sold out)
Proto-punk legend Iggy Pop stops by The Salt Shed for a sold-out show on Friday night. This marks the former Stooges frontman’s first date in Chicago since he played The Chicago Theater in 2016.
Unicorn World at Navy Pier (Friday-Sunday)
If you are looking for something kid-friendly on a weekend that is usually filled with debauchery and chaos, we recommend Unicorn World at Navy Pier. Per Timeout Chicago, “The three-day event will bring the mythical creatures to life through life-sized, animatronic unicorns plus themed arts and crafts, music, dancing, a gift shop and more. You can also splurge on premium experiences like a bounce house, face painting and professional photos.”
Opening Weekend of Annie at Cadillac Palace Theatre
Annie is now playing downtown at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. Get your tickets now as the show will only be in town until March 19.
Big 10 Tournament at United Center (Friday-Sunday)
The Big 10 Tournament runs all weekend at the United Center with the championship game taking place Sunday at 2:30.
Saturday:
Dyeing of the Chicago River
It’s a Chicago tradition like no other. At 10am on Saturday, the Chicago river will be turned green to kick off a week of Irish cheer. Our friends at Timeout Chicago have compiled a list of the best places to watch the river dyeing from, which can be found here.
Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Columbis Drive will host the city’s biggest St. Patrick’s Day celebration with bagpipes, drum lines, Irish dancers, and more at the 68th incarnation of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade will start at Balbo Drive and Columbus Drive and proceed north, with a viewing stand situated in front of Buckingham Fountain.
MS Sucks: Singing for the Cure featuring Art Alexakis (Everclear), Lucky Boys Confusion, Tom Higgenson of the Plain White T’s, and Josh Caterer of the Smoking Popes at Bottom Lounge
Chicago veterans and 90’s staple Art Alexakis, frontman of the band Everclear, will be gathering for an intimate show at the Bottom Lounge on Saturday night in an effort to raise funds to end MS. Tickets for this event are available here.
New Found Glory at Thalia Hall
Pop punk legends New Found Glory, hot off the heels of their new album, “Make the Most Of It”, will headline a sold-out show at Thalia Hall on Saturday night.
Sunday:
Northwest Side Irish Parade
At noon on Sunday, the Northwest Side of Chicago gets to flex their Irish spirit. The parade kicks off at noon in front of William J. Onahan School and goes south on Neola Avenue and north on Northwest Highway to Harlem Avenue.
South Side Irish Parade
The South Side gets in on the fun on Sunday with their version of St. Patrick’s Day festivities. The fun, featuring floats, bagpipes and marching bands moves north on Western Avenue, beginning at 103rd Street and ending at 115th Street. The parade kicks off at 1:00pm.
Usher in this year’s 4/20 with the second season of Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head on Paramount+! <3 Lauren
No need to leave the couch this 4/20. Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head returns with an all-new season, exclusively on #ParamountPlus. pic.twitter.com/ocKEzXk9Zc
Every generation of kids is a little different, but Bad Kids are always the same. An 11-year-old in New Mexico was slapped with a juvenile citation after trying to poison his teacher. The student brought bleach to school and when the teacher wasn’t looking, he dumped the bleach into her coffee. When the teacher returned, other students (snitches) warned the teacher before she could drink it.
Police have not yet revealed a motive behind the incident and it is unclear if the student or teacher is back in school.
Professional funny-man Will Ferrell has been spotted all around the midwest with a documentary-style camera crew and on Tuesday, Ferrell was spotted in Central Illinois. He popped in to Maquet’s Rail House on Tuesday in Pekin, Illinois, a day after being spotted in Beech Grove, Indiana.
If you see Ferrell around town, snap a photo and tag Q101 on social media!
Maine High School in Park Ridge is being forced by the governing body of Illinois prep sports to vacate their wins from last year. The school is losing all nine wins they racked up in 2022 after they used players that were not eligible to play.
Per WGN, “A joint investigation between the IHSA, Maine South, and Maine Township High School District 2017 determined that a number of players didn’t reside in the school’s attendance area during last season. This is a violation of IHSA bylaw 3.030 and resulted in the forfeits.”
Canadian band Lights busted out the keyboards and hushed tones to celebrate Canada’s greatest export, Nickelback.
Lights told CBC Music in Canada, “I’m always a sucker for taking a song everyone knows and flipping it into something totally different than its original form…When higher energy songs like this are stripped back it really showcases how strong the lyrics and melody are and this one is no exception. There’s a reason everyone knows this song.”
It’s been a long week for the Smith family. After receiving a throttling from comedian Chris Rock during Netflix’s first live standup special last Saturday, the family has been on the defensive. According to People Magazine, people within Pinkett Smith’s circle claim that Rock has been obsessed with her for 30 years. “Jada has had no part in all of this other than being heckled,” the source says. “Chris is obsessed with her and that’s been going on for almost 30 years.”
Meanwhile, August Alsina, the man that slept with Jada Pinkett Smith, loved the Netflix special. A source close to him, “He thought it was not only funny but truthful. That was the best part for him.”
A man en route to Boston broke down on a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston earlier this week. He was quoted as saying he wanted to “kill every man on the plane”.
"I'm taking over this plane": Man attacks flight attendant with broken spoon, tries to open door before being subdued on Boston-bound flight pic.twitter.com/H969gdsOQG
The brilliant minds at E! have finally found a way to use Nick Cannon’s fertileness to their advantage. The 42-year-old father of 12 is teaming up with Kevin Hart for an incredibly on-the-nose show. In the trailer, Cannon takes his place in the hot seat with a wide smile while Hart tells him, “You’re gonna get some contestants that wanna have your baby.”
