76-492: [REDACTED] Look up Clown or clown in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. The Clown or The Clowns may refer to: Books [ edit ] The Clown (novel) , a 1963 novel by Heinrich Böll The Clown (short story) , by Thomas Mann The Clown (2000 AD) , a series from the comic 2000 AD Film and TV [ edit ] The Clown (1916 film) ,
152-416: A balatro ( / ˈ b ɑː l ɑː t r oʊ / BAH -lah-troh ) was a professional jester or buffoon. Balatrones were paid for their jests, and the tables of the wealthy were generally open to them for the sake of the amusement they afforded. There are various theories about the origin of the term. In Horace , Balatro is used as a proper name: Servilius Balatro . An old scholiast derives
228-526: A rubber chicken , tripping over one's own feet (or an air pocket or imaginary blemish in the floor), or riding any number of ridiculous vehicles or clown bicycles . Individual prop stunts are generally considered individual bits. Court jester A jester , also known as joker , court jester , or fool , was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests during royal court . Jesters were also traveling performers who entertained common folk at fairs and town markets, and
304-400: A 1916 silent film directed by William C. deMille and starring Victor Moore The Clown (1931 film) . a 1931 short animated film The Clown (1953 film) , starring Red Skelton The Clown (1976 film) , a 1976 West German film directed by Vojtěch Jasný The Clown (2011 film) , a 2011 Brazilian film The Clowns (film) , a 1970 film directed by Federico Fellini Der Clown ,
380-570: A Commedia dell'arte zanni character, and derivations of the Italian term are found in other Romance languages, such as French Paillasse , Spanish payaso , Catalan/Galician pallasso , Portuguese palhaço , Greek παλιάτσος, Turkish palyaço , German Pajass (via French) Yiddish פּאַיאַץ ( payats ), Russian пая́ц, Romanian paiață . In the early 20th century, with the disappearance of the rustic simpleton or village idiot character of everyday experience, North American circuses developed characters such as
456-604: A Dwarf . During the Renaissance Papacy , the Papal court in Rome had a court jester, similar to the secular courts of the time. Pope Pius V dismissed the court Jester, and no later Pope employed one. In Japan from the 13th to 18th centuries, the taikomochi , a kind of male geisha , attended the feudal lords ( daimyōs ). They entertained mostly through dancing and storytelling, and were at times counted on for strategic advice. By
532-403: A German television series Music [ edit ] The Clown (album) , a 1957 album by Charles Mingus "The Clown", 1969 song by Status Quo from Spare Parts "The Clown", 1977 song by BZN "The Clown" (Conway Twitty song) , 1982 Clowns (band) , an Australian punk rock band, formed in 2009 See also [ edit ] Clown (disambiguation) Topics referred to by
608-512: A Scottish jester called Tom Durie . Charles I later employed a jester called Jeffrey Hudson who was very popular and loyal. Jeffrey Hudson had the title of "Royal Dwarf " because he was short of stature. One of his jests was to be presented hidden in a giant pie from which he would leap out. Hudson fought on the Royalist side in the English Civil War . A third jester associated with Charles I
684-453: A blue mohawk. He was a master of physical comedy—he leapt in the air, stood on his head, fought himself in hilarious fisticuffs that had audiences rolling in the aisles—as well as of satire lampooning the absurd fashions of the day, comic impressions, and ribald songs." — The History and Psychology of Clowns Being Scary , Smithsonian . The circus clown tradition developed out of earlier comedic roles in theatre or Varieté shows during
760-414: A child) ) or deikeliktas , besides other generic terms for rustic or peasant . In Roman theater, a term for clown was fossor , literally digger; labourer . The English word clown was first recorded c. 1560 (as clowne, cloyne ) in the generic meaning rustic, boor, peasant . The origin of the word is uncertain, perhaps from a Scandinavian word cognate with clumsy . It is in this sense that Clown
836-423: A clown and perform their skills in clown costume. Frameworks are the general outline of an act that clowns use to help them build out an act. Frameworks can be loose, including only a general beginning and ending to the act, leaving it up to the clown's creativity to fill in the rest, or at the other extreme a fully developed script that allows very little room for creativity. Shows are the overall production that
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#1732845241688912-399: A clown is a part of, it may or may not include elements other than clowning, such as in a circus show. In a circus context, clown shows are typically made up of some combination of entrées, side dishes, clown stops, track gags, gags and bits . Clown Stops or interludes are the brief appearances of clowns in a circus while the props and rigging are changed. These are typically made up of
