Clowns are comic performers,
stereotypically characterized by their colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, and unusually large footwear.
Clowning, in its most basic form, can be described as one form of drama without a fourth wall; however, there are other types
of drama that are lacking the element of a fourth wall as well. In other words, a clown acknowledges his audience. The clown's
humor today is often visual and includes many elements of physical comedy or slapstick humor.
Clowns
spread in cultures of any time and place, because they meet some deeply rooted needs in humanity: violation of taboos, the
mockery of sacred and profane authorities and symbols, reversal of language and action, and a ubiquitous obscenity.[1] An
interesting example can be found in the Native American clown societies.
Clowning is a form of entertainment that has appeared in some manner in
virtually every culture. In most cultures the clown is a ritual character associated with festival or rites of passage and
is often very different from the most popular western form. In Europe, up until as late as the 19th century the clown was
a typical everyday character, and often appeared in carnivals. The performance is symbolic of liminality - being outside the
rules of regular society the clown is able to subvert the normal order, and this basic premise is contemporarily used by many
activists to point out social absurdity.
During the 16th century the Commedia dell'arte
also became a huge influence on perceptions of the clown in Europe, and influence which passed through pantomime, into vaudeville
and on to the touring circuses of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Commedia took influences from the grotesque masked clowns
of carnivals and mystery plays, and began in market places as a way to sell vegetables. It became incredibly popular throughout
Europe amongst both the general public and the courts. The stock characters of the commedia originally included the Zanni
- peasant clowns, Pantalone, the old Miser, Il Dottore - The Banal Doctor, and then grew from there to incorporate the Lovers,
Arlecchino, Pedrolino, and Brighella, who have survived into the twentieth century in one form or another.
Evil Clown
Some people find clowns disturbing rather than amusing. It is
not uncommon for children to be afraid of disguised, exaggerated, or costumed figures — even Santa Claus. Ute myths
feature a cannibalistic clown monster called the Siats. A design study carried out by the University of Sheffield found that
children are frightened by clown-themed decor in hospitals.[1]
Clown costumes tend to exaggerate
the facial features and some body parts, such as hands and feet. This can be read as monstrous or deformed as easily as it
can be read as comical.[citation needed]
The irrational fear of clowns is known as coulrophobia.
Some have suggested that a fear of clowns may stem from early childhood experience, when infants begin to process and make
sense of facial features. The significant aberrations in a clown's face may frighten a child so much that they carry this
phobia throughout their adult life.[2]
It can also be said one's response to a clown
might depend on where it's seen. At a circus or a party, a clown is normal and may easily be funny. The same clown knocking
on one's front door at sunset is more likely to generate fear or distress than laughter or amusement. This effect is summed
up in a quote often attributed to actor Lon Chaney, Sr.: "There is nothing funny about a clown in the moonlight."
Whiteface
* Please Note: It is important to remember
that a whiteface character doesn't always wear the classic whiteface makeup. Additionally, a character can wear traditional
whiteface makeup and be an auguste character.
Main article: Circus clown
[edit] Classic appearance
Traditionally, the whiteface clown uses "clown
white" makeup to cover his or her entire face and neck with none of the underlying flesh color showing. In the European
whiteface makeup, the ears are painted red. Features, in red and black, are delicate. He or she is traditionally costumed
far more extravagantly than the other two clown types, sometimes wearing the ruffled collar and pointed hat which typify the
stereotypical "clown suit".
[edit] Character
The
whiteface character-type is often serious, all-knowing (even if not particularly smart), bossy, and cocky. He is the ultimate
authority figure. He serves the role of "straight-man" and sets up situations that can be turned funny.
Some circus examples include Pipo Sossman, François Fratellini (the Fratellini family), Felix Adler,
Paul Jung, Harry Dann, Chuck Burnes, Albert White, Ernie Burch, Bobby Kaye, Jack and Jackie LeClaire, Joe and Chester Sherman,
Keith Crary, Charlie Bell, Tim Tegge, Kenny Dodd, Frankie Saluto, Tammy Parrish, Pennywise, and Prince Paul Albert.
