talkmagic.co.uk

I don’t like clowns I have never liked clowns. I don’t see how a man in size 45 shoes, a sponge ball for a nose and ridding a tricycle is funny.

So I really don’t like clowns doing magic I think it ruins our art! Now days magic is viewed by some as not a real .art. But in fact something for the children only. And this is all because of clowns well not all because but they help, ok they aren’t doing Triumph or the coin in the can trick , but magic they are doing none the less.

And basically I don’t clowns doing magic I don’t dress up with more make-up then max factor and do card productions. Or run around with a bucket going is it water no it is a bucket of confetti so why should they do magic?

Get some buffoon in a clown suit doing a trick it takes away the mystery and just becomes some kind of joke. And we shouldn’t stand for it . I feel an acronym coming on M.A.C. Magicians against clowns!

And remember Goths are just depressed clowns!

I don't care for clowns, myself - but I disagree with everything you've said.

Clowns just give me the willies along with mimes and ventrilaquist dummies.
Personally I'd have them all disposed of just so I can feel free of fear and anxiety

Man - you guys just don't understand clowns. Clowns aren't just about funny - they're an art form in themselves
I have a good friend who's a proffesional clown and he's taught me a whole lot about performing, building character and bringing life into my act.

Clowns also have an ability to touch areas of our subconcious mind and trigger interesting responses. They're funny - but also mysterious, an illusion and seem to come from another world. They're also often a whole lot more entertaining than the average magician...

A must read is Creative Clowning by Bruce Fife, Tony Blanco, Steve Kissell and Ed Harris.

As for magic and clowning - why not? There are a number of genres of magic - surely there's room for a clown?

I don't find clowns funny, in fact I find them kinda scary. This might come from when I was young, and a clown killed my dad.

But seriously, they are a bit scary. Thats why I always wondered why McDonalds opt for Ronald McDonald, a giant 8 foot plastic clown, to be the their figurehead which is supposed to appeal to kids.

If I was 8 and ran into Ronald McDonald in a dark alley, I'd probably faint.

I have to agree.

I have no problems with clowns doing magic and I know that being a clown is an artform that takes dedication and talent. All I'm saying is that clowns scare the preverbial knickers off me!

All together now.....
My makeup is dry and it cracks on my chin
I'm drowning my sorrows in whisky and gin
The lion tamer's whip doesn't crack anymore
The lions they won't fight and the tigers won't roar

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
So let's go and drink to the death of a clown
Won't someone help me to break up this crowd
Let's all drink to the death of a clown
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Let's all drink to the death of a clown

The old fortune teller lies dead on the floor
Nobody needs fortunes told anymore
The trainer of insects is crouched on his knees
And frantically looking for runaway fleas

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Let's all drink to the death of a clown
So won't someone help me to break up this crowd
Let's all drink to the death of a clown
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Let's all drink to the death of a clown
La la-la-la la-la-la la-la-la ....

D.Davies/R.Davies

Thanks Mandrake for that Kinks Rendition

I would go into Plastic man but I fear fruit will be thrown

Nice song,

As a clown, I must say though that it's not my favourite.

Come on guys, it's wrong to even suggest that all clowns are by default as trashy as the (ever so scary) Ronald McDonald, just like you can't say that all food is a non nutritional piece of greasy reprocessed meat wrapped between two bits of bread and served in a plastic box! Or that all magicians are like Paul Daniels, just not true.

Incidently Tommy Cooper is widely accepted to be a fantastic and very skilled magician and was of course... a clown. For that matter Teller is pretty clowny as well.

I used to think the same about clowns as some of you, till I saw some real masters of the art in action and I forgot my Mr Pennywise stereotype and opened my mind. I find that clowning doesn't belittle magic in fact quite the opposite, it makes a whole world of magic possible.

One more thing whilst I'm ranting! I was a magician before I was a clown, so should I stop practicing two skills that compliment each other so well just because someone is ill informed? I think not. Would you stop putting jokes into your routines just because someone said magic should be serious? I didn't think so...

Rant, rant, rant!!!!!

Demitri wrote:I don't care for clowns, myself - but I disagree with everything you've said.

I agree with you Demitri. Clowns do their own type of magic, which is specially designed for kids. But I do not think for one minute that adults only think that magic is for kids, since my magic is for adults!

i agree.

Because I'm a kids performer i chose to be half a clown. (if there is such thing.)


I am dressed silly (but without the make up, nose etc) and do a few silly things. (I know there is more to being a clown than doing silly things and dressing up) but thats about all my clowning reaches.

I am not a clown - I'm a strange entertainer.

The fun and excitement for the audience (whether just kids or a mixture) is the top priority in my shows.

I have a friend who has a clown character for corporate events (not the typical red nose clown - but clown none the less). He is very succesful..

Great Kinks song Mandrake. I hate clowns, i always found them scary

stephenmagic wrote: I hate clowns, i always found them scary

This is quite a common thing, a lot of people do have a fear of the 'painted face' clown... but alot of people you would consider comedians are also clowns, they just don't wear make up (Lee Evans for example) and youre probably not afraid of them.

The funny thing is that I sometimes do the red nosed variety of clown, I used to work in a touring circus and now I find it helps in certain situations, I quite often find that people who say they are scared of clowns aren't generally all that scared of me... I don't know why, maybe its that I use quite minimal make up or if my persona is more threatened than threatening, or maybe 'cos if someones scared I back off.. I don't know, but it works.