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Thursday, January 25, 2007

Dark clowns



Well they're some sad things known to man
But ain't too much sadder than
The tears of a clown when there's no one around
Oh yeah, baby baby, oh yeah baby baby
--Smokey Robinson, "Tears of a Clown"

Sometimes being a clown is no laughing matter. If you look beyond the joy buzzers, whoopee cushions, seltzer bottles and pies in the face, you just may notice that the grease paint smile cloaks a grimace.

To "send in the clowns" is a signal at a circus that a disaster has occured and the clowns must create a distraction. A rodeo clown is summoned to flirt with death to rescue the cowboy from the horns of a raging bull. Balloon animal sculpture clowns are called to hover in hospital wards to take patient's minds off pain with inflated poodles and giraffes. But who eases the pain of a clown?

It's time for all of us to take a moment and thank clowns for all they do turn our frowns upside down. Join the Save the Clown Foundation today and brighten a dark clown's life.

Call 1-800-RED-NOSE, today. The clown you save may be your own.

13 comments:

Whitesnake said...

It is a pain I am all too familiar with my friend.........



As you probally have already guessed!

Anonymous said...

Tim, you're nothing if not predictable.

Clowns are scary, and you know it.

Anonymous said...

Stop clowning around, T...

I'm glad to read Kristy's comment -I don't feel so alone now. I have always been afraid of clowns. I think my fear needs to be analyzed.

Anonymous said...

tim, have you come around? or are you just tweaking me here, trying to see if I'll snap at the bait so you can jerk the rug out from under me! Just a year ago you were the Anti-Clown, and now THIS.

(a glycerine tear drips off the tip of her bulbous, clown nose)

Hayden

Alex Pendragon said...

I've been nervous around clowns since John Wayne Gacy had his basement parties busted.

JP (mom) said...

Now there's a cause I can really get behind. JP

Kindness said...

i would like to thank the clown pictured above and he is the only one I would save.

i mean... have you not seen killer clowns from outer space??? i am with kristy, miss bliss and the michael... clowns make me nervous.

Time said...

Whitesnake, my Pagliacci friend, dry your tears and laugh, darn you, laugh.

Kristy, Predictable, Moi? Your Insane Clown Posse post is to blame, though.

Miss Bliss, You suffer from Coulrophobia. But don't take it out on the poor clowns.

Lights, or should I say, Mr. King...don't play innocent with me and try your misdirection tactics to make people think you aren't responsible for clowns getting a bad rap. As for your issue with 5-year olds...well...I can't help you there.

Hayden, I have tried to keep an open mind about clowns in general, but as you can see, popular sentiment isn't in your favor

Michael, shouldn't that also make you afraid of John Wayne movies?

JP, Don't just sit there then. Get yourself a whoopee cushion and make some noise.

Kindness, I'm afraid the clown pictured above is beyond saving, but thanks though. I would suggest that you face your fears. Just watch out for the cream pies and seltzer bottles. :)

Footpad said...

I'm waiting for Episode 2: Attack of the Clowns.

Time said...

FP,
Clowns don't kill people, people kill people.

anna said...

That is a seriously creepy image. If I end up having nightmares involving that image, you'll be hearing about it.

Anonymous said...

You mean clowns aren't just ugly people using distraction techniques? Oh no...I better call that hotline.

Time said...

Sorry Anna, As Steve Martin said, comedy is not pretty.

Kat, Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly pretty much runs through and through. This is probably why you don't too many supermodels slathering on the grease paint and putting on a red rubber nose. But then again they do wear lots of make up, wigs and funny costumes. So I stand corrected. :)