[edit] Auguste
[edit] Character
The
auguste character-type is often an anarchist, a joker, or a fool. He is clever and has much lower status than the whiteface.
Classically the whiteface character instructs the auguste character to perform his bidding. The auguste has a hard time performing
the task given which leads to funny situations. Sometimes the auguste plays the role of an anarchist and purposefully has
trouble following the whiteface's directions. Sometimes the auguste is confused or is foolish and is screwing up less
deliberately.
[edit] The contra-auguste
The contra-auguste
plays the role of the mediator between the whiteface character and the auguste character. He has a lower status than the whiteface
but a higher status than the auguste. He aspires to be more like the whiteface and often mimics everything the whiteface does
to try to gain approval. If there is a contra-auguste character, he often is instructed by the whiteface to correct the auguste
when he is doing something wrong.
[edit] "Character clown"
The character clown adopts an eccentric character of some type, such as a butcher, a baker, a policeman, a
housewife or hobo. Prime examples of this type of clown are the circus tramps Otto Griebling and Emmett Kelly. Red Skelton,
Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin would all fit the definition of a character clown.
The
character clown makeup is a comic slant on the standard human face. Their makeup starts with a flesh tone base and may make
use of anything from glasses, moustaches and beards to freckles, warts, big ears or strange haircuts.
[edit]
American character clown types
The most prevalent character clown in the American circus
is the tramp, hobo, or bum clown. There are subtle differences in the American character clown types. According to American
circus expert Hovey Burgess, they are (in order of class):
* The Tramp
Migratory and finds work where he travels to.
* The Hobo Migratory and does not work where he travels
to.
* The Bum Non-migratory and non-working.
Some circus examples
include Barry Lubin, Tom Dougherty, Bill Irwin, David Shiner, Geoff Hoyle, John Gilkey, Peter Shub, Poodles Hanneford, Bluch
Landolf, Larry Pisoni, John Lepiarz, Bobo Barnett, Happy Kellams, Fumagalli, Charlie Cairoli, Bebe, Jojo Lewis, Abe Goldstein,
Rhum, David Larible, Kenny Raskin, Oleg Popov, Rik Gern and Bello Nock.
[edit] Joey, the
Auguste and the ringmaster
In clown duos, Clowns often rely on the Joey & Auguste framework,
or Manipulator/Victim. The Joey & Auguste Framework is often used widely in such comic works as Looney Toons. Simply put,
the two clowns, who for whatever reason are competing for survival, desperately rely on each other; without each other, they
live a meaningless, and perhaps even more perilous adventure. For example, when Sylvester finally catches Tweety Bird (or
thinks he does) he becomes so ridden with guilt that he nearly commits suicide.
The Ringmaster
relationship is the addition of an ur-manipulator, or ur-victim to this chemistry. This often takes the form of a mutual enemy
or nemesis. An example of this situation might be as follows:
A husband
comes home late, he's drunk, and has a collar covered in lipstick. His wife wants to know where he's been, and a manipulator-victim
relationship occurs. Suddenly their child enters the scene, and the dynamic changes in an attempt to avoid traumatizing him/her.
The child wants to know why there's a strange man in their bedroom, and the manipulator-victim dymnamic shifts during
the next argument. Then it turns out that the child has constructed this elaborate ruse in order to steal cookies and watch
late-night TV without notice, giving him ur-manipulator status.
This is an example of a
ringmaster situation. Clowns in the ringmaster position are often character clowns, where Joey and Auguste duos are typically
made up of a Whiteface Clown and an Auguste.
Native American clowning
Many Native Tribes have a history of Clowning. The Canadian Clowning method developed by Richard Pochinko
and furthered by his former apprentice, Sue Morrison, combines European and Native American clowning techniques.
