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Stop Being Afraid of Clowns and Love Them Instead

Our fear of clowns has nothing to do with real clowns.
Image: Clowns Without Borders

Imagine a refugee camp in Greece, teeming with families from Syria and Iraq as they struggle to figure out their next meals, their next steps, their next home. And then this: three clowns walk through the gates. Just a little bit of makeup and some exaggerated movements, and they're singing "Yallah, yallah, yallah!" "Come on!" in Arabic.

The clowns, from a non-profit called Clowns Without Borders, make their way through the tents and to the top of the hill. By now the kids are on board, and the adults are at least curious. And when the show starts, it's not about the clowns at all. It's about the kids—their reactions, their performance, their magic.

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Clowns Without Borders interacting with children at a refugee camp in Greece. Image: Clowns Without Borders

In recent headlines and conversations, clowns have become a thing of fear. We think of the epidemic of pranksters across the United States right now, wearing whiteface and lipstick, wielding knives and scaring children and adults alike. Or we think of movies where the most clown-like creatures—Joker, for instance—are not a source of joy, but carnivorous menaces.

But real clowns, the kind that make us laugh and make jokes—sometimes at things that seems too dark to handle in reality—have had a place in our lives that spans centuries and cultures. And their silly, outrageous comedy has been relevant from 16th century Greek theater to the 2016 refugee camp in Greece.

"There will always be a safe way to identify what's wrong in the world, and the safest, most palatable way will always be through humor, like that of the clown," said Nathan Carver, who has performed as a clown with different groups, including the Ringling Brothers Circus.

Nathan Carver's certificate from clown college. Image: Nathan Carver

Clowns have always had a bit of a dark side, as Smithsonian magazine points out, usually in the context of mischief, but they were rarely malicious. And the art of clowning is not something that they do as a prank, or an impulse. It's usually learned through theater and clowning programs that draw on different styles and eras of comedy.

Carver pointed to Joseph Grimaldi, the famed 18th century clown from England. Grimaldi and most clowns of that time were able to poke fun directly at the monarchs and aristocracy without fear of consequences. The white makeup that we've come to associate with clowning, for example, was meant to parody the pale skin of the rich, untouched by the sun and outdoor labor.

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Nowadays, that same makeup, with the dark shadows and reflections it attracts, inspires fear as much as laughs, Carver said. And it's taking a toll on the real clowns, who just want to hear a laugh at the end of their gags. "It's a complete violation of that level of trust," Carver said.

Carver and his wife. Video: Nathan Carver

Luckily, our fear of clowns seems to be restricted to our jittery continent. Across the world, audiences still enjoy the red nose and pantomiming and big shoes of birthday party lore. And since clowning doesn't always require words, the humor can be universal.

"Everyone thinks falling is funny, everyone thinks dramatic dying is funny," said Molly Levine, director of Clowns Without Borders.

The nature of their work allows the organization's clowns to go anywhere they're invited to make people laugh. The goal, Levine said, is not to provide any charity or help, but to share laughter and empowerment in the places that need it most. And while the performance is different each time, the core strategy remains the same: make it about the kids.

Clowns Without Borders in El Salvador. Image: Clowns Without Borders

"They do this funny thing, they get to be a hero. You can tell they're going to go home and go to sleep and think of this as a great moment of triumph, instead of thinking about the military or whatever stress they're going through," Levine said.

We live in a time where fear can be propelled across the country through a tweet, but it's clear that comedy is carrying us through what can seem like a daily apocalypse. For this, we should pay attention to real clowns, not the creepy people of the world looking for cheap thrills.

"Clowning goes beyond anything of the political nature to recognize that life is hard—the cost of butter goes up, there's worries about how your children are being raised," Carver said. "But it's a reminder that life is happy, that your love for each other is worth it."

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