Whatever happened to laughter?

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Whatever happened to laughter in the world? No one seems to be laughing anymore. The world is facing a crisis more serious than monetary problems, a greater threat than wars, plagues and corrupt politicians. The world is losing its’ funny men.

There are a few professional clowns who perform in the theatre and most of them have joined the race for more quick money, the escalator to greed. Their performances tend to be the same now as when they started. Very few make comment on the society in which they live. Laughter is the most powerful peaceful weapon to use to make change. Yet the funny men are at the bottom of any list of importance.

In 1972 Clown Cavalcade I formed, with the ultimate aim of rectifying the situation. The company lasted fifteen years teaching hundreds the art of comedy. It was not foreseen that it would have to exist in an environment that had no room for a sense of humour. We have certainly experienced what the early Christians must have felt in our struggle to make the world smile. In as much as the message that mirth could go a long way to solving many of society’s problems has met with patronizing derision and blanked faced disbelief. This from a system that seems compelled to satisfy our material needs at the expense of spiritual needs. We have, in effect, been thrown to the lions by authoritarian bodies who see no place for the laughter makers in either ‘art’ or ‘society’. A recent government sponsored function in Britain to entertain persons who had made massive contributions to the Arts sent out more invitations to the super wealthy “popular singers” than to comedians of any type. No clowns were invited. Now of course, there is a valid and proper place for popular music and always has been. The popular singing entertainers have always been welcome both at the White House and Downing Street. I think more at the White House. Nobody is denying their important contribution to society. What hurts, however is that the comic or clown becomes the Cinderella of the story yet again. Why is this?

Surely the clown should be the honoured guest. Does he not make us laugh, forget our trouble and point out our weaknesses? He makes us aware of our lack of faith in ourselves. Our foolishness, our misplaced dependence on aggression and materialism. Why has the clown sunk so low when deep down everybody recognizes the great role he plays? It is not simply because the clown no longer hears the call of this great role? Hasn’t his faith in his own ability been eroded? Music Hall and Variety died a long time ago. Hollywood wants action, sexual and mystical movies scripts. Television has lost its promise with mediocre bad boy actors. The public have been drawn towards horror and cheap thrills. Their appetite was somehow soured for something more wholesome. The public mind is embarrassed somehow with nothing that is less than overt or sensational.

Hal Ashby’s ‘Being There’ perhaps demonstrates the point, a film of the most subtle, yet penetrating comedy. With a magnificent and classic clown performance by Peter Sellers. If the film were made today without any changes it would be ignored. Horror and vampire movies draw bigger crowds for their ersatz scary appeal. Comedy films and television is watching someone have an accident. We all laugh when the chair is pulled away just at the last moment. Comedy without any comic skills.

No wonder then, that the clown has lost his courage, convinced that nobody wants him. What has been forgotten is the first rule of professional entertainment – ‘You don’t give the public what they want, you give them what they need’. What they need is deep down laughter and therefore clowns. Whether they are films, theatre or television, funny men are needed. You cannot teach pure natural comic timing, but with hard work you can learn how to get close to it. Comedy can change the world and every government should realize it.

Knowing what is funny and to say it at the right moment can make even a Prime Minister and President re-think their ideas.

What fun the American comics had when George W. Bush made those verbal mistakes. He soon understood not to speak unscripted.

The world misses Chaplin, Keaton, Laurel and Hardy. Even Norman Wisdom, Tony Handcock, and Max Miller not forgetting the great circus clowns Coco, Charlie Cairoli, Soviet clown Mickhail Rumyantser and the American Emmett Kelly. They have gone and no one replaced them and until they do the world will stop laughing.

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