Clowns, Unicycling, and Jobs

[John Foss]

> I personally have nothing against a good clown riding a uni.
> What does get my blood pumping is when you get a *smart
> arsed* comment about being a clown. This is mainly down to
> the perception of a clown on a uni goofing around in a
> seemingly clumsy way purely for other peoples ammusement.

I think Neil has explained it well. Now I would like to add something in the
defense of clowns.

In the United States (at least), there is little understanding of the
clowning arts by the general public. There are many types of clown out
there, and the majority of the ones we see are generally pretty bad. There
is the person in the "clown suit," if I may use that term. This is when you
see someone dressed as a clown, but not in any kind of clown persona. It's
just a clown costume.

Then you may see clowns who are working in a promotional sense, for
businesses or events that are trying to "entertain while marketing." Since
the motivation is beyond entertainment, that can leave a bad taste, and
again a lack of thrills or humor (or even proper entertainment).

Then there are clowns who like to be clowns, and donate their services to
many good causes, but have no skills. They may do things badly, and not be
funny, and assume that the fact they are a clown is enough to make up for
it. It isn't. You don't have to have skills, but you have to be something
beyond a person in makeup and a colorful costume.

But what of the good clowns.

There are thousands of people in this country who do clowning as a hobby,
and give hundreds of hours of their time a year to hospitals, nursing homes,
community programs, etc. They ask nothing in return, except the chance to
make people smile. Some of these clowns have good skills, and some do not.
These people are all everyday heroes.

To some degree, being a clown makes it hard to show off skills. If you
juggle five clubs on a 12' unicycle, people will drop their jaws and say
*Look at THAT!!!* Then if you do the same thing, and you are a clown, people
will say "Look at the clown." Clowns don't get much credit in our country,
partly because people don't expect much from them.

Even the Ringling Bros. Circus is part of the problem. With its well-known
Clown College, one expects all clowns seen at a Ringling show to be at the
top of their profession. They generally have very good makeup, great
costumes, and even some good skills. But generally they have little
experience. Usually these clowns are young people, working 6-7 days a week
for very low money, because they love what they're doing. Often their skills
and potential get wasted in the show. They do walkaround gags (which are
hard to see in the big arenas where Ringling plays), and generally one or
two actual "acts" in the show. These acts often amount to little more than
rehashing old keystone cop bits, with unnecessary violence. Ringling clowns
are famous for beating each other up. One year I remember a show edition
that celebrated the clown as its theme. They had several big clown acts, and
I thought they were all basically bad, and not funny. Plenty of slapstick,
but no solid humor to go along with it.

Please excuse my rant. All Ringling clowns are not bad, in fact I think
they're great. They often don't get to live up to their potential. Then
there are the star clowns. Last fall I saw the Red unit, with Bello the
clown. Before I read the program, I assumed he was from somewhere in Europe
or the former Soviet Union. As it turns out he's born and raised American.
But he has the qualities of a true, full-on clown. This means he's got a
wide range of skills, he can rivet 10,000 people on what he's doing, and he
can be funny without being stupid. He did several acts in the show,
including riding an elephant while it walked on a rolling cylinder.

In Europe and the former Soviet Union, clowns get the respect they deserve.
But to be a clown over there means a lot more. In the Russian circus,
typically there is at least one clown character who is a binding part of the
show, coming in and out often throughout. These clowns usually know several
acts, play musical instruments, have full acrobatic and ballet training, and
lots of experience. I have had the honor to work with some of these people
over the years, to see what a clown can be at his or her full potential.

So I have tons of respect for clowns, and for people who are or want to be
them. But just because I'm riding a unicycle (especially on top of a
mountain, miles from my car or the nearest road) doesn't mean I am or should
be one.

Thanks for listening,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com (http://www.unicycling.com/)

"You're not supposed to wash your Roach armor" - Nathan Hoover, on safety
equipment cleaning methods

[John Foss]

> I personally have nothing against a good clown riding a uni.
> What does get my blood pumping is when you get a *smart
> arsed* comment about being a clown. This is mainly down to
> the perception of a clown on a uni goofing around in a
> seemingly clumsy way purely for other peoples ammusement.

I think Neil has explained it well. Now I would like to add something in the
defense of clowns.

