Renaissance court jesters were empowered to tell kings things others could not by being physically deformed and wearing motley clothing. Later, jesters gained power through ventriloquism using a scepter with their face on it. Today, political cartoonists and mimes are able to comment on issues in a similar manner by making fun of all sides of an issue or transcending language barriers. Throughout history, various types of clowns and comedy developed such as Harlequins, Pierrots, character clowns and more that continue to this day including sports mascots. Clowns have certain taboos like not being seen in public partially out of costume or doing normal activities in character.

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CLOWNS AND MIMES
by Don L. F. Nilsen and
Alleen Pace Nilsen

2. Renaissance Court Jesters tended to be small, physically
deformed, wore motley clothes and cap and bells.
But by being marginaled, they were empowered to tell the
king things that other people were not able to tell him.
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3. The jester also gained power by
not using his own voice.
He spoke through the voice of his
scepter—a miniature
representation of his own face.
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The Jester’s Scepter:
The Beginnings of Ventriloquism

4. Today’s Editorial Cartoonist
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By making fun of
themselves, and by
targeting all sides of
an issue, today’s
political cartoonists
are also able to say
things that other
reporters are not able
to say about societal
and political issues.

5. AXTELL PUPPETS:
http://www.axtellpuppets.net/
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COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE
• During the 15th
and 16th
centuries in Italy,
as the world-famous commedia
dell’arte was developing, three basic
clowns began to evolve: The Harlequin,
the Auguste, and the character clown.

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8. The unscripted Commedia dell’Arte tradition spawned
street performers, Punch-and-Judy Shows and
France’s “Comédie Française”
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9. Auguste (Happy) Clowns
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10. VENT HAVEN VENTRILOQUIST CONVENTION:
http://www.venthaven.com/
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THE HARLEQUIN AND SLAPSTICK
• In the latter half of the 16th
century, the “Arlecchino”
(Harlequin) clown started out as a foolish servant
and then developed into a more sophisticated,
acrobatic prankster.
• He carried a large stick that was split so that abrupt
movements would make the separated parts hit
against each other with a loud noise.
• This was the development of “slapstick” comedy.

12. Harlequin Clowns
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• Harlequin clowns had elegant, patched
costumes with symmetrical patterns and a
black domino mask covering half of their
faces.
• Today’s Harlequin clowns (including mimes)
still wear precise, neatly detailed makeup,
and a sophisticated demeanor of being “in
charge.”
• Their aura of control is sometimes
heightened by the contrast of having a “fool”
companion.

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MARIANN MARTIN’S WILD THING

15. LAUGHTER REMEDY (PAUL MCGHEE):
www.LaughterRemedy.com http://www.LaughterRemedy.com
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16. MIMES
• An obvious advantage
of mime and pantomime
is that it transcends
language barriers.
• Because of this, Charlie
Chaplin was the first
movie star recognized
and appreciated around
the world.
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17. Mimes
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• Another advantage of mime is that
it works in arenas that are too
large or too noisy for people to
hear well.
• This is why circus clowns and the
mascots for athletic teams rely for
their humor on exaggerated body
movements.

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• Emmett Kelly, the famous Ringling
Brothers clown, was so skilled in
pantomiming the role of Weary Willie
that he was allowed to remain in the
circus arena through the entire
performances.
• His most famous act was to sweep a
circle of light thrown by a spotlight into
a smaller and smaller circle, and then to
chase it under a rug or into a dustbin.

20. Emmett Kelly Sweeping Light
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21. Deep Fun
with Bernie DeKoven
Deep Fun with Bernie DeKoven:
http://www.deepfun.com/clowning-in-lesbos/
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• Harpo Marx was one of the world’s
most beloved pantomimists.
• Harpo was a mute with unruly hair
who could communicate with
others only by means of honks,
whistles, and pantomime.

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• He wore a fright wig and an overcoat
with enormous inside pockets from
which he pulled such objects as an ice-
cream cone, a cup of coffee, and
various pieces of hardware, including a
blowtorch.
• Somewhere in every movie, he pulled a
face called a “Gookie,” in which he
puffed out his cheeks and crossed his
widened eyes.