988-455: A derivation from barathrum , because they, so to speak, carried their jesting to market, even into the very depth ( barathrum ) of the shambles ( barathrum macelli ) Balatro may be connected with balare , "to bleat like a sheep", and hence, to speak sillily. Others have suggested a connection with blatero , a busy-body. In ancient times, other cultures, such as the Aztecs and
1064-476: A diverse tradition with significant variations in costume and performance. The most recognisable clowns are those that commonly perform in the circus, characterized by colorful wigs, red noses, and oversized shoes. However, clowns have also played roles in theater and folklore, like the court jesters of the Middle Ages and the jesters and ritual clowns of various indigenous cultures . Their performances can elicit
1140-425: A few gags or several bits . Clown stops will always have a beginning, a middle, and an end to them, invariably culminating in a blow-off. These are also called reprises or run-ins by many, and in today's circus they are an art form in themselves. Originally they were bits of business usually parodying the preceding act. If for instance there had been a tightrope walker the reprise would involve two chairs with
1216-414: A high level of risk and play in the performer. In anthropology, the term clown has been extended to comparable jester or fool characters in non-Western cultures. A society in which such clowns have an important position are termed clown societies , and a clown character involved in a religious or ritual capacity is known as a ritual clown . Many native tribes have a history of clowning, such as
1292-560: A historical symbol for Poles. In 2004 English Heritage appointed Nigel Roder ("Kester the Jester") as the State Jester for England, the first since Muckle John 355 years previously. However, following an objection by the National Guild of Jesters, English Heritage accepted they were not authorised to grant such a title. Roder was succeeded as "Heritage Jester" by Pete Cooper ("Peterkin
1368-567: A jester called Archibald Armstrong . During his lifetime Armstrong was given great honours at court. He was eventually thrown out of the King's employment when he over-reached and insulted too many influential people. Even after his disgrace, books telling of his jests were sold in London streets. He held some influence at court still in the reign of Charles I and estates of land in Ireland . Anne of Denmark had
1444-453: A piece of rope between and the clown trying to imitate the artiste by trying to walk between them, with the resulting falls and cascades bringing laughter from the audience. Today, interludes are far more complex, and in many modern shows the clowning is a thread that links the whole show together. Among the more well-known clown stunts are: squirting flower; the too-many-clowns-coming-out-of-a-tiny-car stunt; doing just about anything with
1520-499: A precedent in the pairing of Pierrot and Harlequin in the Commedia dell'arte . Originally, Harlequin's role was that of a light-hearted, nimble and astute servant, paired with the sterner and melancholic Pierrot. In the 18th-century English Harlequinade , Harlequin was now paired with Clown. As developed by Joseph Grimaldi around 1800, Clown became the mischievous and brutish foil for the more sophisticated Harlequin, who became more of
1596-487: A range of emotions, from humor and laughter to fear and discomfort, reflecting complex societal and psychological dimensions. Through the centuries, clowns have continued to play significant roles in society, evolving alongside changing cultural norms and artistic expressions. The most ancient clowns have been found in the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt , around 2400 BC. Unlike court jesters , clowns have traditionally served
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#17328452416881672-453: A red nose and red mouth, often with partial (mostly red) hair. In the comedic partnership of Abbott and Costello , Bud Abbot would have been the classic whiteface and Lou Costello the comedy whiteface or Auguste. Traditionally, the whiteface clown uses clown white makeup to cover the entire face and neck, leaving none of the underlying natural skin visible. In the European whiteface makeup,
1748-686: A romantic character. The most influential such pair in Victorian England were the Payne Brothers, active during the 1860s and 1870s. The white clown , or clown blanc in French, is a sophisticated character, as opposed to the clumsy Auguste. The two types are also distinguished as the sad clown (blanc) and happy clown (Auguste). The Auguste face base makeup color is a variation of pink, red, or tan rather than white. Features are exaggerated in size, and are typically red and black in color. The mouth
