|
|
Go to page [Previous] 1~2~3 [Next] | ||||||||||
The Mighty Fool Inner circle I feel like a big-top tent having 2140 Posts |
*reading the article*
Wow! Now THAT'S what I call a 'slow-news-day'! One thing the article failed to mention and was uh, somewhat aluded to by Starpower & Mary in here, was the creepy-factor. Between IT, the Joker, John Wayne Gacy, and LOTS of other examples I wont go over, the whole image of clowns has really gotten disturbing. That's just in the U.S. though. Clowns remain hugely popular in Latin-America & Singapore(?!) and theyre still well-recieved in Canada.
Everybody wants to beleive.....we just help them along.
|
|||||||||
Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
Not to mention the scary clown masks that pop up every Halloween. Insane Clown Posse. Attack of the Killer Clowns. Shakes the Clown. At least when they put magicians in movies as psycho killers they are generally portrayed as clever and intelligent.
I'm not sure the article was referring so much to party and parade clowns as much as circus clowns. I don't know if clowns make that distinction, but I do. |
|||||||||
danfreed Inner circle West Chester PA 1354 Posts |
One big problem is that, from what I've seen, very very few clowns outside of the circus are actually funny. And, from what I've seen, most people are so used to seeing clowns that aren't funny, that when they think about booking a clown they don't really expect them to be funny. They expect them to do balloons or face painting, etc., but don't really expect them to be funny. There are plenty of booring unfunny magicians, but compared to clowns, magicians are much funnier and more entertaining. I used to do clowning and was a booking agent and booked clowns for 10 years, though my experience is mostly from the 2 cities I worked in. Maybe it's different elsewhere. There is less reason to book a clown now because so many people do the same activities.
Dan Freed
AKA The Amazing Spaghetti https://www.magiciandanfreed.com/birthday-party-magician-for-kids http://thecaricatureartist.com http://danieljayfreed.com |
|||||||||
Mr. Pitts Inner circle David Pitts 1058 Posts |
What Skip said is true, there's been a general decline in membership of most types of organizations, and that's the main source for the numbers cited in the article. But what Dan and others are saying about negative perception of clowns these days is true also. That is definitely taking a toll on young people wanting to become clowns these days. Magicians don't have near the examples of negative stereotypes in popular media. The scary clown has become stock in trade for a lot of hack writers. Also true is that many clowns of the local amateur variety rely more on balloons and face painting than comedy, which lowers expectations and perceived value.
When I first started performing as a clown in the early '70s, Ringling's Clown College was still new. They were producing energetic young clowns, and that, in combination with the New Circus and New Vaudeville movements in the '70s, generated a sort of a hipness to clowning at that time. Shields and Yarnell, Robin Williams etc.. had this street mime kind of thing going on and they were good at it, very funny. A lot of that energy still exists in the art, but you'll find it in artists that the general public don't really always understand to be clowns. I'm talking about guys like Avner the Eccentric, Charlie Frye, Bill Irwin and David Shiner. My own clown character evolved so far away from what most people understood to be a clown, toward a comedy magician and ventriloquist, that I found it helpful to invent a new clown character for myself. I wear very little make-up, but I do wear a nose, and I am clowny enough that all the Latina moms understand that I am a clown. As the Mighty Fool points out, in Latin America (which sort of includes San Antonio) clowns are still popular. About a third of my shows come from my clown site http://www.sanantonioclown.com One last thing... I have always found it interesting, (and annoying) that John Wayne Gacy always comes up in discussions of clowns. John Wayne Gacy was a construction contractor. He actually attracted some of his victims through that business. He'd invite these young guys over with the promise of a job and then they'd never be heard from again. He did some amateur clowning (and he was an awful looking clown, geez, I wouldn't even call it a clown...) but he didn't attract ANY of his victims through his clowning. None. His victims weren't little kids, they were young men. Yet you never hear anybody say "Man, contractors, they really freak me out, have you ever heard of John Wayne Gacy? He was a contractor. Creepy" |
|||||||||
Jeff Haas Special user 929 Posts |
The portrayal of clowns in movies has been scary for a long time now. Some examples...
