Clowns, yes, the outdated entertainers you might've found at a child's birthday party some years ago, have decided to come out with a statement against using the term to describe President Trump.
An opinion piece from the Washington Post reads:
I am a clown and board president of the nonprofit, Clowns Without Borders. I’m here to set the record straight.
Tim Cunningham, the author of the piece, is the board president of a non-profit called Clowns Without Borders, which performs shows for communities facing hardship. It gives them enough credibility for the Washington Post to take, none other than a legitimate clown, as a serious and insightful political commentator.
According to Tim, none of the descriptions of the President as a clown "qualifies Trump for such a title." The study of the art of being a clown "demands years, if not a lifetime, of study."
Furthermore, clowns must share "the common values of healing, empathy and reflection." Their "work touches people in need of joy everywhere." Character traits Mr. Cunningham believes the President lacks, and therefore makes him unworthy of the honor bestowed by the term "clown."
He actually believes all politicians are undeserving of the title. He writes:
Our joyful work has been diminished into an insult. Every election season, the word 'clown' resurfaces to compare tumultuous Washington politics to a circus. Political commentators and social media users are not the only ones who wrongfully sling this jibe. 'Clown' is used by almost everyone to belittle those seen as foolish or incompetent. The more we mistreat the word, the more we lose understanding of a sacred art form.
His call to action begs the public to "find a better metaphor to despise and depose fascism," to "keep Clown out of Trumpian comparisons, and for that matter, all politics." Fortunately, he ends his plea with an alternative word we can use to "clown," in case we feel the need to insult a politician. He tells his readers to try the term "buffoon" instead which will help to "Offer Clown the respect it deserves and invoke [them] for good: in alliance with other artists, activists and humans who believe in a better, happier world."
Forget the economy, the border, or global wars; what really matters is protecting the dignity of clowns. And the Washington Post is on it.
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