One book I have out is Bad Clowns, by Benjamin Radford. It's from a university press (U of New Mexico) but Radford isn't an academic. He's just a writer with an interest in, well, bad clowns. So it's a pretty accessible run-through of the archetype, from origins in commedia dell arte and Punch and Judy shows to more recent exemplars like the Joker and Krusty the Klown (who's not evil but is a cynical user.)
I know that when I first met a clown up close I freaked a little, and ran at least to what seemed like a safe distance. As with a lot of kids it was an immediate response of "no sir, people don't look like that." But did I spend my childhood in fear of clowns? No. Within a fairly short span of time I'd incorporated the idea of zany people with white makeup and big shoes into my understanding of the world. They were a mildly cool break from routine, if anything. But some people never made that transition. For them, "afraid of clowns" seems to be a core part of their identity, so they play it up.
A while ago I tried writing a short story. It was about a nice guy, curious and well-meaning, who was also a clown, always in circus getup. The thing is, he'd still meet people with a phobia about clowns, and he'd deliberately trigger them, on the principle that they'd have to get over their fears somehow. Anyway, there were a lot of balls to keep in the air and this story didn't quite come off. I might like to try again, though.
I know that when I first met a clown up close I freaked a little, and ran at least to what seemed like a safe distance. As with a lot of kids it was an immediate response of "no sir, people don't look like that." But did I spend my childhood in fear of clowns? No. Within a fairly short span of time I'd incorporated the idea of zany people with white makeup and big shoes into my understanding of the world. They were a mildly cool break from routine, if anything. But some people never made that transition. For them, "afraid of clowns" seems to be a core part of their identity, so they play it up.
A while ago I tried writing a short story. It was about a nice guy, curious and well-meaning, who was also a clown, always in circus getup. The thing is, he'd still meet people with a phobia about clowns, and he'd deliberately trigger them, on the principle that they'd have to get over their fears somehow. Anyway, there were a lot of balls to keep in the air and this story didn't quite come off. I might like to try again, though.
2 comments:
It wasn't until I was an adult that I first saw a clown in person so I never did harbor any fear of them as evil or bad entities. Seeing Emmett Kelley and Red Skelton's Hobo on television was as close as I came and neither of them were the least bit scary. They were ridiculous, anarchic, and mostly silly. Seeing circus shows on the small screen where dozens of clowns poured out of one little car was always a delightful mystery. I'm glad you got to like them as you got older.
At the same time it's understandable clowns have a long history of not being entirely benevolent (I never saw Punch as a clown btw) but perhaps my belief that clowns are meant to be harmless is a mistake. There certainly have been a proliferation of nasty ones in movies and comics for quite a while. The idea you had for your story sounds promising but might be a bit hard to execute successfully these days.
When I was looking for the two videos above I came across this one, anachronistic yes, but a strong reminder of far more innocent and naive times when having the circus come to town was the most exciting event of the year.
For me I think it was shock more than fear. The thing is it can be hard to tell or articulate the difference, especially at that stage of development. I like the way you describe your first impressions of clowns. "Ridiculous and anarchic" in a positive sense.
Punch comes from Pulcinello from the commedia troupes, the same place as Harlequin. It's kind of funny that this quintessentially British tradition comes from the boot of Italy, though it's undergone some changes. Not sure I'd call him a clown per se but he's related.
That's a lovely monologue from Red Skelton. To be honest I get confused between him and Red Buttons a lot of the time. Buttons was a comedian, but not a clown. Skelton was apparently a longtime friend of Marcel Marceau, which I can see.
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