(no subject)

[oakenguy]

Yesterday I discovered that there's a yearly International Clown Summit.

And an annual Clown Cruise, where they take over a cruise ship and tour Scandinavia.

There HAS to be a play, film or maybe even a LARP based on one of these. Oh yes.

Comments

[spenceraloysius.livejournal.com]

Question, do you want to be a professional clown?

Re:

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

Gah! No!

Well.....I should say, not as 'clown' is presently defined. No birthday parties, no squeaky voices, no bouncing around all fake-manic. I can't do the squeaky-voiced schmarmy-sincere bouncy pal. I'm too verbal, too low-energy, and to be honest I'm too LAZY, and no one's going to put down money so Snarky the Muttering Clown can come to their party and sit on his ass telling political jokes.

There *are* skills good clowns have that I'd love to incorporate into my own stuff. And they (and all their wacky splinter factions) are fascinating as a subculture. And some of my heroes (like Bill Irwin) got their start as clowns. But they went on to odder, more individual things, and that's what I'd like to do.

(Okay, not really, what I'd REALLY like to do for a living is be worshipped as a decadent Sun-King Lord High Emperor, sorta like Louis XIV meets Oscar Wilde. But I've learned to modify my expectations as time goes by.)

[spenceraloysius.livejournal.com]

Your dream life sounds suspiciously like Cerebus. At least the early years of Cerebus.

[rigel.livejournal.com]

With or without throngs of naked women screaming your name and throwing miniature pickles at you?

Clowns are neat, the six-foot marionette that hung above my bed as a child notwithstanding.

- Rigel, who used to have a thing for jugglers

Re:

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

Oh, without. Loud noises make me flinch, I'd feel bad if I was responsible for any sunburn, and my winged lemurs would get all confused and bruised diving for the midair pickles.

You had a six-foot marionette hanging above your bed? For years? Was this a very strange pagan's idea of a dreamcatcher?

[rigel.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes. That would make it distinctly less appealing, wouldn't it?

And the poor flying lemurs!

(You do know where that's referenced, yes?)

And I think a Pagan's idea of a dreamcatcher would be . . . a dreamcatcher. ;) In my case, it was my mother's clever (read: unfortunate) design to save space. Scared the hoohah out of me for a while.

Re:

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

Ayiiee! Unless it's related to Joey the Lemur from MST3K, I have to plead ignorance.

If I hung a six-foot *anything* over someone's bed, it would be with the full knowledge that sooner or later entropy in the form of a draft, a doorslam or old string would send the creature down on top of whoever was in bed. Causing screams, trauma, and therapy bills, no doubt.

[lediva.livejournal.com]

no one's going to put down money so Snarky the Muttering Clown can come to their party and sit on his ass telling political jokes.

Oh, come on, Oaken. You know at least a half-dozen people here would do this. Now you're making me want to try to talk you into doing this for my post-thesis anti-stress party. :)

Re:

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

I know a half-dozen people here who have money??

[lediva.livejournal.com]

Er, uh... don't you want to start with a few free sessions, build up some word-of-mouth? :)

Re:

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

Hee!

Where I come from, people have *nightmares* about being the only person to show up at a party in clown makeup.

Now if there was a group of us, or if it was a clown-themed party...

[lediva.livejournal.com]

Now if there was a group of us, or if it was a clown-themed party...

*squee!*

Oh, Gods... now I need to decide if I really want my post-thesis anti-stress party to be clown-themed... come as your favorite clown! Or else I'll just buy a bunch of clown makeup and we'll do clown makeovers on each other.

Of course, this could easily scare off a number of people I'd rather were there... I dunno. But I'm devilishly interested. :)

Re:

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

Hee! It sounds like you might need two parties! Or at least two floors, one that's safe for the clown-phobic (though I've heard from a few people that once it's THEM in the makeup, everything becomes quite different).

[lediva.livejournal.com]

Heh, I don't know if I could manage _two_ parties, and there really isn't a convenient space for two floors. I dunno, maybe I could set it as some other theme that could potentially include clowns.

Unfortunately, my only thought at the moment is "Come as your favorite thesis topic".

Re:

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

Ooo...also, you just KNOW that if you phrase it as "Come as your favorite clown" you're going to get a bunch of people arriving as certain politicians and University presidents...

[lediva.livejournal.com]

That's fine, as long as they realize that anyone not wearing clown makeup will be summarily pounced and the problem rectified. :)

Re:

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

Have I ever mentioned how much I like the way you think? :)

[lediva.livejournal.com]

Not that I recall.

Would you like to, perhaps over a hot steaming cup o' thesis draft? :)

Re:

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

Mmm, thesis slurry. I remember that scent from our field trips to the paper mill. :)

(Just make sure it's not your only copy!)

[frla.livejournal.com]

It is my goal Brian to sit between billirwin and penn and teller,..

I just did comedifest which was decent but not incredibly inspirign,.. thoguh i think next year it will be overwhelmingly good
at least that is my hope,..
but after goign there I realized I have no desire to pursue any more clown training.
I want to train in circus arts,.. because the clown I already do more than suffices,
but my jugglign balancing tightwire stilt and unicycle skills all need improving (if not actual insitgating) and that these things will make my performance richer.

I am adding some naughty balloon tricks to my show this month,..
which hopefully will go over really well.
I believe I am doping a peice where I teach a developementally disabled girl how to masturbate,.. and then beat the crap out of some ministry clowns.

I have never actually known what it is you do exactly,..
so umm what is it you do exactly?

KK!

[callunav.livejournal.com]

See, the sad thing is, when I think clowns, I think Comedia del Arte clowns, where you have all the different archetypes that I read about once and would love to read about again because I've forgotten almost everything. Anyhow, clowns that have a strictly (defined) range of personalities, very few of whom were actually meant to be funny, let alone appealing (shudder) to children.

A convention of people who /did/ that kind of clowning I'd definitely pay to see. Well, I'd pay about a quarter, because that's all I have right now, but it'd be /worth/ a lot more.