In the United States (at least), there is little understanding of the
clowning arts by the general public. There are many types of clown out
there, and the majority of the ones we see are generally pretty bad. There
is the person in the "clown suit," if I may use that term. This is when you
see someone dressed as a clown, but not in any kind of clown persona. It's
just a clown costume.

Then you may see clowns who are working in a promotional sense, for
businesses or events that are trying to "entertain while marketing." Since
the motivation is beyond entertainment, that can leave a bad taste, and
again a lack of thrills or humor (or even proper entertainment).

Then there are clowns who like to be clowns, and donate their services to
many good causes, but have no skills. They may do things badly, and not be
funny, and assume that the fact they are a clown is enough to make up for
it. It isn't. You don't have to have skills, but you have to be something
beyond a person in makeup and a colorful costume.

But what of the good clowns.

There are thousands of people in this country who do clowning as a hobby,
and give hundreds of hours of their time a year to hospitals, nursing homes,
community programs, etc. They ask nothing in return, except the chance to
make people smile. Some of these clowns have good skills, and some do not.
These people are all everyday heroes.

To some degree, being a clown makes it hard to show off skills. If you
juggle five clubs on a 12' unicycle, people will drop their jaws and say
*Look at THAT!!!* Then if you do the same thing, and you are a clown, people
will say "Look at the clown." Clowns don't get much credit in our country,
partly because people don't expect much from them.

Even the Ringling Bros. Circus is part of the problem. With its well-known
Clown College, one expects all clowns seen at a Ringling show to be at the
top of their profession. They generally have very good makeup, great
costumes, and even some good skills. But generally they have little
experience. Usually these clowns are young people, working 6-7 days a week
for very low money, because they love what they're doing. Often their skills
and potential get wasted in the show. They do walkaround gags (which are
hard to see in the big arenas where Ringling plays), and generally one or
two actual "acts" in the show. These acts often amount to little more than
rehashing old keystone cop bits, with unnecessary violence. Ringling clowns
are famous for beating each other up. One year I remember a show edition
that celebrated the clown as its theme. They had several big clown acts, and
I thought they were all basically bad, and not funny. Plenty of slapstick,
but no solid humor to go along with it.

Please excuse my rant. All Ringling clowns are not bad, in fact I think
they're great. They often don't get to live up to their potential. Then
there are the star clowns. Last fall I saw the Red unit, with Bello the
clown. Before I read the program, I assumed he was from somewhere in Europe
or the former Soviet Union. As it turns out he's born and raised American.
But he has the qualities of a true, full-on clown. This means he's got a
wide range of skills, he can rivet 10,000 people on what he's doing, and he
can be funny without being stupid. He did several acts in the show,
including riding an elephant while it walked on a rolling cylinder.

In Europe and the former Soviet Union, clowns get the respect they deserve.
But to be a clown over there means a lot more. In the Russian circus,
typically there is at least one clown character who is a binding part of the
show, coming in and out often throughout. These clowns usually know several
acts, play musical instruments, have full acrobatic and ballet training, and
lots of experience. I have had the honor to work with some of these people
over the years, to see what a clown can be at his or her full potential.

So I have tons of respect for clowns, and for people who are or want to be
them. But just because I'm riding a unicycle (especially on top of a
mountain, miles from my car or the nearest road) doesn't mean I am or should
be one.

Thanks for listening,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com (http://www.unicycling.com/)

"You're not supposed to wash your Roach armor" - Nathan Hoover, on safety
equipment cleaning methods

[John Foss]

> I personally have nothing against a good clown riding a uni.
> What does get my blood pumping is when you get a *smart
> arsed* comment about being a clown. This is mainly down to
> the perception of a clown on a uni goofing around in a
> seemingly clumsy way purely for other peoples ammusement.

I think Neil has explained it well. Now I would like to add something in the
defense of clowns.

In the United States (at least), there is little understanding of the
clowning arts by the general public. There are many types of clown out
there, and the majority of the ones we see are generally pretty bad. There
is the person in the "clown suit," if I may use that term. This is when you
see someone dressed as a clown, but not in any kind of clown persona. It's
just a clown costume.

