Clowns: Evil, or Just Extremely Annoying?

My sister and I both to this day hate clowns. One of our favorite childhood memories is the time a clown gave us candy, and we just handed it back to him. The clown did the whole stupid sad clown shtick, and we just walked off and left the candy on the ground. Our parents were furious with us. Priceless. :-) :-)

I'm with you. I hate clowns, with a complete, visceral revulsion - also applies to those masquerade-type masks. Not entirely sure why, but they are incredibly creepy. Anyway, I agree with this point, it's just weird to have a clown priest. Doesn't seem to be as focused on holiness rather than entertainment.

Aaron, here. Grasp this whoopie cushion tightly, and repeat after me: not everyone gets the joke. Rod, clowning and being a clown can be very different things in both substance and spiritual connection. I don't need makeup and a fright wig to clown. I don't need to use slapstick to give people the joy of laughter. It took a while, but I've come to understand some people's reaction to clowns. I get that it causes pain, or evokes fear, and any adverse reaction will defeat the goal of clowning. But, if you accept that clowning has a certain, lofty connotation, then I'm willing to bet that you've experienced that deep joy that comes from the clowning of Robin Williams, Jonathan Winters, Red Skelton, The Reduced Shakespeare Company, The Blue Men, Tim Conway, Garrison Keillor... or an endless list of people, not all of them famous, who touched your soul in this manner. If Father "Stripes" has made a mistake, it's in choosing a mode that will be unwelcome to a number of people. I ask you to not reject humor as an aspect of spirit, or to at least accept it as important to the spirit of some people. I guess, what I wish to say, with no intention of being confrontational, is that those who don't get it are not to be disrespected for that, but they are also asked to respect those who do get it, and to refrain from suppressing the clowning. Is it really reasonable to conclude that a priest is somehow rejecting spirit because he's chosen a mode of expression that you dislike? I hope that was clear. If not, please ask. The last thing I want is an argument about a situation where we should be able to peacably co-exist.

Another "me too" moment from Rod Dreher. I despise clowns. They're not funny; not even a little bit. When they're not pathetic, they're scary. (I dislike Lucille Ball too, but for a different reason: I've never been able to laugh at other people's misfortune, which is the basis for Lucy's comedy.) But that's just me. (And, it appears, alot of other people on this blog.)

Given the history in Milwaukee, most of us view this fellow as the LEAST of our problems.

PS: until very recently, I didn't have cable TV. In fact, even now I don't have access to anything except for the most basic cable channels (local TV mostly, and only for reception purposes.) If I had my druthers (I got overruled by my wife and four children) I'd do as a friend of mine did and take my television out for target practice. I once told my son, "you'd better hope that your mother outlives me because the day she's gone is the last day I'll ever own a television." Another time, I had a client who was explaining what he did for a living (he built custom choppers) by referring to a show called "Orange County Choppers" (or some such thing, I'm not entirely sure.) When my blank stare told him I had no idea as to what he was referring to, he told me "you know - the television show". I replied that I didn't have cable. He looked at me like I had just disembarked from a UFO.

Remember Jack Handey's "Deep Thought" on this subject?: "To me, clowns aren't funny. In fact, they're kind of scary. I've wondered where this started and I think it goes back to the time I went to the circus, and a clown killed my dad."

Wow - Good thing none of you stick-in-the-rump old men aren't in charge of any ministries. The only people who would ever get saved would be John Birch Society members...

GIITV, if my priest dressed up like a clown and practiced "ministry," I'd give my kid a donut if he'd kick Father in the goolies. But you know me, I'm a troglodyte in such matters.

GIITV wins this combox! "The only people who would ever get saved would be John Birch Society members..." Also: Rob Grano, that Deep Thought was the first thing I thought of as well.

Oh, please. You know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about humor. I'm talking about priests putting on a wig and clown face. It's moronic and degrading to the dignity of their office. If a dad wants to do it, fine, but it's hard for me to imagine the Cure d'Ars making an ass of himself like this, and expecting people to take him seriously as a shepherd of souls.

