Clowns

[sacredqi888]

The fact that something so fake and grotesque was in
charge of making us children laugh made me very
uneasy. I tell you, from someone who is still afraid
of the concept of clowns...

Caro.
Dear Caro and SImon:
Did your mom force a clown on you?

I am also a professional clown (I worked the Disney resorts for over 7 years
doing magic and balloons in the restaurants while paying for homeopathy
college grin) and have observed parents literally throw their screaming frightened
kids into the arms of a strangely made up clown.

Young children do not know if it is a human or what. Grease paint and
brightly colored hair in weird shapes can be quite scary to those not accustomed to
it.

I usually started to back up and beg the parents to let me play peek a boo or
make friends before thrusting the child into my arms or coming to close.

I met some of these kids who were then 8-9 years old and some of them hated
clowns. They did not know I was the human behind the grease paint, in at least
one exposure. Those under two at the time of the experience didn't remember
the encounter very well only the loud noise and color.

the three year old now 9 remembered that she was being forced into a
strangers arms when her parents told her not to talk to strangers.
She also did not have time to assimilate who or what the thing was as the
colors were really bright.

Adults have told me they hated clowns cos popping balloons scared them when
they were younger.

I hope your not the type of kid that will run up and kick a clown and scream
I hate you and then run away as several have done to me. Fortunately it is
rare as most kids run and leap and expect you to catch them even if they were
coming up from behind the clown or blindsided the clown. It ticks the parents off
if the kid falls and cries while we look stupid and try to comfort them.

some possible rubrics are:
Fear of the unknown, strangers, loud noises,

I would not consider bright colors unless it is in other aspects of their
personality.

8888
"you LEARN that they are supposed to be funny"
Exactly! Same principle as in pre-recorded laughs:"you
should laugh here"!
And, YES, Disney cartoons are seriously weird...
especially the fact that they are ducks or mice who
eat chicken and ham sandwiches...
8888

At least you said cartoons and not characters.

Many kids genuinely find us funny without having to "learn" it's funny
especially if we take our clowning seriously (grin)

I'm on digest and the last email summed up the rest of my email that parents
forced it on the kid.

Simon King
Subject: Re: I am -still- afraid of clowns!!

The cartoons themselves I don't have a problem with, it's the dressing
adults up as the cartoon characters and then expecting kids to enjoy it
that I find odd. The kids always look worried, LOADS of assurance from
Mum tells them that it's supposed to be fun. I have yet to see a young
child looking like they enjoy being that close to something that weird.

Only yesterday this huge 'cuddly' bear ata local parade was trying to
impress a child that looked TERRIFIED, but the parents were adamant
that the child would learn it was F_U_N.

Oh well might as well get them into the whole marketing thing young,
they have to learn sometime.
Simon

888
I Please accept my apology for all the clowns who may have terrified you as a
kid or as an adult.
Or if I scared you if you were at Disneyworld from 88-95.

Truly our mission is to spread to mirth and laughter and not fear.

Sunny
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Simon King LCPH MARH]

No- I think it's a modern phenomenon, I'm 52, the only clowns I saw a s
a kid were in the circus. Even there I thought they were more bizarre
than amusing - no where near as funny as their reputation.

I wonder where the 'traditional' clown uniform came from??
(Mad hair, grotesque red nose, face paint, baggy pants, huge feet etc)
Simon

[Caro Andujar]

No. Not really. I've spontaneously found clowns
annoying. Not my kind of humour at all.
The fact that someone doesn't like clowns doesn't
imply childhood trauma. It can also be a matter of
preferences.
But, hey, lots of people and kids like clowns, or else
they wouldn't get hired. Sorry that you've been
physically abused by children.
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