Then you may see clowns who are working in a promotional sense, for
businesses or events that are trying to "entertain while marketing." Since
the motivation is beyond entertainment, that can leave a bad taste, and
again a lack of thrills or humor (or even proper entertainment).

Then there are clowns who like to be clowns, and donate their services to
many good causes, but have no skills. They may do things badly, and not be
funny, and assume that the fact they are a clown is enough to make up for
it. It isn't. You don't have to have skills, but you have to be something
beyond a person in makeup and a colorful costume.

But what of the good clowns.

There are thousands of people in this country who do clowning as a hobby,
and give hundreds of hours of their time a year to hospitals, nursing homes,
community programs, etc. They ask nothing in return, except the chance to
make people smile. Some of these clowns have good skills, and some do not.
These people are all everyday heroes.

To some degree, being a clown makes it hard to show off skills. If you
juggle five clubs on a 12' unicycle, people will drop their jaws and say
*Look at THAT!!!* Then if you do the same thing, and you are a clown, people
will say "Look at the clown." Clowns don't get much credit in our country,
partly because people don't expect much from them.

Even the Ringling Bros. Circus is part of the problem. With its well-known
Clown College, one expects all clowns seen at a Ringling show to be at the
top of their profession. They generally have very good makeup, great
costumes, and even some good skills. But generally they have little
experience. Usually these clowns are young people, working 6-7 days a week
for very low money, because they love what they're doing. Often their skills
and potential get wasted in the show. They do walkaround gags (which are
hard to see in the big arenas where Ringling plays), and generally one or
two actual "acts" in the show. These acts often amount to little more than
rehashing old keystone cop bits, with unnecessary violence. Ringling clowns
are famous for beating each other up. One year I remember a show edition
that celebrated the clown as its theme. They had several big clown acts, and
I thought they were all basically bad, and not funny. Plenty of slapstick,
but no solid humor to go along with it.

Please excuse my rant. All Ringling clowns are not bad, in fact I think
they're great. They often don't get to live up to their potential. Then
there are the star clowns. Last fall I saw the Red unit, with Bello the
clown. Before I read the program, I assumed he was from somewhere in Europe
or the former Soviet Union. As it turns out he's born and raised American.
But he has the qualities of a true, full-on clown. This means he's got a
wide range of skills, he can rivet 10,000 people on what he's doing, and he
can be funny without being stupid. He did several acts in the show,
including riding an elephant while it walked on a rolling cylinder.

In Europe and the former Soviet Union, clowns get the respect they deserve.
But to be a clown over there means a lot more. In the Russian circus,
typically there is at least one clown character who is a binding part of the
show, coming in and out often throughout. These clowns usually know several
acts, play musical instruments, have full acrobatic and ballet training, and
lots of experience. I have had the honor to work with some of these people
over the years, to see what a clown can be at his or her full potential.

So I have tons of respect for clowns, and for people who are or want to be
them. But just because I'm riding a unicycle (especially on top of a
mountain, miles from my car or the nearest road) doesn't mean I am or should
be one.

Thanks for listening,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com (http://www.unicycling.com/)

"You're not supposed to wash your Roach armor" - Nathan Hoover, on safety
equipment cleaning methods

[John Foss]

> I personally have nothing against a good clown riding a uni.
> What does get my blood pumping is when you get a *smart
> arsed* comment about being a clown. This is mainly down to
> the perception of a clown on a uni goofing around in a
> seemingly clumsy way purely for other peoples ammusement.

I think Neil has explained it well. Now I would like to add something in the
defense of clowns.

In the United States (at least), there is little understanding of the
clowning arts by the general public. There are many types of clown out
there, and the majority of the ones we see are generally pretty bad. There
is the person in the "clown suit," if I may use that term. This is when you
see someone dressed as a clown, but not in any kind of clown persona. It's
just a clown costume.

Then you may see clowns who are working in a promotional sense, for
businesses or events that are trying to "entertain while marketing." Since
the motivation is beyond entertainment, that can leave a bad taste, and
again a lack of thrills or humor (or even proper entertainment).

Then there are clowns who like to be clowns, and donate their services to
many good causes, but have no skills. They may do things badly, and not be
funny, and assume that the fact they are a clown is enough to make up for
it. It isn't. You don't have to have skills, but you have to be something
beyond a person in makeup and a colorful costume.

