'I hate clowns'

 Calm down for one second.

Are you saying that because you really hate clowns? Like the exact same hate you dish out on your third grade teacher Mr. McDoodle, because he told you your pride would be your downfall? It's not your attitude that is bad, it's actually just you. Or the same hate you put on your mother-in-law because she thinks you're not good enough for her daughter? I'm sorry, you're good enough - maybe, just maybe it's your FACE.

Calm down. Let's backtrack. Before anyone says anything they regret. 

Clowns exist to throw light on joy, happiness, laughter, life and the human condition. How has social media twisted that outlook to make it so easy for anyone to say "I hate clowns"? It's just like Trump telling us it's ok to be racists now. When has it ever been ok to say "I hate jugglers", or "I hate animals", or "I hate vegetarians"? If we are allowed to hate minorities, or outcasts, or non-mainstream categories of people, then it's a slippery slope. 

Clowns have varied meanings in different cultures. In some, they were the jesters - the truthsayers when the truth was scary. In others, they were the shamans - the healers, the performers of shame to relief the weight of horrible nightmares. In London, they were considered the outcasts, the ones who did not speak proper English, ones who were not born in the city and did not grow up understanding proper culture. 

Clowns play a small role in today's society, because the truth is massively subjective now. Freedom of speech probably made it so. These days, anyone can "speak their truth", and are applauded for it. Stand up is reaching its heights with everyone from different cultures coming together and saying their point of view. Everyone is funny, because everyone has a perspective that is just a little outside of the "norm". Make no mistake, everyone is using clown methods to call out what societal wrongs are.

For me, clown is the inner child in me that never grew up. The one that keeps questioning existence, human nature, the one that gives me permission to dance when I am flooded with emotions. The one that keeps me singing when there is no melody to pluck from the air. The one that makes me hopeful to be here, living. The one that makes me want to connect with other people and say "It's ok, I'm here with you."

Please stop using the phrase "I hate clowns". Say "I watched IT and I hated the man in the scary costume." Or something like that. Don't hate your inner child.

Published on
3/7/19 12:35 AM

This line is so outdated. 

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