- Three guys want to rob a bank. What do they do? Pick up their guns and put on clown masks. - There's a serial killer on the loose. What does he disguise himself as? A clown. - The Joker in "The Dark Knight." It's almost as common as showing Santa Claus drunk. |
|||||||||
pbj100 Special user 516 Posts |
Quote:
On 2014-02-18 22:18, Mary Mowder wrote: Mary, I think this extends way past Magic clubs I think members of the Café are often guilty of this too. Often when people are honest they get chastised or posts removed . phil |
|||||||||
Dynamike Eternal Order FullTimer 24148 Posts |
Quote:
On 2014-02-19 05:03, pbj100 wrote: I wonder why so many members' post are removed because they do not follow the rules. |
|||||||||
pbj100 Special user 516 Posts |
Maybe then the rules prevent people from being honest and incourage the type of thing Mary talks about
Phil |
|||||||||
Dynamike Eternal Order FullTimer 24148 Posts |
Being honest has nothing to do with it. You are mixing apples and oranges. It is about deleting so many post leading to controversy. Someone can start an honest topic leading what they believe about how their religion relates to magic. Others will be honest disagreeing with that person starting a quarrel. Steve Brooks listed the rules on The Magic Café in a manner to prevent fighting, being honest or not. If the rules were you can post anything you want as long as you are honest, there would be far more arguments that way.
James had a website forum letting you post whatever you want to post. People were being honest, there were many fighting and banning. Many members left his website forum. His forum is now down. I seen other website forums giving similar rules. Guess what?, the members are low. Genii and The Magic Bunny have rules similar to The Magic Café. Those are the 3 most populated website forums. I also noticed members posting lies to enhance themselves towards others members. Even though those post are untrue, it leads to less fighting. There have been members posting something to harass/irritate another member. Their excuse is, "I'm honest." or "What about free speech?" The mods have just as much right of deleting those post to stop or prevent the fighting. Steve Brooks made the rules, not the members. I hate it when members think "Why can't the rules go MY way?" The best advice I can give those members is to put together their own website forum. P.S. I'm being honest. |
|||||||||
Dynamike Eternal Order FullTimer 24148 Posts |
Quote:
On 2014-02-19 05:03, pbj100 wrote: If those people would take a deep breath and think twice before posting, their post will not be removed or they will not have to be chastised. No one can hide "Rude," "Inappropriate," "Flaming" behind "Honesty." |
|||||||||
Skip Way Inner circle 3771 Posts |
There's a huge difference between honesty and being crass and superior. Expressing an opinion in a constructive, open minded manner benefits those willing to learn and grow. Doing so in a condescending, "I'm right, you suck" manner serves only the author's ego.
How you leave others feeling after an Experience with you becomes your Trademark.
Magic Youth Raleigh - RaleighMagicClub.org |
|||||||||
Dynamike Eternal Order FullTimer 24148 Posts |
Roger, we do not know how to thank you for your hundreds of helpful post you have contributed to us.
|
|||||||||
Skip Way Inner circle 3771 Posts |
Back at ya, Mike. It's been a pleasure to watch you grow here. Back, also, on topic ...
How you leave others feeling after an Experience with you becomes your Trademark.
Magic Youth Raleigh - RaleighMagicClub.org |
|||||||||
pbj100 Special user 516 Posts |
Quote:
On 2014-02-19 07:09, Skip Way wrote: Hi, I totaly agree with you. Dynamike, Are you right . It seems that people cannot take critism without spitting the dummy out. I am not that worried as I haven't had any of my posts deleted . But I have seen sincere critiques on here that have been removed phil |
|||||||||
Skip Way Inner circle 3771 Posts |
The ability of a fraternal order to adapt to its times (and appeal to new members) is the secret of success. Fraternities in the latter half of the 19th Century and early part of the 20th Century adapted to the needs of those times and grew. Alternatively, most fraternal orders in the latter half of the 20th Century and now into the 21st Century have failed to adapt to their times, and are declining.
