TeaThat scary clown has become a horror staple.
New film from Damien Lyons, featuring Art the Clown as the main villainawesome 2“So gruesome that news of onlookers coming vomit and pass out at the theater. And every halloween you’ll see the evil clowns chase haunted house attraction or dressed as trick-or-treaters FoppishThe evil clown from Stephen King’s “It”.
It may be hard to imagine a time when clowns were routinely invited to children’s birthday parties and hospital wards – not to terrorize, but to delight and amuse. For most of the 20th century, it was standard role of the clown,
However, clowns have always had a dark side. Before the 20th century, clowns were largely considered a form of adult entertainment in American circuses.
In my own research On the history of 19th century circuses, I spend a lot of time in the archives where I regularly see old photographs of clowns.
Now, I don’t consider myself afraid of clowns. In fact, I always try to remind people that today’s clowns are serious artist with a tremendous amount of training in his craft. But I also have to admit that the clowns I come across from old circuses give me heebie-jeebies.
Drunken, lewd clown drags in
For much of the 19th century, circuses were relatively small, one-ring events where spectators could hear the performers speak.
these shows were riotous cases In which the audience felt free to shout, boo and hiss at the actors. Typically, clowns joked with the rude ringmaster, who was often the target of clown pranks. borrowing comic traditions from blackface minstrel showCircus clowns used puns, non sequitur and exaggerated burlesque humor.
a very popular clown act, which Mark Twain is featured “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, featured a performer disguised as a drunken circus patron, who stunned the audience by entering the ring and the show horses before dramatically revealing himself to be part of the show. Made a clumsy attempt to ride one of them. Dan Rice was the famous clown of the 19th century Known to contain local gossip and political commentary impersonated prominent figures in his performances and in every town he visited.
The jokes they told were often anti-feminist and filled with sexual undertones, which was not a problem as circus audiences at the time were mostly adults and men. back then, circuses were a dirty form of entertainment In America, it is considered infamous for its association with gambling, bribery, scantily clad female performers, profanity, and alcohol. Church leaders regularly warned their congregations not to join the circus. some states have laws banning circuses outright,
library of Congress
Clowns played a part in the bad reputation of the circus.
sportsman PT Barnum noted That part of the circus’s appeal “consisted of the lewd mockery of the clown, who insisted on still more obscene and suggestive gestures.” The clowns also subverted gender norms, with many appearing in drag, often exaggerating the female figure with cartoon-like large fake breasts.
In the early 19th century, some circuses also had a separate tent in which the “traveling show” took place. Male patrons were invited for a fee to watch the women dance and strip.
circus historian Janet Davis Note Some of these performances included clowns in drag “playing gender-bending pranks on foolish men who expected to see naked women.” In a shocking revelation, Davis also notes that in some travel show performances, gay clowns had sex with male audience members “anonymously during and after crowded scenes”.
These clowns, suffice it to say, were not for children.
clowns clean up their act
It really wasn’t until the 1880s and 1890s, when entertainment impresarios preferred Barnum made efforts to “clean up” Circuses to attract massive audiences, that clowns actually became involved with children.
After circuses began traveling by rail, they could carry more equipment, allowing them to expand from one ring to three. Audiences could no longer hear the cast, so the Joker became a pantomime comedian, removing any potentially obscene or suggestive language.
The owners of the circus tried to woo a wider audience, including women and children, with the aim of making as much money as possible. It met the need to remove any reprehensible act and strictly monitor the behavior of its employees.
The shows with the most staying power were Barnum & Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth. Known as the “Sunday School” showFree from any objectionable content. He successfully portrayed himself as a carrier of good, clean entertainment.
Jokers played a part in this transformation. With silent acts now focused on physical comedy, it was easier for children to understand their performances. The Joker remained a deceiver, but everyone seemed to have a lot of fun in his slapstick comedy.
It had a lasting effect. Clowns in circuses entertained families, and as entertainment moved into film and television, child-friendly clowns followed there as well. In the 20th century, clowns became a staple of children’s entertainment. featuring popular television programs bozo the clown Lasted for 40 years from 1960 to 2001. Joker in the early 1980s regular visitor to children’s hospitals To please young patients. more companies like McDonald’s Used clowns as mascots to attract children to their brand.
But the 21st century has changed rapidly. a 2008 study concluded that “clowns are universally disliked” by today’s children. Some point from clown to serial killer John Wayne Gacy as a turning point, while others may blame Stephen King’s “It” for terrorizing clowns.
Examining the history of the American circus, it almost seems like the period of the 20th century when clowns were beloved by children who deviated from the norm. Today’s horror clowns are not a deviation from tradition, but a return to it.
Madeline SteinerPostdoctoral Fellow of History, University of South Carolina
This article is republished from Conversation Under Creative Commons license. read the original article,