1824-562: A sentimental image of the clown; writers reproduce that sentimentality in the jester, and academics in the Trickster", but it "falters as analysis". Jesters could also give bad news to the King that no one else would dare deliver. In 1340, when the French fleet was destroyed at the Battle of Sluys by the English, Phillippe VI 's jester told him the English sailors "don't even have the guts to jump into
1900-468: A socio-religious and psychological role, and traditionally the roles of priest and clown have been held by the same persons. Peter Berger writes, "It seems plausible that folly and fools, like religion and magic, meet some deeply rooted needs in human society." For this reason, clowning is often considered an important part of training as a physical performance discipline, partly because tricky subject matter can be dealt with, but also because it requires
1976-578: A tragicomic stock character, "a funny man with a drinking problem". In the United States, Bozo the Clown was an influential Auguste character since the late 1950s. The Bozo Show premiered in 1960 and appeared nationally on cable television in 1978. McDonald's derived its mascot clown, Ronald McDonald , from the Bozo character in the 1960s. Willard Scott , who had played Bozo during 1959–1962, performed as
2052-511: Is attitude . According to American circus expert Hovey Burgess , they are: The World Clown Association is a worldwide organization for clowns, jugglers, magicians, and face painters. It holds an annual convention, mainly in the United States. Clowns of America International is a Minnesota-based non-profit clown arts membership organization which aims "to share, educate, and act as a gathering place for serious minded amateurs, semiprofessionals, and professional clowns". Clowns International
2128-459: Is a British clowning organisation dating back to the 1940s. It is responsible for the Clown Egg Register . In the circus, a clown might perform other circus roles or skills. Clowns may perform such skills as tightrope , juggling , unicycling , Master of Ceremonies , or ride an animal. Clowns may also "sit in" with the orchestra . Other circus performers may also temporarily stand in for
2204-581: Is a card of the Major Arcana . The tarot depiction of the Fool often shows a man (or less often, a woman) dressed in bright clothes and holding a white rose in one hand and a small bundle of possessions in the other, with a dog or cat at their heels. The fool is in the act of unknowingly walking off the edge of a cliff, precipice, or other high place. In a similar vein, a buffoon is someone who provides amusement through inappropriate appearance or behaviour. Originally
2280-470: Is actually in or on a barrel. In Limburg they are named "buuttereedner" or "buutteredner" and in Zeeland they are called an "ouwoer". They all perform a cabaret speech in dialect, during which many current issues are reviewed. Often there are local situations and celebrities from local and regional politics who are mocked, ridiculed and insulted. The "Tonpraoter" or "Buuttereedner" may be considered successors of
2356-581: Is derived from the Pierrot character. His makeup is white, usually with facial features such as eyebrows emphasized in black. He is the more intelligent and sophisticated clown, contrasting with the rude or grotesque Auguste types. Francesco Caroli and Glenn "Frosty" Little are examples of this type. The second type of whiteface is the buffoonish clown of the Bozo type, known as Comedy or Grotesque Whiteface . This type has grotesquely emphasized features, especially
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2432-504: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Clown A clown is a person who performs physical comedy and arts in an open-ended fashion , typically while wearing distinct makeup or costuming and reversing folkway-norms . The art of performing as a clown is known as clowning or buffoonery , and the term "clown" may be used synonymously with predecessors like jester , joker , buffoon , fool , or harlequin . Clowns have
2508-487: Is thickly outlined with white (called the muzzle) as are the eyes. Appropriate to the character, the Auguste can be dressed in either well-fitted garb or a costume that does not fit – oversize or too small, either is appropriate. Bold colors, large prints or patterns, and suspenders often characterize Auguste costumes. The Auguste character-type is often an anarchist, a joker, or a fool. He is clever and has much lower status than