24. Harpo Marx: Broken Mirror, Shooting Keys,
Fright Wig, Overcoat & Gookie Face
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• Harpo’s best known pantomime scene
is in the movie Duck Soup. Groucho
chases Harpo, who accidentally breaks
a floor-length mirror.
• When Groucho looks in the empty
frame, Harpo is standing on the other
side and deftly reflects back every one
of Groucho’s intricate moves.

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CLOWN WEB SITES
WORLD LAUGHTER TOUR (STEVE WILSON):
http://www.worldlaughtertour.com/

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• Marcel Marceau had a clown-tramp
character named Bip.
• Bip had tight-fitting high-waisted
pants, a dark jersey designed to set
off his whitened face, and to serve
as a backdrop to his expressive
hand movements. This was a
modern interpretation of the French
Pierrot.

28. • It is ironic that in
Mel Brooks’s
1976 Silent Movie,
it was Marcel
Marceau who said
the only spoken
line.
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PIERROT
• The “fool” companion of the Harlequin was
the Pierrot.
• Pierrot was a French clown with a bald head,
a flour-whitened face, and an always-gullible
demeanor.
• Pierrot was the straight man for the
Harlequin.

30. Pierrot (Sad) Clowns
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31. Red Rubber Noses:
http://www.rednoses.eu/
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32. Red Skelton
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THE CHARACTER CLOWN
• At the turn of the century, character
clowns were becoming very popular.
• They had such identifiable
personalities as tramps, scarecrows,
grandmothers, out-of-work gentlemen,
etc.

34. Character Clowns
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• Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, and the
Three Stooges were all character clowns.
• Emmett Kelly’s “Weary Willie,” and Red
Skelton’s “Freddie the Freeloader” were both
influenced by Chaplin’s “Little Tramp.”
• Jerry Lewis and Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean)
were also character clowns.

36. Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp, The Three Stooges &
Red Skelton’s Freddie the Freeloader
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37. Jerry Lewis as The Nutty Professor
& Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean
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38. LAUGHTER WORKS (KAY CASKEY AND LAURIE YOUNG):
www.LaughWays.com
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CLOWN TABOOS
• While in character, clowns should
never be seen doing “normal” things
like shopping or eating meals.
• They should also never appear in
public partially out of costume.

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• One Halloween in Paulsboro, New Jersey, a
police officer dressed up as a clown
managed to arrest 12 individuals, most of
whom were wanted for routine traffic
offenses.
• He explained that instead of getting the usual
“He isn’t home” response, the clown
costume got the policeman into the homes to
make the arrest.
• The real clowns of the world protested.

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• The clowns of the world also protested
when Bob Dole referred to President
Clinton as “Bozo.”
• Larry Harmon, the creator of the Bozo
Television Program, was not amused
to have the name of “Bozo” used as
an insult.

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43. Humor and Health Issues
ASSOCIATION FOR APPLIED & THERAPEUTIC HUMOR:
http://www.aath.org/lifetime-awards
THERAPEUTIC CLOWNS—CANADA:
http://www.therapeuticclowns.ca/resources.html
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CLOWNS AS SPORTS
MASCOTS
• The newest commercial role for clowns is
that of team mascots.
• Some of the most famous include:
– Paws for the Detroit Tigers
– Billy for the Florida Marlins
– the Chicken for the San Diego Padres

45. Detroit Lions’ Paws, Florida Marlins’ Billy
& San Diego Padres’ Chicken
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• Because of the size of sports arenas and
fields, these clowns are much like early
circus clowns in wearing oversized, one-of-
a-kind costumes.
• They also practice exaggerated pantomimes,
do acrobatics, and use huge props.
– Philly Phanatic rides around on his dune buggy.
– The Phoenix Suns Gorilla makes baskets by
jumping from a trampoline.

47. Philly Phanatic & His Dune Buggy
Phoenix Suns’ Gorilla Making a Basket
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• Like Circus Clowns, these sports mascots fill
in dead time, provide photo opportunities,
give young children someone to relate to,
and work as genuine clowns at community
events where they represent the team.
• And they are even able to compete as cheer
leaders.

49. Clowns in Action
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50. SEND IN THE CLOWNS! (Frank Sinatra, et. al.):
http://www.yourememberthat.com/media/10939/Send_In_The_Clowns/#.V
BdREfnIY9Y
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