In this tradition, masks are made of clay while the creator's eyes are closed. A mask is made for each
direction of the medicine wheel. During this process, the clown creates a personal mythology which explores his or her personal
Experiences and Innocenses.
[edit] Rodeo
A rodeo clown
is a cowboy, or animal wrangler, dressed in wild costumes — almost always oversized and consisting of loose fitting
layers of clothing to protect them from, and to distract, rodeo bulls, broncos, etc. The looseness of the layers allows a
rodeo clown to shed portions of their attire in the event of its being snagged -- as on an enraged bull's horn.
[edit] Commedia dell'Arte
There are two distinct types of clown characters,
which originated in Commedia dell'Arte but which still hold some favor today, Pierrot and Arlecchino.
[edit] Pierrot/Pirouette
The Pierrot, or "French clown", derived
from the commedia dell'arte character Pedrolino - the youngest actor of the troupe, deadpan and downtrodden. Although
Pedrolino appeared without mask, Pierrot usually appears in whiteface, typically with very little other color on the face.
Like Arlechinno, Pedrolino's character changed enormously with the rising popularity of pantomime in the late 19th century,
becoming Pierrot. This clown character prefers black and white or other a simple primary color in his or her costume. (le
Pierrot is often female, and has also been called "Pirouette" or "Pierrette". When Bernard Delfont was
made a life peer, he chose "Pierrot and Pierrette" as the heraldic supporters of his coat of arms.).
The tragic Robert Hunter song "Reuben and Cerise" mentions
Pirouette twice, in symbolic colors:
...Cerise was dressing as Pirouette in white
when
a fatal vision gripped her tight
Cerise beware tonight...
Cerise is Reuben's "true love", but Ruby Claire was
a temptress:
...Sweet
Ruby Claire at Reuben stared
At Reuben stared
She was dressed as Pirouette in red
and her hair hung
gently down...
Both women have names which translate as "red",
but Reuben's true love is dressed in pure white. The other, to whom he played his fateful song, is the "lady in red."
This symbolism might imply that Reuben was Pierrot's companion, Arlecchino:
[edit]
Arlecchino/Harlequin
Harlequin, or Arlecchino, a character originally from Commedia dell'Arte,
is a "motley" clown — in "commedia", Arlecchino always carries a cane to "whack" the other
performers, however this is normally taken from him by the other performers and used against him. This is believed to be the
origin of "slapstick" a form comedy. A slapstick (battacio in Italian) is a prop with two flat flexible wooden pieces
mounted in parallel, the two sticks slap together when the implement is struck, causing a slapping sound, exaggerating the
effect of a comedic blow. Despite the slapstick, Arlecchino is not malicious, but mischievous, the slapstick being a classic
example of carnivalesque phallic imagery (see also the commedia masks' noses). Like a cross between the characters of
Puck and Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Arlecchino is spritely and adept at the same time as being clumsy and
dim, and is normally the 'messenger' character in a comedy — the catalyst for mayhem. Arlechinno has a female
counterpart, Arlechinna, or Rossetta, however more often he is in love with the character of Columbina, a straightforward
and intelligent maid, who is usually given the prologue and epilogue. Arlechinno has other derivatives with slightly different
features: Traccagnino, Bagattino, Tabarrino, Tortellino, Naccherino, Gradelino, Mezzettino, Polpettino, Nespolino, Bertoldino,
Fagiuolino, Trappolino, Zaccagnino, Trivellino, Passerino, Bagolino, Temellino, Fagottino, Fritellino, Tabacchino, whose names
could all be considered funny-sounding names, even to an Italian. Arlechinno's name is probably from "hellech"
"inno" - little devil, "inno" is little, so "Trufflino" is little Truffler, Trivellino is (Arlechinno's)
"little Brother". The Harlequin often loses much of Arlechinno's character during pantomime, as he becomes more
of a ballet character, stripped of dialogue and subversive content to a wide extent.