2584-537: Is used as the name of fool characters in Shakespeare's Othello and The Winter's Tale . The sense of clown as referring to a professional or habitual fool or jester developed soon after 1600, based on Elizabethan rustic fool characters such as Shakespeare's. The harlequinade developed in England in the 17th century, inspired by Arlecchino and the commedia dell'arte. It was here that Clown came into use as
2660-428: Is usually in the role of a fool whose everyday actions and tasks become extraordinary—and for whom the ridiculous, for a short while, becomes ordinary. This style of comedy has a long history in many countries and cultures across the world. Some writers have argued that due to the widespread use of such comedy and its long history it is a need that is part of the human condition. The modern clowning school of comedy in
2736-540: The Lord Chamberlain's Men (later called the King's Men ). Clowns and jesters were featured in Shakespeare's plays, and the company's expert on jesting was Robert Armin , author of the book Foole upon Foole . In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night , Feste the jester is described as "wise enough to play the fool". In Scotland, Mary, Queen of Scots , had a jester called Nichola . Her son, King James VI of Scotland , employed
2812-569: The Pueblo clown of the Kachina culture. A Heyoka is an individual in Lakota and Dakota cultures who lives outside the constraints of normal cultural roles, playing the role of a backwards clown by doing everything in reverse. The Heyoka role is sometimes best filled by a Winkte . Canadian First Nations also feature jester-like ritual performers, translated by one Anishinaabe activist as "Harlequins", though
2888-454: The evil clown character, with the attraction of clowns for small children being based in their fundamentally threatening or frightening nature. The fear of clowns, particularly circus clowns, has become known by the term "coulrophobia." There are different types of clowns portrayed around the world. They include The classical pairing of the White Clown with Auguste in modern tradition has
2964-565: The tramp or hobo . Examples include Marceline Orbes , who performed at the Hippodrome Theater (1905), Charlie Chaplin 's The Tramp (1914), and Emmett Kelly 's Weary Willie based on hobos of the Depression era. Another influential tramp character was played by Otto Griebling during the 1930s to 1950s. Red Skelton 's Dodo the Clown in The Clown (1953), depicts the circus clown as
3040-517: The 'ground' in the front by the stage) that frequented the Globe Theatre were more likely to be drawn to these Shakespearean fools. However they were also favoured by the nobility. Most notably, Queen Elizabeth I was a great admirer of the popular actor who portrayed fools, Richard Tarlton . For Shakespeare himself, however, actor Robert Armin may have proved vital to the cultivation of the fool character in his many plays. In tarot , " The Fool "
3116-647: The 16th century they fought alongside their lord in battle in addition to their other duties. Tonga was the first royal court to appoint a court jester in the 20th century; Taufa'ahau Tupou IV , the King of Tonga, appointed JD Bogdanoff to that role in 1999. Bogdanoff was later embroiled in a financial scandal. The root of the word "fool" is from the Latin follis , which means "bag of wind" or bellows or that which contains air or breath. The jester can be symbolic of common sense and of honesty, notably in King Lear , where
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3192-534: The 1800s. America's first great whiteface clown was stage star George "G.L." Fox . Inspired by Grimaldi, Fox popularised the Humpty Dumpty stories throughout the U.S. in the 1860s. The scary clown, also known as the evil clown or killer clown, is a subversion of the traditional comic clown character, in which the playful trope is instead depicted in a more disturbing nature through the use of horror elements and dark humor . The character can be seen as playing on
3268-448: The 1860s. Tom Belling senior (1843–1900) developed the red clown or Auguste ( Dummer August ) character c. 1870, acting as a foil for the more sophisticated white clown . Belling worked for Circus Renz in Vienna. Belling's costume became the template for the modern stock character of circus or children's clown, based on a lower class or hobo character, with red nose, white makeup around
3344-402: The 19th to mid 20th centuries. This recognizable character features outlandish costumes, distinctive makeup, colorful wigs, exaggerated footwear, and colorful clothing, with the style generally being designed to entertain large audiences. The first mainstream clown role was portrayed by Joseph Grimaldi (who also created the traditional whiteface make-up design). In the early 1800s, he expanded