I expect my daughters to take me seriously as the spiritual head of my family, but that won't stop me from being silly with them. ---------- To make everyone feel better, here's your dream vocation story: Asked to recall his best memory as a priest, Fr. X recalled the time he assited Abp. Wuerl at Mass at the Cathedral in Washington. "It came time for communion, and was given a cup, and up strolls Nancy Pelosi. Abp. Wuerl, wuss that he is, gives her communion!!! I could not believe my eyes! "Then, she strolls over to my cup, expecting me to allow her to disgrace the sacrament once again. "Well, not on my watch. Ms. Pelosi bowed her head quietly like the devout Catholic she pretends to be. I acted like I was going to give her the cup, and said "The Blood of Christ.... will not touch your lips today!" and snatched the cup back. Man, you should have seen the look on her face! "To me, that's the best part of being a priest, putting fake Catholics like Nancy Pelosi in their place.

My mother can't stand clowns since childhood. And i'm indifferent to them. At one party clown approached and tried to entertain me, it was so embarrassing, how can you say to a man he is not funny without offending him? especially if he loves his work very much. Clown priest is some new bride, very curious phenomenon :)

breed not bride

There are doctors who follow in the tradition of Patch Adams; I wonder if Rod thinks that they forfeit any claim to medical authority and degrade the dignity of their profession. Well, the idea of Patch Adams makes me ill, but leaving that aside, the ability of a doctor to carry out his duties doesn't depend on whether or not he's dressed like a clown. Not so the ability of a priest, who can still administer the Sacraments, but who has to be perceived as a man of wisdom and authority if he is to be persuasive in advising his flock. To a similar degree, so does a politician, which is why we're going to be seeing a lot of this kind of thing in the months to come. I was in the room the night this debuted, and it was pretty funny. But then again, I don't consider Rudy Giuliani to be in persona Christi in any respect.

I'm not a fan of Patch Adams either, but in particular because he was trying to universalize his idea of how doctors should act. I don't think Stripes is suggesting that all priests should dress like clowns, but it works for him. ------ The story would probably continue with Fr. X being shocked that he was reprimanded by the archbishop for preserving the integrity of the Eucharist, while "nothing was done" about pro-abort pols like Pelosi. He would tell off the spineless archbishop, and then ignore all requests for future "dialogue."

I dislike Lucille Ball too, but for a different reason: I've never been able to laugh at other people's misfortune, which is the basis for Lucy's comedy. Misfortune is the basis of all humor. Think of every joke that you made you laugh. It comes at the expense of someone. That's not a bad thing, though. Humor helps takes the sting out of pain.

I don't get the revulsion against clowns. I've some who have a good routine, and others who, well, should try another line of work. If it's not for you, fine, but the intense hatred. I just don't get it. As far as the priest goes, Rod's right. The priest is on call 24 hours a day. That's part and parcel of his ordination. While playing a clown is not nearly the worst thing he could do, it does damage the dignity of his office. He's called "Father Greg", not "Uncle Greg."

Some clowns (very few) are okay; some are hideous; all mimes should be made to scream in agony. In any event, as a believing Catholic I'm appalled that a priest (obstensibly a believing Catholic) would trivialize the Holy Mass in this way. Indeed, given what believing Catholics belive the Holy Mass to be, such activity goes far beyone trivializtion. Such priest should be made to scream with the mimes. And before the snarks and trolls slam me for being "such a great example of Christian charity", remember this... I'm a sinner.

I'm not a clown fan, and my gut reaction to this story is the same as Rod's. However, the comments here helped bring to mind a story from my first months as an Orthodox Christian catechumen. On St. Nicholas Day, our priest - a zealous convert, who oozed spiritual authority and who could never be accused of belittling his office - dressed up like St. Nicholas/Santa Claus. The kids loved it. Similiarly, at our current church, there is an "All Saints Party" on Halloween, where everyone comes dressed as their favorite saint, including our priest. I wonder. Is there really a qualitative difference between these stories and the priest who dresses as a clown? If so, what is it? Bless, Doug

Isn't part of our problem that we can't imagine Jesus ever laughing ? Or even smiling?

Isn't part of our problem that we can't imagine Jesus ever laughing ? Or even smiling? I don't think that's it. His confrontations with the Pharisees and Sadducees involved a bit of biting humor. The question is more like, can you imagine Jesus putting on paint, a red nose, big shoes and making balloon animals? It seems unsuitable to even think of this picture. So, IMHO, the priest, being an icon of Christ, should realize this and act accordingly.

