Can we talk about clowning, clown make up and racism?
We are feeling the ripples of cultural change in our world. The death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks have renewed focus on police violence against Black people. These deaths have also caused protests, not only in the United States but also in other parts of the world. This ripples throughout our culture. There is a renewed focus on funding the police, social justice, and the Black Lives Matter movement. The Confederate monument that once stood in my hometown, Decatur Georgia, has been removed. People are challenging symbols of systemic racism. NASCAR banned the confederate flag at its event. The state of Mississippi is removing the stars and bars from its flag.
Recently this ripple of cultural change has been felt in my professional world. There's been a lot of discussion in the circus and clown world regarding racial issues. Some of our performing/circus organizations function under the presumption that "we performing artists" are not racist. That said, the assumption that we in the performing/circus world are immune to racism is not valid. A series of conversations on the Circus talk webpage has brought up this issue. Once you take a close look at these organizations and ask the performers of color these questions, you may be surprised at the answer. Our corner of the world is not a racial nirvana.
Recently the Clown Theory Facebook page posted a video of an artist (known on Youtube as Dainty Funk), talking about the history of clowning, clown makeup, and blackface. This video and the discussion that followed was ...enlightening.
I am a black man who has lived in America all my life. I see an interesting parallel in this discussion about clown history, clown makeup, and racism. It's like the discussion in the south about the Confederacy: its monuments and the Civil War.
A common refrain among the southerners I knew growing up in Tennessee was that the Civil War had nothing to do with slavery. Similarly, some in the clown/circus world will tell us that clowning and racism have nothing in common.
Many White southerners will tell you that confederate symbols, statues, are not racist. They claim instead that they are symbols of nobility. As a black southerner who grew up in the wake of the civil rights era, I don't see the Confederacy, and it's leftovers as noble. I remember going to school in my hometown of Cleveland, Tennessee. Every day our bus would pass a Confederate monument. For other black children and me, that monument was not a sign of historical nobility. As a child, it was clear that it was a symbol of oppression.
The Black artist in this Facebook video shared their opinion; their take on clown history and clown makeup. It's rare to see a young black artist talk about clowning history and racism. (Frankly, it's rare that I hear anyone talk about it). So I listened. Some of their historical info sounded odd to me. But I kept listening. They have an affection for fetish artists, tank toppers, and cosplay characters …not what I look for in clowns… but I kept listening. Say what you will about how they pronounced the word "auguste." I kept listening.
What resonated with me firmly was their take on Black people using clowning as a form of reclamation. That is to say, some of the appeal of becoming a clown was about empowerment, racial empowerment. Using the clown identity to mock those who don't get it, to take on a character some would ridicule and to do it proudly.
The most vigorous complaints on the thread came from people who seemed offended that this young black artist would dare share a point of view they don't have. The artist’s reclamation spirit threatened some people. This young black artist was claiming their space. They were having their say, and doing it without shame or apology.
I grew up listening to proud southerners twist history. Southerners claimed victory out of defeat; they misrepresented the role of slavery in the Civil War. They demanded that everyone listen to them because they had something to say. These Confederate apologists were strong and wrong.
I can listen to this young black artist speak their mind. Even if, at times, I think they may be strong and wrong. Historical details aside, I found the gist of the artist’s point to be accurate and enlightening.
Some behave as if aspects of clowning can not be racist. That point of view doesn't recognize history. It also highlights a denial of how race functions in our world. For me, clowning is a form of empowerment.
Thank you, Dainty Funk, for your voice. Thank you, Clown Theory, for sharing that voice.
JULY 1, 2020
(This post was updated to reflect that Dainty Funk uses they/them pronouns)
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