But what of the good clowns.

There are thousands of people in this country who do clowning as a hobby,
and give hundreds of hours of their time a year to hospitals, nursing homes,
community programs, etc. They ask nothing in return, except the chance to
make people smile. Some of these clowns have good skills, and some do not.
These people are all everyday heroes.

To some degree, being a clown makes it hard to show off skills. If you
juggle five clubs on a 12' unicycle, people will drop their jaws and say
*Look at THAT!!!* Then if you do the same thing, and you are a clown, people
will say "Look at the clown." Clowns don't get much credit in our country,
partly because people don't expect much from them.

Even the Ringling Bros. Circus is part of the problem. With its well-known
Clown College, one expects all clowns seen at a Ringling show to be at the
top of their profession. They generally have very good makeup, great
costumes, and even some good skills. But generally they have little
experience. Usually these clowns are young people, working 6-7 days a week
for very low money, because they love what they're doing. Often their skills
and potential get wasted in the show. They do walkaround gags (which are
hard to see in the big arenas where Ringling plays), and generally one or
two actual "acts" in the show. These acts often amount to little more than
rehashing old keystone cop bits, with unnecessary violence. Ringling clowns
are famous for beating each other up. One year I remember a show edition
that celebrated the clown as its theme. They had several big clown acts, and
I thought they were all basically bad, and not funny. Plenty of slapstick,
but no solid humor to go along with it.

Please excuse my rant. All Ringling clowns are not bad, in fact I think
they're great. They often don't get to live up to their potential. Then
there are the star clowns. Last fall I saw the Red unit, with Bello the
clown. Before I read the program, I assumed he was from somewhere in Europe
or the former Soviet Union. As it turns out he's born and raised American.
But he has the qualities of a true, full-on clown. This means he's got a
wide range of skills, he can rivet 10,000 people on what he's doing, and he
can be funny without being stupid. He did several acts in the show,
including riding an elephant while it walked on a rolling cylinder.

In Europe and the former Soviet Union, clowns get the respect they deserve.
But to be a clown over there means a lot more. In the Russian circus,
typically there is at least one clown character who is a binding part of the
show, coming in and out often throughout. These clowns usually know several
acts, play musical instruments, have full acrobatic and ballet training, and
lots of experience. I have had the honor to work with some of these people
over the years, to see what a clown can be at his or her full potential.

So I have tons of respect for clowns, and for people who are or want to be
them. But just because I'm riding a unicycle (especially on top of a
mountain, miles from my car or the nearest road) doesn't mean I am or should
be one.

Thanks for listening,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com (http://www.unicycling.com/)

"You're not supposed to wash your Roach armor" - Nathan Hoover, on safety
equipment cleaning methods

[John Foss]

> performance. And I must say, it really is work. There are
> specific tricks I want to do, in a specific order, and I
> want to be able to do this without dropping. I am
> generally a very mellow guy, but getting a performance
> ready has put me very close to breaking clubs out of anger.

Make sure your ending is solid. Don't end on a trick you're not sure about.
If holding two clubs together and snatching the third one out of the air
between them does not work *every* time for you, don't expect it to work
under the additional pressure of being onstage.

Once you're out there take your time, and don't react if you drop. Just pick
up and keep going. That's what separates the beginners from the pros. Pros
drop too, but they don't show they audience they're disappointed about it.
It's all part of the show.

> Anyway, if you think you have the drive to persue a career in
> unicycling, I recommend giving it a go.

Also be prepared to market yourself as something other than a unicyclist.
People don't know what a unicyclist is, so they'll look for something more
predictable like a juggler, magician, etc. People who are able to promote
themselves with unicycles alone are rare indeed.

Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com (http://www.unicycling.com/)

"You're not supposed to wash your Roach armor" - Nathan Hoover, on safety
equipment cleaning methods

[John Foss]

> performance. And I must say, it really is work. There are
> specific tricks I want to do, in a specific order, and I
> want to be able to do this without dropping. I am
> generally a very mellow guy, but getting a performance
> ready has put me very close to breaking clubs out of anger.

Make sure your ending is solid. Don't end on a trick you're not sure about.
If holding two clubs together and snatching the third one out of the air
between them does not work *every* time for you, don't expect it to work
under the additional pressure of being onstage.