Ack, our posts crossed. But we are thinking the same thing, Derek. Besides which, clowns eat children.

Besides which, clowns eat children. There's definitely *that* to consider.

I think the idea of a priest who enjoys dressing up like a clown is disturbing not because there's anything inherently wrong with clowns (though I confess to disliking them, along with practical jokes, and must admit a preference for the low humor of puns) but because there's a question of decorum, a concept our world has mostly cast aside. That a priest sometimes acts as an alter Christus doesn't mean he can never act as a man, and there are certainly plenty of hobbies which would seem fitting for men in general and priests in particular, but I'd be just as uncomfortable with a priest whose hobby was auditioning for roles in commercials as I am with this, in part because to act a part, even a funny one, in public is to invite contempt. I'd agree that there's nothing wrong with a sense of humor; it's a necessity! But in regards to Jesus and His sense of humor, I've always regarded the words of G.K. Chesterton on the topic as invaluable: "Joy, which was the small publicity of the pagan, is the gigantic secret of the Christian...The tremendous figure which fills the Gospels...never concealed His tears. He showed them plainly on His open face at any daily sight, such as the far sight of His native city. Yet He concealed something...I say it with reverence: there was in that shattering personality a thread that must be called shyness. There was something that He hid from all men when He went up a mountain to pray. There was something that He covered constantly by abrupt silence or impetuous isolation. There was some one thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth." G.K. Chesterton, "Orthodoxy"

What if this priest is good at clowning? Maybe it's a gift from God. http://www.clown-ministry.com/index_1.php?/site/articles/the_purpose_of_clown_ministry/

What if this priest is good at clowning? Maybe it's a gift from God. Then he probably shouldn't be a priest. I don't see anything wrong with clowns per se, but their role is not an appropriate one for a priest to take on, as it necessarily makes him a spectacle and target of laughter. Let's be clear, I don't doubt the man's motives and intentions. They're probably as pure as the wind-driven snow. I'm sure, too, that he's quite dedicated to his job and his parishioners. I just don't see this as a wise decision. He'd probably be just as effective ministering to kids by showing up and reading to them some stories talking to them, something you'd expect a father to do.

I think, I've never heard of clown ministry. I run across some clownish ministries. But when I see priests who do things like play dress up (clowns play dress up) etc, they have without exception been not just gay, but activly so. Not just dissidents, but proactive, against orthodoxy. ditch the clown-priest

No Bozos on this priestly bus! Is that the jist of this post? Is this post on the level, or is it tongue in cheek? As a kid I always thought clowns were the bomb. Hail Stripes!

As I look down on Milwaukee from the heights of Waukesha, nothing in Milwaukee would surprise me. A priest dressed as a clown would look like everyone else attempting to be fashionable.

This has been revealing. Let's review what we expect of our priests. No intimate relationship with a woman. No hugs. No kisses. No partner that you can touch and talk to in a way that's not of the supernatural. No kids. Those of you with kids know what a blessing they are in your life. None of that for the priest. No fun. A priest must look dignified and serious and of God at all times. No Borat. No clowning. No woman. No kids. Wine-but never too much. Then he probably shouldn't be a priest. Guess what? Your Church is falling to pieces because you don't have enough priests. I don't blame them. I wouldn't want to work for you, either. I know, I know. They're working for God. Well, you all expect those working for God to be some sort of stiff.

Why are we caring about this, exactly? If this particular priest was dressed as a clown for Mass, I'd have a huge problem with it, to the point that I'd say no valid Mass took place. I'd certainly be writing the bishop. But this is not what we're talking about. This is the case of a man, in his off-the-altar not-in-ministry hours, working a little bit of light and laughter into people's lives. How far we get from Jesus when we jump up and down about stuff like this.

I hate 'em too, but gee, I think some of y'all are piling on this clown priest too much. Look: It doesn't say anywhere in the story that he performs a "clown Mass" or some such monstrosity. Clowning is his hobby. Some people respond to it. So he sees it as another way to spread the gospel in some circumstances. That's what I get from reading the story, versus jumping to conclusions. In "The Way of the Pilgrim" the pilgrim is advised to literally pray without ceasing - and he does that. So he prays walking, chopping wood, doing the dishes, you name it. If we are really called to have every moment of our lives - ideally - devoted to life in Christ, then that means even when entertaining we ought to live like that, right? Like I say, I'd ban 'em - all of 'em - tomorrow if the world was my oyster. But given that clowns exist and some people - somehow - actually like 'em, I see nothing intrinsically wrong here. Like others have said, if he is massaging his ego that is different. I've known priests with all sorts of hobbies, and a lot of them took them away from people and what they did in their calling. This hobby takes this priest right to people who seem to respond.