3420-540: The 21st century diverged from white-face clown tradition, with more of an emphasis on personal vulnerability and heightened sexuality. The clown character developed out of the zanni rustic fool characters of the early modern commedia dell'arte , which were themselves directly based on the rustic fool characters of ancient Greek and Roman theatre . Rustic buffoon characters in Classical Greek theater were known as sklêro-paiktês (from paizein : to play (like
3496-593: The Catholic Church. In the introduction to his To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation , he calls himself a court jester, and, later in the text, he explicitly invokes the jester's privilege when saying that monks should break their chastity vows. Scholar David Carlyon has cast doubt on the "daring political jester", calling historical tales "apocryphal", and concluding that "popular culture embraces
3572-566: The Chinese, also employed cultural equivalents to the jester. Many royal courts throughout English royal history employed entertainers and most had professional fools, sometimes called "licensed fools". Entertainment included music , storytelling , and physical comedy . Fool Societies, or groups of nomadic entertainers, were often hired to perform acrobatics and juggling . Jesters were also occasionally used as psychological warfare . Jesters would ride in front of their troops, provoke or mock
3648-522: The Flying World at Sadler's Wells Theatre , where Grimaldi built the character up into the central figure of the harlequinade. The circus clown developed in the 19th century. The modern circus derives from Philip Astley 's London riding school, which opened in 1768. Astley added a clown to his shows to amuse the spectators between equestrian sequences. American comedian George L. Fox became known for his clown role, directly inspired by Grimaldi, in
3724-512: The Fool"). In Germany , Till Eulenspiegel is a folkloric hero dating back to medieval times and ruling each year over Fasching or Carnival time, mocking politicians and public figures of power and authority with political satire like a modern-day court jester. He holds a mirror to make us aware of our times ( Zeitgeist ), and his sceptre , his "bauble", or marotte , is the symbol of his power. In 17th century Spain , dwarves , often with deformities, were employed as buffoons to entertain
3800-508: The air and produce a noise which amused the spectators. Today, the jester is portrayed in different formats of medieval reenactment , Renaissance fairs , and entertainment , including film , stage performance, and carnivals . During the Burgundian and the Rhenish carnival , cabaret performances in local dialect are held. In Brabant this person is called a "tonpraoter" or "sauwelaar", and
3876-560: The clown creates a personal mythology that explores their personal experiences. "Grimaldi was the first recognizable ancestor of the modern clown, sort of the Homo erectus of clown evolution. Before him, a clown may have worn make-up, but it was usually just a bit of rouge on the cheeks to heighten the sense of them being florid, funny drunks or rustic yokels. Grimaldi, however, suited up in bizarre, colorful costumes, stark white face paint punctuated by spots of bright red on his cheeks and topped with
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#17328452416883952-415: The common word balatro from the proper name, suggesting that buffoons were called balatrones because Servilius Balatro was a buffoon, though others have since objected to this account. Festus derives the word from blatea , and supposes buffoons to have been called balatrones because they were dirty fellows, covered with spots of mud ( blateae ) from walking. Another writer suggests
4028-405: The court jester is a character used for insight and advice on the part of the monarch, taking advantage of his licence to mock and speak freely to dispense frank observations and highlight the folly of his monarch. This presents a clashing irony as a greater man could dispense the same advice and find himself being detained in the dungeons or even executed. Only as the lowliest member of the court can
4104-533: The definition of a character clown. The character clown makeup is a comic slant on the standard human face. Their makeup starts with a flesh tone base and may make use of anything from glasses, mustaches and beards to freckles, warts, big ears or strange haircuts. The most prevalent character clown in the American circus is the hobo , tramp or bum clown. There are subtle differences in the American character clown types. The primary differences among these clown types
4180-579: The discipline continues into the modern day, where jesters perform at historical-themed events. During the post-classical and Renaissance eras, jesters are often thought to have worn brightly coloured clothes and eccentric hats in a motley pattern. Their modern counterparts usually mimic this costume. Jesters entertained with a wide variety of skills: principal among them were song, music, and storytelling , but many also employed acrobatics , juggling , telling jokes (such as puns , stereotypes , and imitation ), and performing magic tricks . Much of
