since this exchange has got me thinking (no mean feat) and quite curious about modern day incarnations of the classic clown traditions, (was ‘kenny’ an atypical version of pierot or was he the buffoon?) i thought i’d take the liberty of moving the thread over here
moving it the manual copy-and-paste way
i’m sure there must be waaay slicker ways of doing it but i had fun
so, for a quick recap…
quote:
Originally posted by GILD
how do we bridge the gap that have developed between the kiddie party clown and the jester of old who now finds fame (and eventually sitcom) as a stand-up comedian, catering solely for adult audiences?
is there a market for a performer that would fit into that niche or should we assume that the very fact of their non-existance is proof of the fact that there is no such market?
This is getting somewhat obscure, but if I’m following, I believe that gap is bridged at least in part by cartoons. In our youth it was bugs bunny which was enjoyed by children for the slapstick and silliness, but by adults as well for the cultural and historical references and commentary. Today, I think that this role is fulfilled by Spongebob Squarepants, although perhaps with a bit less subtlety.
Although perhaps we’re being unfair to truly professional clowns. Those I’ve seen in the Cirque du Soleil shows, for example, have acts that cross that bridge. Kids love them (assuming they aren’t terrified of them) simply for who they are, but the routines they do are quite entertaining to many adults (those who don’t already despise clowns, at least.)
quote:
and just where, dave, does unicycling fit into this rambling?
It doesn’t. Which is why I have omitted any left leaning comments, lest one JC, order us to park it over in Just Conversation. No wait, Spongebob rides a unicycle; yeah, that’s it!
time to start leaning to the left
if we accept that cartoons bridge the gap i mentioned (and even tho they r not individual performers they strike me as the only entertainment format that could come close to fitting into that niche) where do we trace the origins of the adult oriented cartoon to?
this must’ve reached it’s commercial peak with the advent of the simpsons and later southpark.
but where does anime fit in?
i know preciously little about so much but i remain curious.i now also have internet access in our on-air- and production studios, giving me 8 hours a day to develop these lil’ webs of confusion
if only they’d allow me to practise in here!!