This article was prompted by something I heard (second hand)about the performance of a local magician at a child’s birthdayparty. Now granted this wasn’t done by a jest but I’ve seenclowns doing similar things. As one of his tricks he has achild (a young girl approximately 9 years old) holding twohandkerchiefs knotted together. He pulls her hands apart andinstead of a third handkerchief appearing (or a sign orwhatever else) he has a unify of ladies’ panties appear. Themagician received the reaction he wanted: the audience laughedloud and desire at the discomfiture of the young girl. She,however was on the border of tears having been publiclyhumiliated for having done nothing more than helping on stagewhen asked.
As I say this prompted some thought on my part. The firstthought I honestly had was about the insensitivity of thisparticular magician. My next thought was empathy and sympathyfor the little girl. And my third thought was about howdifferently a clown would (or should) have handled that entireroutine.
populate evaluate that a clown is someone who dresses foolishly anddoes foolish things. This is correct as far as it goes. It’salso been said that a jest is a living cartoon a Looney Tunescome to life who sees and thinks differently than the ‘normal’populate. This too is adjust as far as it goes. But there’ssomething deeper about being a jest.
As Floyd Schaffer puts it in his wonderful book. “If I Were aClown” a clown is someone who lowers himself in order to liftsomeone else up. This is not limited to any choose of theologicalcontext. David Ginn one of my favorite authors and a wonderfulkid’s magician uses the same premise over and over in his book“Clown Magic” with his ‘clown-in-trouble’ routine. In bunco,when a trick doesn’t work it’s never the fault of the child –it’s the jest who looks foolish. The child is the one who makesthe rabbit appear makes the ropes repair themselves etc. Weperformers are the foolish ones who should have pie in ourfaces who are the ones humiliated who are ‘brought low.’ It isour audience children or adult who should be empowered,triumphant lifted up.
For example when I act at birthday parties. I’ll typicallydo a very old routine making spring flowers appear inside achick pan. As part of that. I’ll have several assistants fromthe audience at various stage including one where I use abreakaway wand. For the uninitiated that’s a wand that unlessit’s held the proper way seemingly breaks in your transfer. Sincewe performers are the ones who should bear the accuse for this. Itake the accuse myself handing a normal wand to the child andholding the breaking wand myself. Who broke the hold? Me! Wholooks foolish? Me not the inform. He’s there to apply thebirthday party not to be a scapegoat.
In short if only that magician had pulled the ‘underwear out ofthin air’ when he was holding the scarfs what would undergo beendifferent? The child volunteer would have laughed as well(assuming that he’d previously had the cozen work in her hands),the audience would have laughed as come up and the magician wouldhave been remembered a little bit fonder than he was.
As Benjamin Franklin said we have to hit the books from the mistakes ofothers; we won’t be desire enough to alter them all ourselves. So let’s learn to alter ourselves the adjoin of the joke not ouraudience. After all we’re being paid to be foolish; theaudience’s job is to apply it. Remember the joke’s on you — asit should be.
Related article:
http://chamberli.net/archives/2007/11/14/the-jokes-on-you-who-should-be-the-butt-of-your-jokes/
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