4256-429: The ears are painted red. Whiteface makeup was originally designed by Joseph Grimaldi in 1801. He began by painting a white base over his face, neck and chest before adding red triangles on the cheeks, thick eyebrows and large red lips set in a mischievous grin. Grimaldi's design is used by many modern clowns. According to Grimaldi's biographer Andrew McConnell Stott, it was one of the most important theatrical designs of
4332-407: The enemy, and even serve as messengers. They played an important part in raising their own army's spirits by singing songs and reciting stories. Henry VIII of England employed a jester named Will Sommers . His daughter Mary was entertained by Jane Foole . During the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I of England , William Shakespeare wrote his plays and performed with his theatre company
4408-676: The entertainment was performed in a comic style. Many jesters made contemporary jokes in word or song about people or events well known to their audiences. The modern use of the English word jester did not come into use until the mid-16th century, during Tudor times. This modern term derives from the older form gestour , or jestour , originally from French meaning 'storyteller' or ' minstrel '. Other earlier terms included fol , disour , buffoon , and bourder . These terms described entertainers who differed in their skills and performances but who all shared many similarities in their role as comedic performers for their audiences. In ancient Rome ,
4484-435: The exact nature of their role is kept secret from non-members of the tribe into the present day. The Canadian clowning method developed by Richard Pochinko and furthered by his former apprentice, Sue Morrison, combines European and Native American clowning techniques. In this tradition, masks are made of clay while the creator's eyes are closed. A mask is made for each direction of the medicine wheel . During this process,
4560-619: The eyes and mouth, and oversized clothes and shoes. The clown character as developed by the late 19th century is reflected in Ruggero Leoncavallo 's 1892 opera Pagliacci ( Clowns ). Belling's Auguste character was further popularized by Nicolai Poliakoff 's Coco in the 1920s to 1930s. The English word clown was borrowed, along with the circus clown act, by many other languages, such as French clown , Russian (and other Slavic languages) кло́ун, Greek κλόουν, Danish/Norwegian klovn , Romanian clovn etc. Italian retains Pagliaccio ,
4636-454: The form of a clown, named "Pennywise", and then assuming the shape of whatever the victim fears the most. The character clown adopts an eccentric character of some type, such as a butcher, a baker, a policeman, a housewife or hobo . Prime examples of this type of clown are the circus tramps Otto Griebling and Emmett Kelly . Red Skelton , Harold Lloyd , Buster Keaton , Charlie Chaplin , Rowan Atkinson and Sacha Baron Cohen would all fit
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#17328452416884712-500: The given name of a stock character. Originally a foil for Harlequin's slyness and adroit nature, Clown was a buffoon or bumpkin fool who resembled less a jester than a comical idiot. He was a lower class character dressed in tattered servants' garb. The now-classical features of the clown character were developed in the early 1800s by Joseph Grimaldi , who played Clown in Charles Dibdin's 1800 pantomime Peter Wilkins: or Harlequin in
4788-510: The jester be the monarch's most useful adviser. The Shakespearean fool is a recurring character type in the works of William Shakespeare . Shakespearean fools are usually clever peasants or commoners that use their wits to outdo people of higher social standing. In this sense, they are very similar to the real fools , and jesters of the time, but their characteristics are greatly heightened for theatrical effect. The "groundlings" (theatre-goers who were too poor to pay for seats and thus stood on
4864-460: The king and his family, especially the children. In Velázquez 's painting Las Meninas two dwarfs are included: Maria Bárbola , a female dwarf from Germany with hydrocephalus , and Nicolasito Portusato from Italy . Mari Bárbola can also be seen in a later portrait of princess Margarita Teresa in mourning by Juan Bautista Martinez del Mazo . There are other paintings by Velázquez that include court dwarves such as Prince Balthasar Charles With