[edit]
Skills
In the circus, a clown might perform another circus role:
* Walk a tightrope, a highwire, a slack rope, or a piece of rope on the ground, though in the last case, the predictably unpredictable
clown might be just as likely to wrestle around on the ground with it, as if it were a boa constrictor.
* Ride a horse, a zebra, a donkey, an elephant, or even an ostrich.
* Substitute himself in the role
of "lion tamer".
* Act as "emcee", from M.C. or Master of Ceremonies, the preferred
term for a clown taking on the role of "Ringmaster".
* "Sit in" with the orchestra,
perhaps in a "pin spot" in the center ring, or from a seat in the audience.
* Anything any
other circus performer might do. It is not uncommon for an acrobat, a horse-back rider, or a lion tamer to secretly stand
in for the clown, the "switch" taking place in a brief moment offstage.
[edit]
Superstition
It is common for clowns to avoid the use of blue face paint, as this is considered
bad luck.[citation needed]
Wishing a fellow performer, "good luck" is considered
a jinx. It has been suggested that this stems from the Bouffon Tradition.
Clowns do not
wish each other good luck, an old show business custom, however, among clowns the expression "knock 'em dead",
or "Bump A Nose" seems more prevalent than the customary expression, "break a leg." Most circus clowns
however, are more caustic than this, and are more likely to wish somebody "Merde" (shit in French). Bump a nose
is more prevalent among "Caring clowns" or hospital clowns.
[edit] Clowning frameworks
Frameworks are the general outline of an act that clowns use to help them build out an act. Frameworks can
be loose, including only a general beginning and ending to the act, leaving it up to the clown's creativity to fill in
the rest, or at the other extreme a fully developed script that allows very little room for creativity.
Shows are the overall production that a clown is a part of, it may or may not include elements other than
clowning, such as in a circus show. In a circus context, clown shows are typically made up of some combination of Entrées,
Side dishes, Clown Stops, Track Gags, Gags and bits.
[edit] Gags, bits and business
"Business" is the individual motions the clown uses, often used to express the clown's character.
A "gag" is a very short piece of clown comedy which when repeated within a bit or routine may become a "running
gag". Gags may be loosely defined as "the jokes clowns play on each other". Bits are the clown's sketches
or routines made up of one or more gags either worked out and timed before going on stage or impromptu bits composed of familiar
improvisational material. A gag may have a beginning, a middle and an end to them, or they may not. Gags can also refer to
the prop stunts/tricks or the stunts that clowns use, such as a squirting flower.
[edit]
Menu
Entrées are feature clowning acts lasting 4-8 minutes. They are typically made
up of various gags and bits, and usually use a clowning framework. Entrées almost always end with a blow-off. (The
blow-off is the comedic ending of a show segment, bit, gag, stunt or routine.)
Side dishes
are shorter feature acts. Side dishes are essentially shorter versions of the Entrée, typically lasting 1 - 3 minutes.
Side dishes are typically made up of various gags and bits, and usually use a clowning framework. Side dishes almost always
end with a blow-off.
[edit] Interludes
Clown Stops or
interludes are the brief appearance of clowns while the props and rigging are changed. These are typically made up of a few
gags or several bits. Clown Stops almost always end with a blow-off. Clown stops will always have a beginning, a middle and
an end to them.
[edit] Prop stunts
Among the more well-known
clown stunts are: squirting flower; the "too-many-clowns-coming-out-of-a-tiny-car" stunt; doing just about anything
with a rubber chicken, tripping over ones own feet (or an air pocket or imaginary blemish in the floor), or riding any number
of ridiculous vehicles or "clown bikes". Individual prop stunts are generally considered to be individual bits.
