
Modern Clowning in Los Angeles - aarmenante
https://www.dorsia.io/cities/los-angeles/articles/clown-schools-los-angeles
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0db532a0
I think back, with a tear in my eye, to the halcyon days when Yucko the Clown
[1] was on MTV.

[1] [https://youtu.be/ka9e4bWaoPI](https://youtu.be/ka9e4bWaoPI)

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seattle_spring
Wow, that would cause an unprecedented amount of moral outrage if it were on
TV today.

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nfoz
Has anything changed? This sort of crass humour is still on TV. Has the
percentage of the population that disapproves of this type of humour really
changed? Maybe the nature or visibility of "outrage" has changed? even just by
social-media + the politicization of us-vs-them moral culture wars?

Our perception of "what is causing outrage, by whom and how much" is being
used as a political weapon across basically all media, as far as I can tell.
So it's pretty hard to tell in what ways some culture(s) / subcultures might
be changing over time.

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mattzito
Fwiw, years ago I studied clowning under David Bridel, the head of one of the
clown schools in the article. I think it’s worth noting that clowning is a
really fascinating cross between improv and commedia del’arte, where there are
these very structured roles people play. It’s an under appreciated art.

Edit: for the record, I was terrible at clowning in my early 20s and always
wished I was better.

~~~
jimsmart
Years ago I studied clowning under Didier Danthois.

I agree: it's definitely a fascinating and under appreciated art.

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sbuttgereit
For my money, Puddles Pity Party does the take on this that I can most relate
to...

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zclrGl_peZg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zclrGl_peZg)

A bit of a different take on the Pierrot. He builds more of a character that
draws you in with well performed songs and the "clowning" tends to be more
subtle (outside of the costume of course).

His version of the old Cheap Trick song "I Want You to Want Me" I like rather
more than the original...
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3O1XojnTag](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3O1XojnTag)

He does well with Queen tunes, too...
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvX9GxDDPYc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvX9GxDDPYc)

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gregsadetsky
If you’re in LA, you absolutely owe it to yourself to go see the Murge, the
monthly show mentioned in the article. [0]

This wonderful group of people (Wet the Hippo) also teach classes in LA and an
upcoming condensed one in Toronto.

My experience taking those classes was frightening and liberating. It’s
“improv” but there’s no story — it’s you. On stage. “Naked”. With no material.
Aided by the great instructions and teachers, you show yourself to the
audience and make “bad” (or “idiotic”) choices and then follow them. And
people do, sometimes, laugh, a lot.

That feeling (of both being in an involved audience and playing and exposing
truths and things that are scary and private) is absolutely addicting.

0 - [https://www.theidiotworkshop.com/the-
murge](https://www.theidiotworkshop.com/the-murge)

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seattle_spring
Is this where you can learn to be Tartuffe, the spry wonder dog?

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DyslexicAtheist
if I could wish for a super power it would be invisibility. I'd go to 19th
century Paris find a mime artist performing on the street, and kick the shit
out of him. Everyone watching would think he was absolutely brilliant.

slightly off topic but best Frankie Boyle joke ever.