4940-533: The mascot in 1963 television spots. The McDonald's trademark application for the character dates to 1967. Based on the Bozo template, the US custom of birthday clown, private contractors who offer to perform as clowns at children's parties, developed in the 1960s to 1970s. The strong association of the ( Bozo -derived) clown character with children's entertainment as it has developed since the 1960s also gave rise to Clown Care or hospital clowning in children's hospitals by
5016-454: The mid-1980s. Clowns of America International (established 1984) and World Clown Association (established 1987) are associations of semi-professionals and professional performers. The shift of the Auguste or red clown character from his role as a foil for the white in circus or pantomime shows to a Bozo -derived standalone character in children's entertainment by the 1980s also gave rise to
5092-466: The most prominent without penalty" (12 February 1668). In the 18th century, jesters had died out except in Russia , Spain , and Germany . In France and Italy , travelling groups of jesters performed plays featuring stylised characters in a form of theatre called the commedia dell'arte . A version of this passed into British folk tradition in the form of a puppet show, Punch and Judy . In France
5168-509: The role of Clown in the harlequinade that formed part of British pantomimes , notably at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and the Sadler's Wells and Covent Garden theatres. He became so dominant on the London comic stage that harlequinade Clowns became known as "Joey", and both the nickname and Grimaldi's whiteface make-up design are still used by other clowns. The comedy that clowns perform
5244-496: The role of the mediator between the white clown and the Auguste character. He has a lower status than the white clown but a higher status than the Auguste. He aspires to be more like the white clown and often mimics everything the white clown does to try to gain approval. If there is a contra-auguste character, he often is instructed by the whiteface to correct the Auguste when he is doing something wrong. There are two major types of clowns with whiteface makeup: The classic white clown
5320-415: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title The Clown . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Clown&oldid=1089179731 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
5396-525: The sense of unease felt by those with coulrophobia, the fear of clowns. The modern archetype of the evil clown was popularized by DC Comics character the Joker starting in 1940 and again by Pennywise in Stephen King 's novel It , which introduced the fear of an evil clown to a modern audience. In the novel, the eponymous character is a pan-dimensional monster which feeds mainly on children by luring them in
5472-451: The term was used to describe a ridiculous but amusing person. The term is now frequently used in a derogatory sense to describe someone considered foolish, or someone displaying inappropriately vulgar, bumbling or ridiculous behaviour which is a source of general amusement. The term originates from the old Italian "buffare", meaning to puff out one's cheeks that also applies to bouffon . Having swelled their cheeks they would slap them to expel
5548-554: The tradition of the court jester ended with the abolition of the monarchy in the French Revolution . In 2015, the town of Conwy in North Wales appointed Russel Erwood (aka Erwyd le Fol) as the official resident jester of the town and its people, a post that had been vacant since 1295. Poland 's most famous court jester was Stańczyk ( c . 1480–1560), whose jokes were usually related to political matters, and who later became
5624-482: The water like our brave French". After the Restoration , Charles II did not reinstate the tradition of the court jester, but he did greatly patronise the theatre and proto- music hall entertainments, especially favouring the work of Thomas Killigrew . Though Killigrew was not officially a jester, Samuel Pepys in his famous diary does call Killigrew "The King's fool and jester, with the power to mock and revile even
5700-425: The whiteface. Classically the whiteface character instructs the Auguste character to perform his bidding. The Auguste has a hard time performing a given task, which leads to funny situations. Sometimes the Auguste plays the role of an anarchist and purposefully has trouble following the whiteface's directions. Sometimes the Auguste is confused or is foolish and makes errors less deliberately. The contra-auguste plays
5776-472: Was called Muckle John. Jester's privilege is the ability and right of a jester to talk and mock freely without being punished. As an acknowledgement of this right, the court jester had symbols denoting their status and protection under the law. The crown ( cap and bells ) and sceptre ( marotte ) mirrored the royal crown and sceptre wielded by a monarch. Martin Luther used jest in many of his criticisms against
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