Anony: Good point about priests having lots of hobbies. My priest plays folk guitar. Personally, my reaction to that is akin to John Belushi's in Animal House. But, I wouldn't go so far as to say that he has demeaned his office through his hobby. :-) Bless, Doug

Wasn't it St. Philip Neri who shaved off half his beard (up and down) and walked through the streets so that people would laugh at him, and think him a fool? I don't think he would allow himself to put on the cover of the diocesan magazine that way, though. I wouldn't want to receive spiritual counsel from a priest whose favorite, identifying activity is being a clown. I would run to be first in line to receive direction from one who dressed as his patron saint to appear at school when the little kids were dressing up as theirs.

"So, does that mean this priest leads all in singing "Day By Day", then sprays them with seltzer water??" - Anonymous Also Sheer hilarity! The mental image that sprang to mind reading this line was precious. Seriously, though, there is valid criticism offered on this forum regarding one that holds the priestly office... and then clowns it up in the most literal sense, even if it is NOT from behind the sacred desk. I am willing to give Father Stripes the benefit of the doubt - that his motives are amiable and pure. I can even allow that on occasion, a priest can perform in full clown dress to the delight of his audience if he observes the accepted societal, cultural, and ecclesiastical boundaries (i.e. far, far, removed from church grounds and ceremony). In fact, Father Stripes IS appointed to a position of authority and responsibility over the souls of men and women, and scripture states plainly some behavioral qualifications for the holder of this post: must be moderate, temperate, OF GOOD REPUTATION, the husband of one wife (oops! sorry, did not mean to go there), have control over his children (ahem, perhaps I should stop now). Father Stripes, sir, here's the thing: some people (like the sample represented on this board) find clown performances by priest to be, well, non-standard. The adjectives in this thread stand in line to bear witness: creepy, pathetic, scary, unfunny, embarrassing, undignified, etc. Most disturbing is the observation by Ignoarant [sic] Redneck: "But when I see priests who do things like play dress up (clowns play dress up) etc, they have without exception been not just gay, but activly so. Not just dissidents, but proactive, against orthodoxy." His post touches on the crux of this "clown" issue: in Western civilization, only actors and criminals wear masks. Although their intentions vary, both types are united in obfuscation of identity. The uncomfortable ideological and philosophical parallelism of obscurity between priests dressing as flamboyant clowns and the sartorial parody by gays (no offense) of foppish vestments of religious orders, I think, explains in part the tensions displayed in this forum. I refrain from impugning Father Stripes, but suffice it to say that Jesus was genuine and of good humor. At the root of the public controversy that surrounded Him, religious wags vs. popular support, was the rift between unequivocal righteousness and murky, self-serving human ratiocination. The religious hierarchy of that day did not make honest judgments about Jesus, but then again, Christ did invite these misjudgments based on appearance in a polka-dot tent dress, size 16 sandals, and fluffy-ball-topped pointed hat. Moderation, dear saints, remember moderation.

Sorry, meant to say that Christ did NOT invite these misjudgments.

Remember when you were a kid and some well-meaning but creepy adult would give you this too-big-to-be-real fake smile and gush something like, "Oh what a cuuute boy you are", then stick their face into yours and smile even bigger in an attempt to coerce you into smiling back? That's what clowns are like. Explains why some people hate 'em. Also, can't speak for others, but I hate 'em as in hating greens or stewed tomatoes, not hate as in wishing true evil on them. Some of them push their luck, though!

Putting aside most of the sophomoric logic on this thread, for a minute, we should also note that serial killer John Wayne Gacy often dressed as Pogo the Clown to entertain children at block parties. Beyond that, he was a Democrat Party precinct captain. He also had a picture taken of him and Rosalynn Carter, signed by the First Lady herself. Clowns, Democrats, serial killers. Hmmm.

