Ann Oldenburg

USA TODAY

At least we've got Fizbo (Eric Stonestreet's character on Modern Family) and Krusty the Clown (on The Simpsons).

But we're not clowning around when we say that the clown population is dwindling.

That's the happy news for anyone who hates and/or fears clowns (coulrophobia) and the sad news for the circus world.

New York's Daily News reports that membership at the World Clown Association, the country's largest trade organization for clowns, has dropped over the past decade from 3,500 to 2,400.

Why? Declining interest, old age and higher standards among employers.

"What's happening is attrition," Clowns of America International President Glen Kohlberger tells the Daily News. "The older clowns are passing away." And kids are looking for real jobs.

Time for someone to send in the clowns.