BRING IN THE CLOWNS

No, this is not a post about the Democrats taking over the House and Senate. Rather, the Baby and I are watching the Macy's Parade. That is, we are watching scattered moments of the parade in between long stretches of commercials.

Anyway, we were looking at the clowns and trying to decide why they have them in parades and circuses. I mean, have you looked at a clown up close? They are creepy! They wear garish make up with exaggerated features and strange clothes. Most little kids are scared of them. The Baby says she is still scared of them and she is 19.

If you have ever taken a child to the circus, you probably experienced this. You know, look Junior, talk to the clown. Junior: Waaaaaaaaa! The clown moves on to terrorize and traumatize another kid.

I wonder if, when you go to clown school, they tell you the Great Clown secret, that clowning is really about fear and not comedy, and the joke is really on the crowds, while the clowns laugh it up to themselves behind their grotesque masks.