[edit] Amateur clowning
An amateur clown
An amateur clown
There
are lots of amateurs practicing clowning skills and appearance. Improvisation and imitations of famous clowns are common for
amateur clowns. While it is usually poor (and could be considered even blasphemy), a piece of artistic sense can sometimes
be found even in children animators. It is not too expensive for amateur clown to lease costume, and even home makeup (except
for the white color) will do an attractive effect for the spectators. Juggling, which anybody can learn in only days, would
make one almost a complete clown.
Private costume parties usually have at least one amateur
clown present at the event and, even with a few cheap clown tricks, there are always plenty of joyful receptions for the character.
A clown duo might employ a number of cooperative "bits" to help them create an improvisational performance. Using
this technique allows both clowns to participate in what looks like a well-rehearsed sketch, but might well be a mere placeholder/spacefiller
for a missing act, or used to cover "prop failure" etc. Particularly in a Circus or Variety show, clowns are often
relied on to perform "at the drop of a hat" and a well-prepared clown will not only have a large repertoire of bits,
but will remain alert when off-stage. In accordance with the well-known "show biz" tradition that "The Show
Must Go On", the best clowns will always be ready to save the day, even in the midst of a tragedy — such as an
injured performer.
[edit] Pete and re-Pete
In "Pete
and re-Pete", the first clown narrates the gag, the second "repeats" the main elements of the first clown's
exposition:
"I see you bought yourself a new hat"
— "Yeah, a New Hat (big happy smile of contentment with his battered stovepipe
hat)
— Yeah, you're not gonna get a Fine New Hat like this
one down town" (taking the hat off again for another satisfied look at the hat, and rocking up on to the balls of his
feet and back on his heels, proudly).
"You can say that again"
— "OK: Got it Up Town, yeah, not gonna get one of these downtown" (another
proud look at the hat, picking an imagined piece of lint from the torn brim of the bedraggled Fine New Hat), yep, nothing
like an Up Town Hat."
"Uhuh ... they pay you much?"
The first clown narrates the gag, the second repeats main elements of this exposition, and finally delivers
the punch line.
[edit] "That's good/that's bad" routine
In the routine called "that's good/that's bad", the first clown narrates the gag, the second
responds alternately with "that's good / that's bad":
"I found a dog."
"That's
good" (noncommittally).
"It wasn't a hot dog though"
(showing the dog).
"That's too bad"
(looking at the dog, wistfully).
"He's really friendly ..."
"Oh, that's good" (agreeably).
"... with people's legs."
"Well that’s bad" (appalled).
"He doesn't eat
much."
"That's good" (nodding
agreeably).
"He sure poops a lot though."
"That's bad" (that stinks expression).
"He's housebroken."
"That’s good" (of course it is).
"No that's
bad: he did some jail time for the last housebreak."
"Okay, then that's bad" (willing to be corrected).
"No
that's good: it was his second offense. He's gone straight now."
"That's ... uhhh ... good?" (confused now).
"No that's
bad, he's gone straight for your pastrami sandwich!"
This bit is also seen with
other "good/bad" interjections: perhaps "that's fortunate/unfortunate" or even (with a pair of two
"Surfer Dude" clowns) as "Dude that rocks!/Man, that bites".
Note that
a clown would likely choose the word pastrami rather than corned beef, because pastrami is a funny word and corned beef is
not. So clowns prefer:
* monkey wrenches to "spanners"
* doohickeys to "gadgets"
* kitchen gadgets to "small appliance"
* monikers to "nicknames"
and a clown would much prefer
to be
* fidgety than "restless".
Each
clown has his own gags or bits, these techniques are used to share gags with other clowns that are unfamiliar with the material,
by using "Yes, and..." techniques ("Yes and" has become a technique commonly taught in "improv"
classes) such as "Pete and re-Pete", and "That's good/that's bad", the clowns avoid conflicting
gags, supporting each other in whatever they may say, and keeping the performance flowing.
It
is considered bad improvisational form to "deny the proposition" as in:
"Hi Dewey, looks like you got yourself a new pair of shoes"
"No, Tiny, these are my regular shoes."
