Where’s Bozo?
A New York newspaper recently reported that there was a clown shortage — honking off some painted-faced merrymakers with size 20 shoes. But some were secretly delighted to be the brunt of some jokes.
The “number of clowns worldwide has dropped dramatically. The drop in clowns is mostly due to one fatal car accident,” joked Conan O’Brien on his late night TV show.
In response to O’Brien’s monologue, a couple of clowns slapped on some bandages and sent a video to O’Brien thanking him for his concern, and offering him a one-year free membership to the World Clown Association.
Despite loving to yuk it up, Bob Neil, vice president of the World Clown Association, and Glenn Kohlberger of Clowns of America, International, maintain that the report was wrong, even though memberships in their organizations have dropped significantly.
“There are people constantly learning to be clowns,” said Kohlberger, also known as Clyde D. Scope. “There is never going to be a clown shortage … There may be less around today, but more tomorrow.”
Neil explained that the numbers are down in professional clown associations because of retirements and fewer young people committing to membership in organizations of most kinds. He said the figures used in the New York Daily News story were the number of clowns belonging to an association, and did not include clowns who have no allegiance to a group.
Though they might not have been particularly happy about the report, the heads of some clown groups admit the story has put a spotlight on clowning. And unless you suffer from coulrophobia (a fear of clowns), you probably get a kick out of their shenanigans.
“People live vicariously though us. They would love to hit somebody in the face with a pie,” said Neil, who goes by the name Kiwi. “We want them to escape from their real world for a while and have some fun.”
Offering an escape this weekend is the Tadmor Shrine Circus, which will be at the Canton Memorial Civic Center. While the traveling circus has its own clowns who will be among the stars of the big show, there will also be about half a dozen local jokesters who will sign programs and do what comes naturally: “Be silly,” said Tadmor clown Jason Traczyk, chuckling.
“We greet everybody coming in, we mingle with them during intermission and then we shove them out the door when it’s over,” he said.
Like many other fraternal organizations, the Shriners have experienced dwindling membership in recent years. But Traczyk said that hasn’t been the case in Tadmor’s Clown Unit. Though one member had to drop out of the Coventry Township group in the past year, they picked up two new knuckleheads.
Determining whether there is a real clown shortage depends on whom you ask.
Canton resident Jeffrey Potts, co-director of the American Clown Academy in Newark, where clowns go to learn the business, said while kids used to go right from high school into clowning, fewer are doing that now.
“Now, to get a good job, kids are going into college right away,” said Potts, also known as Bungles. “I don’t think there is a shortage of clowns in the older age group.”
His partner, Mike Wesley, who co-directs the academy, believes the numbers have been shrinking.
“Fifteen or 20 years ago, there was a fad. People wanted to be clowns, and then the fad died out and the only people left were those who were really serious about the art,” said Mr. FunnyBunny Wesley.
He would like to see more people become professional pranksters.
“In a world as troubled as this one,” Wesley said, “you can never have too many clowns.”
Kim Hone-McMahan can be reached at 330-996-3742 or kmcmahan@thebeaconjournal.com.