I think "cloud of fear" may be a bit of an exaggeration. I agree that this may cause problems for suiters in the short term, but Americans have short memories about this sort of thing.
By and large, people trust performers and know they're generally not criminals in disguise. Besides which, performers molesting children is really nothing new. There have been incidents like this in the past. Remember John Wayne Gacy? He dressed as a clown and killed thirty-three young boys between 1972 and 1978. If that didn't stop parents from hiring clowns to little Timmy's birthday party--which it didn't--then one molesting Tigger is not the end of the world for suiters.
Any damage to the credibility of the "profession" of costume entertainment is strictly temporary, IMHO.
I think "cloud of fear" may be a bit of an exaggeration. I agree that this may cause problems for suiters in the short term, but Americans have short memories about this sort of thing.
By and large, people trust performers and know they're generally not criminals in disguise. Besides which, performers molesting children is really nothing new. There have been incidents like this in the past. Remember John Wayne Gacy? He dressed as a clown and killed thirty-three young boys between 1972 and 1978. If that didn't stop parents from hiring clowns to little Timmy's birthday party--which it didn't--then one molesting Tigger is not the end of the world for suiters.
Any damage to the credibility of the "profession" of costume entertainment is strictly temporary, IMHO.
Trickster