I don't mean to offend anyone, but it seems strange that something as frightening as a clown is used to entertain children. When I was 5 a clown with big teeth chased me (this is true) and it scarred me for life. Clowns are generally scary, even if they don't mean it. Those horrible big painted smiles... (shudders)

That's terrible! I'm sorry you had that experience as a child...

That's why it's soooo important, in my opinion, to always let the child come to you. I NEVER, EVER go after a child. I am there for them as an entertainer, and let them decide whether or not they feel comfortable enough to approach me. Even if mom or dad picks up the child to bring them to me, I will always shy away from the child for this very reason. I have even had to walk away from other children, briefly, just to avoid parents that force their kids to greet a clown..

And another thing! Am I mistaken, or are clowns becoming less popular? I don't know what it's like in the States, but I'm from England and you never really see clowns around anymore, not even posters for the circus.

Do clowns really have a college? Tumbling lessons? Juggling? Improving pie aim? What must the curriculum be like!!! Do you clowns work in the circus? Because to chain a bear up and make it wear a fez and ride a bike seems cruel to me, even though fezzes are cool. I should know. I own one.

But I suppose I can sympathise with you. I know your just "trying to entertain" and it must be tough to have to deal with screeching kids all the time.

Is there a hallowed clown that you follow and have shrines of? The greatest clown ever? There was that Biffo guy...

Maybe you guys are OK, but there are evil clowns that eat children that I must eradicate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welllll...

I went to one of the schools, and they taught things like...

Physical comedy, how to fall correctly...(sounds silly, right? :) )
Thinking creatively, how to organize your thoughts in a creative and funny way...
Prop making, how to make great props to use in your act...

I've applied many things from this as well as some of my own things, as I'm highly creative to a point of being ADD. Several things always going on at the same time.

I personally do not have one clown that I like the best, but all of them that I've seen or talked to seem to have their own special qualities...

ok....I'm from the U.S and clowns are still popular then ever. Yea some kids are afraid of clowns. But as an adult, you should know that clowns aren't bad at all. There are all types of clowns, even scary ones out there...but they are to scare..not actually hurt people. I've seen all types of clowns in person. Here in america they still have a few colleges that teach clowning, they also have a lot of clown camps also and hundreds of people attend every year. I've got to go backstage before a Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey show to see where they play with the animals and practice their routines and they don't hurt the animals at all. They watch what they like to do as a baby and they train them from there. They train them on what the animal likes to do and what their personality is like. And no we don't work in the circus...I do want to be a RB clown though. I've met some great clowns. All the clowns in this forum are some really, really nice people. :)

Neeco

I understand that some clowns can be scary, but I think a lot of that has to do with their personality and the make up they choose. When I did my first face, I was scared! Grin. So I have softened it and made it more natural so that it's not scary. I like my face now. In fact, my face is downright awesome! :wink:
Jubilee

Adult? Me? I'm 15 years old and I rock at the electric guitar!!! When I tell people I don't like clowns (nothing personal, it's the make up and outfit) then don't really understand why. However, it doesn't take much convincing to see that they are kinda creepy. Haven't you seen any of those evil clown movies? You know, "IT", "Killer Clowns from outer space" and "The Clown"? What used to be a phobia has turned into curiosity. What is this urge to wear big floppy shoes, baggy pants and to paint your face bright colours? Surely it can't just be to entertain. Not that I'm implying anything...

What's wrong with entertaining? If you get up close to an actor on the set of a movie, you see that they have heavier makeup than I do! Yes, nobody is afraid of them. It's all in your perception. You had a bad experience and now percieve clowns to be scary. That's your right, but yours isn't the only view. At 15 it's hard to see that, but you'll learn as you get older.
Jubilee

witchhunter-
Why do you think Alice Cooper puts on Makeup and wears a snake around his neck? Why do you think Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off of that bat? Why do you think that ISP or Marilyn Manson dress and act like they do? To entertain People. The Same with KISS, If you take Gene Simmonds out of his makeup and costume what you you have? Ajewish school teacher from New Jersey!
We clowns dress and act the way we do for the same reason. To entertain people.

BTW, since I am a professional guitar repairman I have to ask, What kind of guitars do you have?

You repair guitars? Cool! I have my old Yamaha Pacifica, my first guitar and my pride and joy, and I'm saving for an Ibanez S series. Perfect for soloing!!!

Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Frank Zappa are the supreme!

Sorry, took a couple of days to get back to you Witchhunter. I've got several guitars.

2 Telecasters
2 strats
a Univox hollowbody
A Unity Hollowbody that I built when I worked there.
1946 Martin 000-18
A Yamaha classical electric
A Zion acoustic which I also built.
I play country gospel with a group here in Michigan I've played guitar for almost 27 years. It doesn't seem possible.

Where are you from Witchhunter? Across the Pond?

I don't mean to offend anyone,

Thank you very much witchhuntergeneral, Its refreshing to actually NOT have to delete a post of this nature. Most similar posts are all like

"You guys are all freaks....you scare me...bye!"


Regarding the guitar talk, that is always welcomed in the general chat forum.

[quote="Webmaster
Regarding the guitar talk, that is always welcomed in the general chat forum.[/quote]

Just hoping to show that ,yes we are normal people

27 years? Cool! What's your band name? Mine is The Herschee Muffins. I play classic rock like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath, or anything with good lead guitar.

