The "Good Clown" Days

As I've said before, back in the day, for Halloween parties and other special occasions where a costume was apropos, my default costume was loosely based on Emmett Kelly. He was sort of the "bum" clown, with a sad face and a five-o'clock shadow. I'm distantly related to him, so that was cool. I got away with so much shit wearing this costume that occasionally I'd do it just for the fun of it. 

 In fact, I was "clowning around" when this photo was taken. We were having professional photos made, and I decided to do the clown thing. The parrot was the photographer's idea. I wasn't supposed to be a pirate, but what the fuck. My mom was going through some of my dad's stuff and found it. Too funny, ha-ha.

 Some people have always been afraid of clowns, and understandably so, and there have always been scary clowns, but the era of the "creepy clown" didn't really go mainstream until two decades or so ago. Maybe the movie It jumpstarted it all...who knows. It used to be okay to be a clown. I miss those days.

 Some years back, sightings of "creepy clowns" in the woods, roaming streets and even appearing near schools and such began. After almost two years it died-down, made a bit of a resurgence, but we haven't heard that much lately, what with life being a clown show these days. I'll say again that I'll never forget one day about five years ago, when several schools were actually in lockdown due to sightings of "creepy clowns" in the woods nearby that morning, and it was right near us.

 I t was surreal walking the dogs while the local schools were under lockdown, and scanning the woods for the possible presence of a creepy clown. How crazy is that? I knew that the world was further losing its collective mind when things like that were happening. My ex didn't want to go on the midnight walk that night. She was terrified of running into a creepy clown. I have to admit it's a bit of a mindfuck. I told her not to worry, if I saw a clown I'd honk his nose and then pepper-spray him, but she wasn't amused. 

 There was a time during all that where you'd get the shit beaten out of you if you were caught wearing a clown costume, but my clown days were mostly before things got this fucked-up. The crazy shit I got away with...I realize that pretty much any costume gives a person an "alter ego," and the right to behave differently, within reason. Even so there was something about a clown costume, and maybe even this clown costume.

 It wasn't the traditional funny clown with the bulb nose, although I did carry a squirt-flower many times, it was more...I don't know...subtle maybe. Without wearing a mask, it was amazing how it completely changed my appearance. I could walk right up to people and they wouldn't recognize me. It was somehow disarming, and people kinda expected you to do crazy shit dressed like a clown, and I got away with some shit I still can't believe. 

 Seeing as how I'm all old and skinny and gnarly now, seeing this photo was a bit of a shock. Of course about half a century has passed since it was taken, but back then I didn't make a bad-looking clown really, if I do say so myself. No wonder I got so much high-quality pussy. Heck, I'd'a done me. Cheers, Emmett!