SeptOct_2013

Clowning With A Message
A Challenge To All Alleys
by Merilyn Barrett
Clowns are always looking for new
and creative ways to market their clown.
Birthday parties, grand openings and
company picnics may be your norm but
what else can you offer? Have you stepped
outside the shadow of that big nose to see
how you can challenge yourself and grow
as a clown?
As seasoned clowns we know our
regimen of magic and entertainment,
our balloons and face painting skills are
honed to perhaps fill in our clowning.
Our clowning, as entertaining as it is,
becomes routine. Don’t get me wrong,
our customers want that routine. That is
why they request us year after year. In the
beginning of your clowning career that is
quite an achievement but there is much
more out there that challenges your ability
as a clown and contributes to society.
As a grandmother, I have become aware
of the challenges teachers, parents and
children face every day. As a clown, I feel
the clown world needs to recognize these
needs and to cultivate programs that cater
to these needs and in return offer solutions.
The three specific areas that we need to
address are bullying and cyber-bullying,
literacy issues, and sexting.
I am hoping that alleys will embrace
the idea of developing programs to be
presented to schools and libraries. Alleys
provide the best environment to develop
the programs because of the diversity that
makes up an alley.
Bullying and cyber-bullying are a major
cause of suicide for teens and tweens.
Bullying would be an easy skit to develop,
for example, whiteface clowns could
ridicule a tramp clown. An Auguste clown
could be the diffuser. There are many
websites about bullying that can be used to
research a skit.
Literacy is a growing concern. If we
could gather some of our storytellers to use
basic clown books to generate an interest
in clowning, perhaps include a makeup
and wardrobe presentation, I’m sure there
would be an overwhelming response. For
a recent assignment, my granddaughter
Page 20
was excited about taking a book and
designing a cereal box for her book report.
The “ingredients” were the characters,
the “nutrition value” was a plot summary
description and the name of the cereal was
a play on the name of the book. Combine
that with a presentation by either a Junior
Joey or an animated clown and watch the
enthusiasm grow. Acting out books and
reaching for goals on word count are just
more ways to encourage reading.
Sexting and abuse of social media are
also major concerns. The fact is, today’s
kids are far more vulnerable to predators.
Not enough is being done to educate and
protect our youngsters from the threats
of fast-changing technology and how it
relates to school.
The website uknowkids.com has
valuable resources for material to inform
and educate, including some very alarming
facts. One out of three preteens participate
in sexting and social media abuse, either
via their smart phone, tablet or online
gaming. What these children don’t realize
is this practice can follow them the rest
of their life, it can label them as a sex
offender or predator just because of their
childhood peer pressure or misjudgment. I
believe that to present a program as serious
as this by a clown takes away some of the
nervousness of the topic.
As a children’s entertainer, I can tell
you I never thought of these things. My
job was to clown and entertain. As a
grandparent and a member of the PTA,
I became aware of what kids face today.
I previously advocated programs for
Stranger Danger, Senior Citizen Safety and
Scams, and Substance Abuse Prevention.
That was the 90s!
If every alley created a half-hour
program to deal with these topics
and possibly enlisted the local police
department to have an officer at each
program and encourage his or her input,
imagine the impact clowning could have
on the community. Imagine how much
your clowning could challenge your
growth. Any takers?
● ● ●
Do They
Know Who
You Are?
by Harry “Harry the Ridiculous” Witt
A few weeks ago I was
wandering through the local
Super Wal-Mart when I
recognized a customer as one of
the residents I visit at an assisted
living facility where I do my
caring clowning. “Hello Fred,” I
said, and Fred looked at me and
asked who I was and how I knew
his name. “It’s me, Harry the
Ridiculous, the clown. I see you
every Thursday during lunch in
your dining room.”
“Sorry” he replied. “I never
saw you out of character.”
That’s when it hit me, many of
the residents in the homes I visit
don’t know who I really am and
what I look like in my ‘civies’
(originally a military term that’s
short for civilian attire).
I decided to introduce the
‘other me’ to my friends. Well
there isn’t much difference other
than the costume and makeup, so
this particular morning I set out
in my usual Southwest Floridian
attire which is T-shirt, shorts and
sandals, plus I took my signature
red hat that was made for me
by Karen Bell. The receptionist
didn’t know who I was until
I introduced myself but I was
pleasantly surprised that some of
the other staff did.
That wasn’t what I was
expecting. That came when I
entered the room where I did
my ‘One Clown, One Ring Mini
Circus.’
The nursing home I visited
is very special; it’s the Douglas
(continued on page 22)
The New Calliope