Once you're out there take your time, and don't react if you drop. Just pick
up and keep going. That's what separates the beginners from the pros. Pros
drop too, but they don't show they audience they're disappointed about it.
It's all part of the show.

> Anyway, if you think you have the drive to persue a career in
> unicycling, I recommend giving it a go.

Also be prepared to market yourself as something other than a unicyclist.
People don't know what a unicyclist is, so they'll look for something more
predictable like a juggler, magician, etc. People who are able to promote
themselves with unicycles alone are rare indeed.

Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com (http://www.unicycling.com/)

"You're not supposed to wash your Roach armor" - Nathan Hoover, on safety
equipment cleaning methods

[John Foss]

> performance. And I must say, it really is work. There are
> specific tricks I want to do, in a specific order, and I
> want to be able to do this without dropping. I am
> generally a very mellow guy, but getting a performance
> ready has put me very close to breaking clubs out of anger.

Make sure your ending is solid. Don't end on a trick you're not sure about.
If holding two clubs together and snatching the third one out of the air
between them does not work *every* time for you, don't expect it to work
under the additional pressure of being onstage.

Once you're out there take your time, and don't react if you drop. Just pick
up and keep going. That's what separates the beginners from the pros. Pros
drop too, but they don't show they audience they're disappointed about it.
It's all part of the show.

> Anyway, if you think you have the drive to persue a career in
> unicycling, I recommend giving it a go.

Also be prepared to market yourself as something other than a unicyclist.
People don't know what a unicyclist is, so they'll look for something more
predictable like a juggler, magician, etc. People who are able to promote
themselves with unicycles alone are rare indeed.

Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com (http://www.unicycling.com/)

"You're not supposed to wash your Roach armor" - Nathan Hoover, on safety
equipment cleaning methods

[John Foss]

> performance. And I must say, it really is work. There are
> specific tricks I want to do, in a specific order, and I
> want to be able to do this without dropping. I am
> generally a very mellow guy, but getting a performance
> ready has put me very close to breaking clubs out of anger.

Make sure your ending is solid. Don't end on a trick you're not sure about.
If holding two clubs together and snatching the third one out of the air
between them does not work *every* time for you, don't expect it to work
under the additional pressure of being onstage.

Once you're out there take your time, and don't react if you drop. Just pick
up and keep going. That's what separates the beginners from the pros. Pros
drop too, but they don't show they audience they're disappointed about it.
It's all part of the show.

> Anyway, if you think you have the drive to persue a career in
> unicycling, I recommend giving it a go.

Also be prepared to market yourself as something other than a unicyclist.
People don't know what a unicyclist is, so they'll look for something more
predictable like a juggler, magician, etc. People who are able to promote
themselves with unicycles alone are rare indeed.

Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com (http://www.unicycling.com/)

"You're not supposed to wash your Roach armor" - Nathan Hoover, on safety
equipment cleaning methods

[John Foss]

> performance. And I must say, it really is work. There are
> specific tricks I want to do, in a specific order, and I
> want to be able to do this without dropping. I am
> generally a very mellow guy, but getting a performance
> ready has put me very close to breaking clubs out of anger.

Make sure your ending is solid. Don't end on a trick you're not sure about.
If holding two clubs together and snatching the third one out of the air
between them does not work *every* time for you, don't expect it to work
under the additional pressure of being onstage.

Once you're out there take your time, and don't react if you drop. Just pick
up and keep going. That's what separates the beginners from the pros. Pros
drop too, but they don't show they audience they're disappointed about it.
It's all part of the show.

> Anyway, if you think you have the drive to persue a career in
> unicycling, I recommend giving it a go.

Also be prepared to market yourself as something other than a unicyclist.
People don't know what a unicyclist is, so they'll look for something more
predictable like a juggler, magician, etc. People who are able to promote
themselves with unicycles alone are rare indeed.

Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com (http://www.unicycling.com/)

"You're not supposed to wash your Roach armor" - Nathan Hoover, on safety
equipment cleaning methods

[John Foss]

> reading though, every time I see a clown I run away in fear of my
> life. As I run I always have the sense that the clown is chasing
> me. I run faster but the clown still gets closer and finally he
> catches me and produces a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

Carl, whatever you do, *DO NOT* rent the movie Killer Klowns from Outer
Space. Now *those* are some scary clowns!

However if you do not suffer from Carl's unfortunate case of "Clownophobia,"
this movie is hilarious. It pokes fun of the traditional trappings of
traditional clowns. An alien race lands on Earth, and they happen to look
like old-fashioned circus clowns. Until you get up close. They come after
their victims with creepy-crawly popcorn, cotton candy that wraps you like a
cocoon, and live balloon animals. Kind of like Attack of the Killer
Tomatoes, only with clowns and a little bit higher budget.

Don't poke fun of people who fear clowns. This is a real phenomenon, usually
resulting from a child having a 'bad' clown experience when they were very
small. Good clowns know when to back off from small children who are
obviously terrified of their appearance. The best clowns who work close up
can get these kids to see, from a distance, that they mean well and just
want everyone to have fun.

But in my days with the National Circus Project we went to many a school
where we were questioned upon arrival at the school "Do you have any clowns
in your show?" This was because the school knew of one or more kids that had
a known fear of clowns and would have a heart attack upon seeing one. Greg
Milstein's character was almost always officially a clown, though he often
used little or no makeup, or nose. This is hard to explain to people who are
trying to protect someone with Clownophobia.

Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com (http://www.unicycling.com/)

"You're not supposed to wash your Roach armor" - Nathan Hoover, on safety
equipment cleaning methods

[John Foss]

> reading though, every time I see a clown I run away in fear of my
> life. As I run I always have the sense that the clown is chasing
> me. I run faster but the clown still gets closer and finally he
> catches me and produces a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

Carl, whatever you do, *DO NOT* rent the movie Killer Klowns from Outer
Space. Now *those* are some scary clowns!

However if you do not suffer from Carl's unfortunate case of "Clownophobia,"
this movie is hilarious. It pokes fun of the traditional trappings of
traditional clowns. An alien race lands on Earth, and they happen to look
like old-fashioned circus clowns. Until you get up close. They come after
their victims with creepy-crawly popcorn, cotton candy that wraps you like a
cocoon, and live balloon animals. Kind of like Attack of the Killer
Tomatoes, only with clowns and a little bit higher budget.

Don't poke fun of people who fear clowns. This is a real phenomenon, usually
resulting from a child having a 'bad' clown experience when they were very
small. Good clowns know when to back off from small children who are
obviously terrified of their appearance. The best clowns who work close up
can get these kids to see, from a distance, that they mean well and just
want everyone to have fun.

But in my days with the National Circus Project we went to many a school
where we were questioned upon arrival at the school "Do you have any clowns
in your show?" This was because the school knew of one or more kids that had
a known fear of clowns and would have a heart attack upon seeing one. Greg
Milstein's character was almost always officially a clown, though he often
used little or no makeup, or nose. This is hard to explain to people who are
trying to protect someone with Clownophobia.

Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com (http://www.unicycling.com/)

"You're not supposed to wash your Roach armor" - Nathan Hoover, on safety
equipment cleaning methods

[John Foss]

> reading though, every time I see a clown I run away in fear of my
> life. As I run I always have the sense that the clown is chasing
> me. I run faster but the clown still gets closer and finally he
> catches me and produces a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

Carl, whatever you do, *DO NOT* rent the movie Killer Klowns from Outer
Space. Now *those* are some scary clowns!

However if you do not suffer from Carl's unfortunate case of "Clownophobia,"
this movie is hilarious. It pokes fun of the traditional trappings of
traditional clowns. An alien race lands on Earth, and they happen to look
like old-fashioned circus clowns. Until you get up close. They come after
their victims with creepy-crawly popcorn, cotton candy that wraps you like a
cocoon, and live balloon animals. Kind of like Attack of the Killer
Tomatoes, only with clowns and a little bit higher budget.

Don't poke fun of people who fear clowns. This is a real phenomenon, usually
resulting from a child having a 'bad' clown experience when they were very
small. Good clowns know when to back off from small children who are
obviously terrified of their appearance. The best clowns who work close up
can get these kids to see, from a distance, that they mean well and just
want everyone to have fun.

