Quiz "Why do people laugh at clowns"

[dixonhudson1]

It is a truth that we respond emotionally to certain colors. That is why hospitals and prisons are certain colors. Physchatrist try to use colors that are to sooth people when they look at them.

This apply to clowns. The colors that make up a clown are very sharp and bright colors, or sharp and shaded colors. Seeing these colors can create almost what is called a induction.

Knowing that they are clowns, we are more proned to laughter at the movement of those colors, not necersarily the skits. If you want proof, most of those who really laugh at you never really remember what skit made them laugh.

that is why.

what do you think

[Fitzwilly]

Well, for one, I don't think you have a clear understanding of good skits, there are a lot of not so good skits out there. But the real use of a skit is to be a vehicle that the clown uses to ammuse people. It doesn't matter if I am picking a flower to take to another clown or trying to make a magic trick work. The magic is not in the skit. The magic is in HOW the skit is performed. It is the timing, the chemistry between the performer and the audience. The costuming helps identify the performer as a "clown" and for some performers it acts as a release allowing them to be the zany character. But it is a learned response that these crazy outfits mean clowns and laughter. Baby toys are created mostly in the primary colors because there are studies about what the baby's eyes are attracted to. Actually some of those studies are fairly fasinating reading, however just because the their toys are in primary colors it doesn't cause all the infants to break into laughter when they enter their playroom.

Besides, color theory works in a subtle, low key way, many prisons that went with the fad of painting everything the "calming, subdueing" colors later found that for short term durations the colors did seem to have the desired effect (at least minimaly) but with longer exposures the effect was reversed and the inmates became more combative.

[Chance Marmalade]

I heard a news story on NPR a couple weeks ago about a jail somewhere in the south that painted its walls pink. Many of the inmates felt it was demeaning and were embarrassed by it.

They interviewed an ex-inmate who was talking about how he never wanted to go back to that jail. The prison official they interviewed said crime was down because of it. Not sure if it showed long term success. Let me see if I can find an article about it...

Here we are:
Missouri jail painted pink with teddy bear accents aims to calm violence on CourtTVnews.com

Also a few other links about pink in various jails:

Color Matters - The Effects of Color on the Body

Pink prison makes Texan inmates blush | World news | The Guardian

County Jail in Ohio Getting Painted Pink|ABC 7 News

I kind of wonder how a women's prison would react to pink walls.

[Rainbow D. Clown]

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with you. As most in this forum will tell you, anyone can put on a costume, but, that doesn't make you a clown. People laugh at what the clown brings out of his heart, not what he is wearing. A clown can not just merely stand there and be laughed at for his or her existence. They have to do or say something. I agree with Fitz. The studies show that babies respond because the colors used are bold and work in contrast with each other (i.e. red, black, and white), but a baby doesn't laugh, they focus. And I TOTALLY agree with Fitz about the skits. I'm not sure if you understand a clown's purpose in skit. Quite honestly, any skit can be done by a person wearing thier costume, but they can make the skit just as effective if they were wearing their "People costume" because it's what is within them that makes the skit funny, not the wardrobe. And if you want the truth...I laugh harder at black and white Red Skelton and Martin and Lewis skits than I do at any clown skit. Especially at Red's Freddie the Freeloader skits. And even when he's filmed in color, he still isn't wearing bright colors. So, I'm thinking perhaps if you reflect on this yourself, you might want to re-check your secret. .....Think about it.

[Snugglesnort]

First: color meanings are cultutral. For instance pink here is Korea is just another color.

Second: Clown colors are not inherantly funny colors. Red is blood, white is purity, Black seriousness (death?), brown earth and so on. But these colors on a clown are exagerated life colors. The White is pale skin. The red is blood under the skin, black is hair, blue is shadow.

Third: As pointed out by everyone else, bright colors are not necessary to, nor do the gaurantee laughter in clown style humor. There have been lots of clowns without any sort of make up at all, nor any praticularly bright clothing. Also as Rainbow pointed out, you could look a old black and white movies, and see that color affected the humor not one whit.

I also agree with Rainbow and others that the reason for the bright colors is about focus. Eyes go to differences and they go to light. A clown in a bright clothing and makeup is hard not to pay attention to. Have them moving all over the place and doing things that are interesting to watch and they are almost impossible not to look at. The cirucs used clowns to grab the attention of the audince while other people changed the sets, or took care of someone injured. It worked too.

You can test this by going out in public in clown, and just walk around shopping or enjoying reading a book at a coffee shop. You might not get laughs. In fact unless you do something funny you almost certainly won't. But you will get attention everywhere, and you certaintly will not be able to blend in. If you dont do anyhting funny people will try adn get you too because they feel silly watching you for apperantly no praticular reason.

[tim]

The new Cook County hospital has glass coloration which is kind of puke green. It is, plainly, sickening ugly. I have always thought that the idea must have been to make you so disgusted with the environment that you want to get out of there and never return as soon as possible.

At the "new" Comiskey Park in Chicago, the stadium originally had blue seats. There was great agreement that it created a general feeling of "blah" which wasn't comfortable for fans or encounaging of excitement. They had to eventually change them out to green.

One of the new color schemes in Chicago subway stations includes a sort of skyscraper theme which is in white and light blue. It always seems antiseptic like you are in a restroom or something. Perhaps it goes along well with all of the urine in stairwells and on platforms.

[tim]

Originally Posted by dixonhudson1

This apply to clowns. The colors that make up a clown are very sharp and bright colors, or sharp and shaded colors. Seeing these colors can create almost what is called a induction.

I intentionally use blue outlines on my eyes and muzzle in order to offer a "softened" appearance, to not seem so stark or stunning, but instead inviting to an audience. I wonder how this fits in with your theory.

[tim]

Originally Posted by Snugglesnort

Third: As pointed out by everyone else, bright colors are not necessary to, nor do the gaurantee laughter in clown style humor. There have been lots of clowns without any sort of make up at all, nor any praticularly bright clothing.

It would be interesting to see how the theory of the original poster stands up against many of the European clowns, who most often have more of a character look.

Similarly, what does it say about the old standard of circus whitefaces versus the move to lite auguste nowadays?

[Fitzwilly]

I would be interested in seeing supporting documentation.

[tim]

Originally Posted by Fitzwilly

I would be interested in seeing supporting documentation.

You're over 18 now, I don't have to write those checks anymore!