I'm sorry, but this is silly! What's up with this "dignity of the preisthood" crap? I was raised Catholic, went to Catholic schools and have a lot of respect for the church in general, so I understand that priests are kind of set apart and have different expectation put on them. However, my understanding was that a priest earned respect through his wisdom, loving nature, care for others and moral actions. There's nothing magically dignifying about a clerical collar and there's nothing magically demeaning about putting on face paint to entertain people. This is where the church and too many people in the church go wrong and have always gone wrong - it's about character and a person's heart and not about appearences. I can't believe that after all the heartbreak over priests who carried their dignity in their outward garb while in their heart were evil sexual predators, anyone would bother judging a priest by trivialities such as dressing up like a clown as part of his minstry. Talk about lessons not learned! What's that verse about "Man judges by outward appearances, but God judges a man's heart"? Give me a kind priest cheering children and talking about Jesus with face paint on over some somber faced, properly dressed priest who always conducts himself with the utmost of dignity but has a shriveled rock for a heart any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Yeesh!

Rebecca, I cannot find "Man judges by outward appearances, but God judges a man's heart" anywhere in the Bible, and I've searched for a while using my computer program and my doctorate. Your point is well taken, though -- if the priest is doing this in ministry outside of the Mass. The problem is that the external does matter; it's not either-or (heart or externals) but both-and (heart and externals). This is why Catholicism is so attractive to protestants like myself: its worship involves all the senses -- sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing (protestants focus almost exclusively on the last). The broader point is that, whether we are protestants or Catholics (or Orthodox, but it's less of a problem there), we have to realize we're living in a post-Cartesian, post-Enlightenment world that splits and opposes inner and outer, mind and heart, belief and feeling. As Christians, whose faith precedes Descartes and the so-called Enlightenment, part of our task is to resist this split and preserve the integrity of faith.

You know why cannibals won't eat clowns? They taste funny! (drumroll)

It's OK for priests to dance as long as they are not dressed as clowns while doing so. I think that is provision 13452 of the code of canon law, if I remember correctly. Q: Do you know why Southern Baptists are opposed to premarital sex? A: Because it might lead to dancing!

sigaliris, thank you for finding that verse! I was too lazy to actually look it up myself last night. As for whether appearences matter, I think that the bible says that they matter very little. St. Ireneus: I do agree that as Christians we do need to resist splitting ourselves into realms which do not touch such as physical, spiritual and intellectual. However, I would argue that what this man is doing is precisely that - he is allowing what is within him to come out into other areas of his life rather than neatly walling himself off into discreet sections for the sake of his precious "priestly dignity". It's is people inability to cross the enlightenment divide of our various human aspects which, IMO, leads them to see clowning for kids as inherently non-spiritual and even an affront to spirituality. The thing which has killed religion from the Jews of Jesus' day to the Roman Catholic Church's darkest days to modern times has been valuing appearences over substance. When we value appearences so much that we assume we can make assumptions about the substance of a person or activity based on what looks right and proper to us, we are missing God's view. It is a very, very short hop from thinking that appearences are reliable or necessary indicators of substance to thinking that appearences are, in fact the thing which matters most. That is a terrible place for a soul to enter into and one God does not look favorably upon, to say the least.

I very heartily agree with Susan on this one. No to the "clown masses" and etc. something we have thankfully never seen in our diocese. We do however have a wonderful Orthodox priest in the area who dressed up as St. Nicholas similar to one that was mentioned in another post. Both Orthodox and non-Orthodox kids had a blast meeting him at a St. Nick festival held here in town. By far the only truly wacky thing I can remember a priest in this diocese doing was many years ago -- way back in the late 70s -- when a priest connected to my Catholic school agreed to be one of several "parish celebrities" to get in a dunking booth to raise money desperately needed to fix the school's air conditioning and heating system. (We live in South Carolina -- 95 degree summers, often 30 degrees in winter.) The pastor and bishop approved it. The dunking booth was a hit. We had air conditioning when school started a few weeks later...

St_Irenaeus, I looked that up in the New International Version, but it's not too different in the other Bibles I have around here. New American Bible: Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart. New Jerusalem Bible: God does not see as human beings see; they look at appearances but Yahweh looks at the heart. New Revised Standard Version:for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. I don't know why your program didn't find it. btw, if what you are saying is that you seek an incarnational, sacramental faith that treats humans as integral creatures rather than ghosts in a machine, I'm with you there.