Contradiction tends to stop the show,
"killing" the "comedic momentum" crucial to keeping the attention of the audience.
The "That's good/that's bad" act has also been used in the Simpsons episode "Treehouse
of Horror III"
[edit] Fear of clowns
Main article: Coulrophobia
In the Space To Care study aimed at improving hospital design
for children, researchers from the University of Sheffield polled 250 children regarding their opinions on clowns; all 250
children in the study, whose ages ranged between four and sixteen, reported that they found clowns frightening and disliked
clowns as part of hospital decor.[2] [3]
The British arts and music festival Bestival
discarded its 2006 clown theme because many adult ticketholders were afraid of clowns. [4]
[edit]
Further reading
* I'm In Love With A Clown Named Joe By Adam Clark
* My Poor Clown Friend By Scottie Pinker
* Poor Clown by Charlie Rivel
* Don't Be Clowin' Around By Kayla Alberstett
* Clowning... or Cloning? By Garrett Thomas
* Behind My Greasepaint by Coco
* Bert Williams - A Biography of the Pioneer
Black Comedian by Eric Ledell Smith
* The Book Of Clown by George Speaight
* Bring On The Clowns by Beryl Hugil
* Clown, My Life In Tatters and Smiles by Emmett Kelly and F.
Beverly Kelly
* The Clown In Times (Volumes 1-6) by Bruce Johnson
* Clowns
by Douglas Newton
* Clowns by John Towsen
* Clowns Of The Hope - Tradition
Keepers and Delight Makers by Barton Wright
* Felix Adler by Anne Aull Bowber
* The Fool and His Scepter by William Willeford
* Fools and Jesters At The English Court by John Southworth
* Greasepaint Matadors - The Unsung Heroes of Rodeo by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor [2]
* Grimaldi - King of Clowns by Richard Findlater
* Grock - King of Clowns by Grock
* Here Come The Clowns by Lowell Swortzell
* Jest In Time: A Clown Chronology by Bruce Johnson
* Life's A Lark by Grock
* A Ring, A Horse And A Clown by John H. McConnell
* Russian Clown by Oleg Popov
* The Tramp Tradition by Bruce Johnson
* Woven Gods: Female Clowns and Power in Rotuma (book review)[5]
* Handelman, D., Models and Mirrors: Towards an Anthropology of Public Events [6]
* Little, K., Clown
Performance in the European One-Ring Circus. Culture, 1981. 2(1):61-72.[7]
* Rudlin, J., Commedia
Dell'Arte; An Actors Handbook[3]
* Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope of the American horror-core group
Insane Clown Posse (ICP).
* sociological work on the fool: Anton Zijderveld
Reality in a looking-glass
* Barbara Swain Fools and Folly (New York, Columbia University Press, 1932)
* Enid Welsford The fool: his social and literary history [1935] (1966)
* William
Willeford The fool and his scepter 1969
* Ron Jenkins Subversive laughter *Maxwell Henrie the pantless
cowboy/clown
* In A Dark Place By Steven Shiverdecker. A book about a grotesque clown that terrorizes
a small town.
[edit] References
1. ^ Peter
Ludwig Berger Redeeming Laughter: The Comic Dimension of Human Experience (1997) p.78
2. ^ Don't send
in the clowns - Reuters Oddly Enough
3. ^ Clowns 'Too Scary' For Children's Wards In Hospitals
- Sky News
4. ^ [1]
5. ^ Woven Gods: Female Clowns and Power in Rotuma. Retrieved on 2006-05-20.
6. ^ MODELS AND MIRRORS Towards an Anthropology of Public Events. Retrieved on 2006-05-20.
7. ^ Public anthropology, "Culture 1981". Retrieved on 2006-05-20.
[edit] See
also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Clown
* Bouffon
* Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army
* Clown car
* Clown society
* Evil clown
* Jennifer Miller
* Mime
artist