But in my days with the National Circus Project we went to many a school
where we were questioned upon arrival at the school "Do you have any clowns
in your show?" This was because the school knew of one or more kids that had
a known fear of clowns and would have a heart attack upon seeing one. Greg
Milstein's character was almost always officially a clown, though he often
used little or no makeup, or nose. This is hard to explain to people who are
trying to protect someone with Clownophobia.

Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com (http://www.unicycling.com/)

"You're not supposed to wash your Roach armor" - Nathan Hoover, on safety
equipment cleaning methods

[John Foss]

> reading though, every time I see a clown I run away in fear of my
> life. As I run I always have the sense that the clown is chasing
> me. I run faster but the clown still gets closer and finally he
> catches me and produces a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

Carl, whatever you do, *DO NOT* rent the movie Killer Klowns from Outer
Space. Now *those* are some scary clowns!

However if you do not suffer from Carl's unfortunate case of "Clownophobia,"
this movie is hilarious. It pokes fun of the traditional trappings of
traditional clowns. An alien race lands on Earth, and they happen to look
like old-fashioned circus clowns. Until you get up close. They come after
their victims with creepy-crawly popcorn, cotton candy that wraps you like a
cocoon, and live balloon animals. Kind of like Attack of the Killer
Tomatoes, only with clowns and a little bit higher budget.

Don't poke fun of people who fear clowns. This is a real phenomenon, usually
resulting from a child having a 'bad' clown experience when they were very
small. Good clowns know when to back off from small children who are
obviously terrified of their appearance. The best clowns who work close up
can get these kids to see, from a distance, that they mean well and just
want everyone to have fun.

But in my days with the National Circus Project we went to many a school
where we were questioned upon arrival at the school "Do you have any clowns
in your show?" This was because the school knew of one or more kids that had
a known fear of clowns and would have a heart attack upon seeing one. Greg
Milstein's character was almost always officially a clown, though he often
used little or no makeup, or nose. This is hard to explain to people who are
trying to protect someone with Clownophobia.

Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com (http://www.unicycling.com/)

"You're not supposed to wash your Roach armor" - Nathan Hoover, on safety
equipment cleaning methods

[John Foss]

> reading though, every time I see a clown I run away in fear of my
> life. As I run I always have the sense that the clown is chasing
> me. I run faster but the clown still gets closer and finally he
> catches me and produces a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

Carl, whatever you do, *DO NOT* rent the movie Killer Klowns from Outer
Space. Now *those* are some scary clowns!

However if you do not suffer from Carl's unfortunate case of "Clownophobia,"
this movie is hilarious. It pokes fun of the traditional trappings of
traditional clowns. An alien race lands on Earth, and they happen to look
like old-fashioned circus clowns. Until you get up close. They come after
their victims with creepy-crawly popcorn, cotton candy that wraps you like a
cocoon, and live balloon animals. Kind of like Attack of the Killer
Tomatoes, only with clowns and a little bit higher budget.

Don't poke fun of people who fear clowns. This is a real phenomenon, usually
resulting from a child having a 'bad' clown experience when they were very
small. Good clowns know when to back off from small children who are
obviously terrified of their appearance. The best clowns who work close up
can get these kids to see, from a distance, that they mean well and just
want everyone to have fun.

But in my days with the National Circus Project we went to many a school
where we were questioned upon arrival at the school "Do you have any clowns
in your show?" This was because the school knew of one or more kids that had
a known fear of clowns and would have a heart attack upon seeing one. Greg
Milstein's character was almost always officially a clown, though he often
used little or no makeup, or nose. This is hard to explain to people who are
trying to protect someone with Clownophobia.

Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com (http://www.unicycling.com/)

"You're not supposed to wash your Roach armor" - Nathan Hoover, on safety
equipment cleaning methods

[John Foss]

> reading though, every time I see a clown I run away in fear of my
> life. As I run I always have the sense that the clown is chasing
> me. I run faster but the clown still gets closer and finally he
> catches me and produces a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

Carl, whatever you do, *DO NOT* rent the movie Killer Klowns from Outer
Space. Now *those* are some scary clowns!

