The creepy clown craze gripping America has begun to spread around the world as the haunting harlequins have now been reported in England, Canada, and even Australia!
Spawned by sightings at a small apartment complex in South Carolina back in late August, creepy clowns quickly turned viral, moving into nearby states and then exploding across the country.
Akin to an unsavory version of the Ice Bucket Challenge, it appears that more and more nefarious individuals are donning clown costumes in the hopes of getting a thrill by terrorizing innocent people.
Creepy clowns have been blamed for school closings in a myriad of municipalities, inciting a riot at Penn State, and generally being a nuisance online.
And, if the events of the last week are any indication, America may have stumbled into its next great export: creepy clowns.
Authorities in various Canadian cities, including Toronto and Edmonton, have reported having to handle clown-related incidents, including one ne'er-do-well who was arrested in Halifax.
The phenomenon has gotten so big in Canada that one costume shop owner said that he is getting daily requests for clown costumes from presumably mischievous customers.
Meanwhile, over in the United Kingdom, the meme appears to be getting a bit misunderstood, as sometimes happens when American culture gets adopted overseas.
Police in England and Scotland say that their clown sightings are rather extreme, with some perpetrators wielding knives and other chasing their victims.
Seemingly aware of what's happening around the world, Australia has been swift to respond to initial reports of clown sightings in their country.
In a quintessential Australian approach, numerous groups have formed on social media promising a "clown purge" should they become a menace to denizens of the land Down Under.
Here at home, the crisis has also reached a fever pitch for professional clowns, who are actually hoping that a 'Clown Lives Matter' rally in Tuscon will help assuage the public fears surrounding their profession.
With Halloween still a few weeks away, their efforts may be in vain as 'creepy clown' seems poised to join Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as this year's most popular costumes.
Considering the extremely strange nature of 2016 so far, that's probably rather appropriate.