In answer to your question Scruffy, I am from England. I love my country and I am proud of it's history. The British empire! We once owned a third of the world and the British Redcoats rock! That's pretty impressive bearing in mind that Britain is smaller than an American state.

But I apologise for my rudeness in previous threads. People go on forums to make friends, not enemies, so I'm sorry. And I guess clowning is quite an interesting career choice. What inspired you guys?

But I think I speak for all of us when I say "Bring back the Gollywog!". They're so cool!!!

They would be considered in bad taste here in the states. We tend to be too politically correct for our own good.

When asked why I got into clowning, I usually quip that I got in it for the fashions :wink: Clowns have always intrigued me. I think alot of it was because of the kind of programs that I watched as a lad. The Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy, the OLD Bugs Bunny-Looney Toons, Cartoons and Woody Woodpecker. Oh yes and tipping my hat to my Britsh ancestors, Benny Hill, and Monty Python.. Slapstick humour, sight gags, running gags.
Many of the of the old TV and Radio variety show stars were still on doing guest appearances here and there. George Burns and Gracie Allen, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Milton Berle, and of course Red Skelton. I also remember the Carol Burnette show. Watching Harvey Korman try to keep a straight face while working with Tim Conway is RIPE with clown gag ideas. I also remember seeing Emmett Kelly do his sweep the spotlight routine on Cher's short lived TV show...
When I was about seven or eight I got a clown nose in my Christmas Stocking I had many fun hours of playing dress up with it. Clowning just came natural. :D

When I went on an anti-clown forum, they were just slagging off clowns for the hell of it. There's no point to it. Their were real clowns on that forum, as nice and polite as you guys, but they just got meaningless abuse. And a plan for genocide against all clowns is a little too Nazi for my liking... :roll:

What a shame about that psycho clown that chased me, though. Earlier that week I had gone to a circus. A proper Big Top. It was in France so I couldn't understand what the hell the Ringmaster was saying, but when the clowns came on, well... I've never laughed so hard in my life. I went home thinking clowns were the greatest. But then it happened. Such a traumatic event (for a five year old, anyway) changed my perspective on clowns altogether. I thought they wanted to eat me!

Witchhunter,
I must agree with my commerades. We appreciate that you are willing learn from us and speak with us without being offensive and rude. Hang in there. You may never like clowns in person, but you can be friends with us online! Grin.
Jubilee

There are still clowns whose makeup is frightening. And this may simply be because they never went to a class to learn the correct way to put it on. I do not accentuate any of my features. I have a small bottom lip, small white around my mouth and on my chin, and a bit of white on my eyelids. Nothing scary.

Mercy Me is child-like. Very inquisitive and mischievious. Sometimes shy. Crying or cowering children scare her! She shies away from them!!!

A few years ago while clowning in the South Salem (Oregon) Wal-Mart I was going to the greeter station to give them breaks( I'm a greeter too when not clowning) I had gone to the doggy door (short door where shopping carts are returned) to bring in some more carts and a little girl had broken away form her folks and I heard them calling to her, she ran right in front of me on the way to the small arcade we had there. Now in clown shoes I'm about 6' with a blond curly wig, a side turned ball cap on that, whitefaced with a big red smile, I smiled, waved and squeaked my nose, she stopped-and then proceeded to scream her head off and run back to her parents as I returned to the greeter's station of course I felt awful about it , when they asked her why she was afraid of the clown, my clown, who is mute whispered "because she doesnt see anyone who looks like me on the street". the parents saw some humor in this incident, and I finally did -- the spirit of Paul Lynde entered me and I thought "Betcha don't break away from your folks again little girl" as I heard her still screaming all the way to men's wear-and her parents laughing.
Fortunatly, another time a little girl saw me, shouted "It's you, ran over and hugged my leg-much better
Walmoe

There are still clowns whose makeup is frightening... I do not accentuate any of my features.

I was taught to take your facial features and use them as guidelines for my clown face. What you are saying appears to contradict that advice. I do tend to avoid higlighting any angular shapes because they are what seem to scare kids. At least in my experience. I'd like to hear more about this subject MercyMe.

I didn't mean that I don't accentuate my features. :D What I meant was I don't make them over-exaggerated. It didn't make that very clear. I have apple cheeks which I pat red on with three little freckles. I have a little round chin which gets some white paint.

OK. Still like to find out more about makeup. Us guys don't tend to know so much as you girls.

Regretably,, many people see clowns, especially in the Ministry field and think, oh I can do that, they proceed to go with halloween make up. Ever looked close at some of those faces on the packages? :twisted: . I've seen clowns come to visit patients of mine at different facilities, with white, just smeared over their faces, necks showing, giagantic mouths, no powder so the grease paint is running. Their hearts in the right place they just don't know about the make up. I don't want to offend so I usuallly with tell them about me, and how much fun I have at the Yearly conference and that they would have a great time, and then hope they go.

Howdy;

Just for snorts and giggles, I thought I'd mention that one of the clowns here in Las Vegas named Scotty uses a guitar in his act, when hearing him play he seems like he was an accomplished rock player at one time-He's at the Circus-Circus in the Adventure dome (Clown acts daily)