However if you do not suffer from Carl's unfortunate case of "Clownophobia,"
this movie is hilarious. It pokes fun of the traditional trappings of
traditional clowns. An alien race lands on Earth, and they happen to look
like old-fashioned circus clowns. Until you get up close. They come after
their victims with creepy-crawly popcorn, cotton candy that wraps you like a
cocoon, and live balloon animals. Kind of like Attack of the Killer
Tomatoes, only with clowns and a little bit higher budget.

Don't poke fun of people who fear clowns. This is a real phenomenon, usually
resulting from a child having a 'bad' clown experience when they were very
small. Good clowns know when to back off from small children who are
obviously terrified of their appearance. The best clowns who work close up
can get these kids to see, from a distance, that they mean well and just
want everyone to have fun.

But in my days with the National Circus Project we went to many a school
where we were questioned upon arrival at the school "Do you have any clowns
in your show?" This was because the school knew of one or more kids that had
a known fear of clowns and would have a heart attack upon seeing one. Greg
Milstein's character was almost always officially a clown, though he often
used little or no makeup, or nose. This is hard to explain to people who are
trying to protect someone with Clownophobia.

Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com (http://www.unicycling.com/)

"You're not supposed to wash your Roach armor" - Nathan Hoover, on safety
equipment cleaning methods

[John Foss]

> What I don't get is why people automatically
> link really hard things like unicycling and juggling, which are
> really challenging and use the brain a lot, with acting stupid
> like a clown.

Because those people *do not* use their brains a lot.

JF

[John Foss]

> What I don't get is why people automatically
> link really hard things like unicycling and juggling, which are
> really challenging and use the brain a lot, with acting stupid
> like a clown.

Because those people *do not* use their brains a lot.

JF

[John Foss]

> What I don't get is why people automatically
> link really hard things like unicycling and juggling, which are
> really challenging and use the brain a lot, with acting stupid
> like a clown.

Because those people *do not* use their brains a lot.

JF

[John Foss]

> What I don't get is why people automatically
> link really hard things like unicycling and juggling, which are
> really challenging and use the brain a lot, with acting stupid
> like a clown.

Because those people *do not* use their brains a lot.

JF

[John Foss]

> What I don't get is why people automatically
> link really hard things like unicycling and juggling, which are
> really challenging and use the brain a lot, with acting stupid
> like a clown.

Because those people *do not* use their brains a lot.

JF

[John Foss]

> BTW.. I was banned in no uncertain terms from the British
> clowning society for putting a link to ihateclowns on my
> website!

That's hilarious in an ironic way. Clowns without a sense of humor.

JF

[John Foss]

> BTW.. I was banned in no uncertain terms from the British
> clowning society for putting a link to ihateclowns on my
> website!

That's hilarious in an ironic way. Clowns without a sense of humor.

JF

[John Foss]

> BTW.. I was banned in no uncertain terms from the British
> clowning society for putting a link to ihateclowns on my
> website!

That's hilarious in an ironic way. Clowns without a sense of humor.

JF

[John Foss]

> BTW.. I was banned in no uncertain terms from the British
> clowning society for putting a link to ihateclowns on my
> website!

That's hilarious in an ironic way. Clowns without a sense of humor.

JF

[John Foss]

> BTW.. I was banned in no uncertain terms from the British
> clowning society for putting a link to ihateclowns on my
> website!

That's hilarious in an ironic way. Clowns without a sense of humor.

JF

[John Foss]

> BTW.. I was banned in no uncertain terms from the British
> clowning society for putting a link to ihateclowns on my
> website!

That's hilarious in an ironic way. Clowns without a sense of humor.

JF

[BillyTheMountain]

For the benefit of someone I have been PM-g, I thought I would rescue this old thread, with it's lengthy and informative comments.

Hey, if I spend my hard earned money on a circus and see a clown that does not entertain, I'll be disappointed. I imagine there are people who don't like movies, who have had a number of bad experiences with movies. They would not resent being mistaken for a movie star, though.

Clownophobia (modeled on homophobia, sexism, racism, antisemetism, Islamophobia, etc) does not necessarily mean that you run away in fear from clowns. It means multiple things, including that you would be insulted if mistaken for one, and wouldn't want your daughter to become one or marry one.

By the way, I wonder if ----- ever recovered from being banned from the British Clown Society--such a powerful organization:D