Evolution and change is natural, and those fraternal orders that fail to evolve to fit their “climate” will continue to diminish, and in some cases, will become extinct. The list, sadly, numbers in the hundreds of American fraternal orders that flourished in the 19th and 20th Centuries, failed to adapt, and are now extinct. Clown and Magic Clubs used to be where we went to learn and rub shoulders with like-minded peers. We were fairly limited to the knowledge collected by the more experienced members in each club and even then, only that which these esteemed (and those who thought they should be esteemed) chose to share. Cliques were (are) common. But, they were all we had in the pre-Internet dark ages. We participated and took away whatever precious lessons we could muster. Today, we find this social and educational interaction on a world-wide scale. We can explore, partake, learn, contribute, support, and belittle to our hearts' content through the relative safety and anonymity of our living room. We attend when we like and leave when we're done - no more schedule issues. We can leave a Forum or online club when things become too boring, intense, or out of control and easily join another - or ten others - without fear of social stigma. So, why bother with the time and service demands, limitations, expenses, and social anxiety of a brick-and-mortar hometown club? Our local and national clubs need to change to overcome this competition. Club activities need to be more interactive, more educational, more social without being preachy, clique-driven, or political. Less business - More fun! Less attention to 'How things have always worked' and more towards what today's busy and electronic-driven member wants. I quit Clowns of America, Inc. and World Clown Association years ago because - in my opinion - they were far more focused on pulling in the big dollars from beginner and hobby clowns than advancing the skills of their more senior and experienced members. Both clubs were - and from what I hear, are still - a desert wasteland for a skilled performer looking for growth. The clubs that refuse to adapt will continue to see their numbers and funding fall until they join their defunct peers. For an interesting read on this subject, I suggest the book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam.
How you leave others feeling after an Experience with you becomes your Trademark.
Magic Youth Raleigh - RaleighMagicClub.org |
|||||||||
pbj100 Special user 516 Posts |
Skip,
I was on roundtable for some time and they had a terribble time recruting in most areas strangely where I live it was not so much the case as rural areas seemed to strive . |
|||||||||
Skip Way Inner circle 3771 Posts |
I hear ya, Phil! According to Putnam, rural areas are the stronghold of American fraternal organizations. The relative sparseness of population and social activity nurtures the social need for such organizations. The Knights of Columbus are another organization that is steadily growing through its focused service to the Catholic Church. This emphasizes the point that fraternal orders must cater to the ever changing needs of their membership rather than focusing on their own outdated policies or steadfastly sticking to the pomp and rituals of the past.
How you leave others feeling after an Experience with you becomes your Trademark.
Magic Youth Raleigh - RaleighMagicClub.org |
|||||||||
harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
I haven't been to local meetings for a while.
Not because of the quality. I really like Ring 129. It just conflicts with a Church activity. As someone with a clown heart, without makeup, I am jazzed about the really good ones. Yes it takes more than white face, big shoes and showing up. It's been years since I gave up the Capezio ballet shoes and being a mime. It's a compliment when I get compared to some of the great old ones. (tooting his horn)..I was asked years ago to create a mime routine for Red Skelton's Pledge of Allegiance. He was to appear at the University of Nevada,Reno 4th of July Celebration. Biggest number at a gig..but it is not just at the large arenas we need to shine. It is in parades, homes and yes here on the Café. Thanks for those that work toward the solution. Not by holding folks down with Incredible pats on the back..but being real. Who at his last 2 gigs, went from brushing his teeth while Nigel Sang...to playing Amazing Grace on the harmonica..to being part of a reading of Corinthians 13 all in 5 minutes. Skelton could make us laugh, cry and think. How about you? with love brother Harris
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
|||||||||
thekidsmagician Regular user Bristol 118 Posts |
It's an interesting subject, as many magic clubs and societies are struggling to make themselves relevant to younger generations.
I run magic workshops for 9-11 year olds and over the last few years as I talk to them, I've noticed that most of them think that they'll be able to learn great magic from YouTube or other online sources. They (over here in the UK) watch people like Dynamo on TV and think that what he does is achievable in the real world with no set-up etc. Not one of them that I have spoken to has mentioned any desire to join a magic club. It seems absolutely irrelevant to them. It's sad that this is the case, but it's the reality. It is a problem everywhere now, not just in magic societies. The amateur dramatics group I belong to in Bristol is made of mainly of older, retired members. They are desperate to attract younger members but are really struggling to know how to engage them. Doing things the way they've always been done isn't going to work nowadays. Skip's post above hit the nail on the head. - Mike
Children's entertainer in Bristol - making children look AMAZING! - www.thekidsmagician.com
|
|||||||||
harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
I am currently mentoring a teen.
It is a blessing to work with him both on skills, ethics and communication. He likes it because he can talk with girls. Yes we are living in a microwave world. I want it now. insert random bird tweet..(done of course without moving my lips) Harris
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
|||||||||
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The little darlings » » Are Clowns the Canary in the Magician's Coal Mine? (0 Likes) | ||||||||||
Go to page [Previous] 1~2~3 [Next] |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.06 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |