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Where does the word "clown" come from? -

The word "clown" has gone through many different changes over the centuries, from the Old English cloyne and all the way back to its supposed origins, the Icelandic word klunni, which is used to describe someone who is clumsy.

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Shakespearean clowns -

Some of the first clowns as we know them today appeared in the 16th century, and some were actually employed by William Shakespeare. Among them was the great William Kempe (pictured), who appeared in many of Shakespeare's earlier comedies.

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Mr. Merryman -

Clowns became associated with the circus right from the start. Philip Astley, credited for organizing the first proper circus in 1768, used foolish, oafish characters to fill in the spaces between the event's main attractions. However, it wasn't until decades later that clowns would become more than a sideshow.

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Joseph Grimaldi: The first circus clown superstar -

At the turn of the 19th century, an Englishman named Joseph Grimaldi, born in 1778 to a family of performers, revolutionized and popularized the clown performance.

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Joseph Grimaldi: The first circus clown superstar -

Grimaldi's clown character became one of the most popular acts in the circuses and variety shows of London. He was the first to introduce the face paint that is still used to this day, as well as numerous gags and catchphrases that have become staples in any clown's repertoire. He is widely considered to be the godfather of the modern clown.

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Joeys -

Even Grimaldi's character name, Joey, has been adopted by clowns all over the world. "Joey" is now the unofficial term for pantomime clowns who perform in the same vein and style as Grimaldi.

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Pierrot the pantomime clown -

A few years after Grimaldi breathed life into the art of clowning, a French performer named Jean-Gaspard Deburau did the same for pantomime. Assuming the archetypal character of Pierrot, Deburau popularized and virtually perfected the art of the silent pantomime.

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Clowns International -

Started in 1947, Clowns International is something like a worldwide clown union. The organization helps clowns network, find work, and trade industry knowledge.

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The great clown convention -

Every year, members of Clowns International gather in London to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Grimaldi on the first Sunday in February. After attending a church service in full costume, the clowns make their way to Grimaldi's grave to pay their respects and perform for audiences for free.

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The eight clown commandments -

While certainly these rules weren't always followed, the Clowns of America International penned an official clown code of ethics that they expect all clowns to follow.

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The eight clown commandments -

Some of these "clown commandments" remind performers that they're meant to be the butt of all their jokes, and to never joke at the expense of others. Others implore clowns to get out of costume as quickly as possible after a performance, so that any unsightly or inappropriate situation they might find themselves in later on won't tarnish the image of the clown.

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The differences between clowns and jesters -

While the two may seem closely related, there are numerous and important differences between these two types of performers. Most importantly, clowns, as stated in the eight clown commandments, make fun of themselves, while jesters primarily poke fun at their audiences.

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Evetta Matthews -

While not the "first" or "only" lady clown in history as the advertisements of the time claimed, Evetta Matthews certainly made waves when she was given the spotlight in the legendary Barnum & Bailey circus. During interviews, Matthews would explain that while she was sometimes met with resistance in the male-dominated profession, her choice to become a clown gave her more creative freedom and subjected her to far less objectification than she would have experienced in other, more traditionally female-led circus performances.

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Charlie Rivel -

Another heroic figure in the clowning pantheon is Charlie Rivel, who led the longest clowning career on record. Giving his first performance at the age of three, Rivel remained committed to the bit for 82 years, before retiring in 1981 at the age of 85.

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The golden age of the American clown -

Clowns took the United States by storm in the 1960s, when they became the poster figures of good, clean fun. Clowns dominated children's television for years and years, until the trope of the killer clown ruined the fun for everyone.

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Clarabell the Clown -

Clarabell the Clown was one of the most famous television clowns of the 1960s, acting as the trusty, mute sidekick to Howdy Doody on their television show filmed live before an audience of children.

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Bozo the Clown -

No clown in modern memory, however, can hold a candle to Bozo the Clown. Bozo became an international superstar, with numerous local television programs with multiple performers donning his trademark hairstyle and makeup.

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International Clown Week -

After being pressured by the Clown Club of America for years, President Richard Nixon finally declared the first week of August to be International Clown Week.

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Coulrophobia -

Despite their cheerful beginnings, clowns aren't exactly universally loved these days. In fact, many people in the world are downright terrified of clowns, and suffer from a condition called coulrophobia.

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Is there a reason for coulrophobia? -

While society is partly to blame for coulrophobia, what with its obsession with killer clowns in film, TV, and literature, psychologists believe there are other factors involved as well. Some experts say that the use of painted-on masks that hide the performer's true intentions and emotions makes us inherently uneasy, and this uneasiness can be amplified into terror in people who suffer from coulrophobia.

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The birth of the killer clown trope -

The first story of clowns-gone-crazy was an Italian opera called 'Pagliacci.' First performed in Milan in 1892, it tells the tragic story of a clown named Canio who, driven by madness and jealousy, murders his wife and her lover on stage during a performance.

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John Wayne Gacy -

The terrifying legacy of John Wayne Gacy shook the United States to its core and effectively ended the national obsession with clowns. Gacy, who murdered no less than 33 young boys and men, worked as a party clown under the moniker Pogo.

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The Boston clown scare -

In 1981, the city of Boston went through a weeks-long period of terror after numerous schoolchildren reported people dressed as clowns in various parks around the city trying to lure the children into vans and secluded areas. Eventually, the police realized not a single report had come from an adult, and the whole ordeal was written off as a hoax.

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2016: Year of the killer clown -

The image of the clown struck fear into the hearts of people around the world once more in 2016. In a still largely unexplained phenomenon that has been called everything from a conspiracy to a case of mass hysteria, dozens if not hundreds of reports popped up across the globe of clowns hiding in the woods, lurking around schools, and trying to lure people into dangerous situations.

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Real clown crimes -

While most of these creepy clowns seemed content with mind games, others took it further. A woman in the United Kingdom in November 2016 was stabbed in the leg through her mail slot by someone in full clown costume.

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The phantom clown theory -

One cryptozoologist, Loren Coleman, explains all of the clown scares in recent years with her "phantom clown theory," which argues that since the days of Gacy the shared terror of clowns that has become so pervasive in modern society caused intermittent bursts of clown-focused mass hysteria.

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An honest living -

All of these scares have been bad news for the cheerful, hardworking performers who have kept the tradition of clowning alive for centuries. Once a staple of children's entertainment, from television shows to backyard birthdays, real clowns are finding work hard to come by.

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A shortage of clowns -

As circuses fall into obsolescence just as quickly as clowns, there simply aren't as many people interested in pursuing clowning as a career. In 2016, the World Clown Association reported membership was down 28% compared to 2004.

Sources: (Mental Floss) (Clowns International) (List25)

See also: Come one, come all! Discover the evolution of the circus

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