Clown Horizon

Clowns Horizon:

What is in stores for clowns in the near future, well let’s see I would gladly like to think there isn’t but if I did say that I would be quite wrong, as in the year 2012 a movie is being called: “Clown”.

Here is a synopsis of the movie:

“Clown follows the story of a loving father who dons a clown outfit and make-up to perform at his son's sixth birthday, only to later discover the costume – red nose and wig included – will not come off, and his own personality changing in horrific fashion. To break the curse of the evil outfit, the father must make grim choices with his own family facing danger.”

(Christopher D. Ford. 2012)

To be honest I reckon the dad deserves the punishment he is going to be getting in the movie when it is released, shows him for dressing up as a clown, I mean really why would you? What compels a person to do such a thing, sorry emotions taking over again.

There sadly is not a picture or poster of the movie yet, but I am sure whatever the poster is, it is going to be creepy.

Also in the horizon there is something that involves clowns but perhaps not in the way you would have expected, I am talking about the clown fish.

(Happy Island Toys Co., Ltd. . (2011).

Here is a costume that is coming out in 2012 for kids and it is of a clown fish, so it is still something to do with clowns, just not in the terms you would have expected.

I am sure you have seen clowns making animal shaped balloons, but now you can get helium balloons in the shape of a clown fish also with the designs to match. 

(Dongguan Wulay Balloon Sales Department . 2011).

If this was not enough to make you wonder, they are also remote controlled so you can control your clown fish to go wherever you command. 

Also on the horizon are yearly calendars, still going with the clown fish theme.

(calendar club. 2011).

 As you can see above the calendar is of tropical fish, but as the clownfish is a tropical fish they come into the same category.

Here is a small section of an article to show that they are a tropical fish.

“The darting and playful clown fish are probably the most recognizable tropical fish with their orange and white stripes.”

(S. Mithra. 2011).

I would like to move onto something more educational when it comes to circuses and clowns in general. 

Which brings me to dance and drama, just because you dress up as a clown does not necessary mean that you are a qualified clown. As it takes more than just makeup to make sure the audience you are going to entertain believe that you are the real deal. A lot of training and dedication goes into this. 

(Robert Hurwitt.  2007).  

Due to the rise of the national average cost of university course charges, there is some information available for people that would like to go into dance and drama.

 

“Higher education funding is changing from 2012 and Circus Space, along with all the affiliate schools of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama, is working to ensure that our courses remain accessible to all students and that we continue to recruit on the basis of talent alone.

Fees for UK/EU students applying for the Foundation or BA Hons Degree in Circus Arts are set at £9,000 per year. If you are new to higher education, you can apply for a tuition fee loan from the Government and you will not have to pay anything up front. You won’t have to pay back your loan until after you have graduated and are earning over £21,000.”

(circus arts. 2011).

(http://au.totaltravel.yahoo.com. 2011).

I was quite surprised at this as I knew the fee would rise but I had no idea that it would be the same for clown schools or circus arts whatever term you are more familiar with.

There is a famous circus called “cirque du soleil” and every year they perform and dance for people all around the world.

(http://dedica.la. 2011)

They are back in 2012 and touring Canada. 

“Tickets for an all-new touring show to open in Montreal on the Quays of the Old Port next spring will be on sale starting October 12. Cirque 2012 (working title) is the 32th production from Cirque du Soleil since its beginnings in 1984.”

(cirquedusoleil. 2011).

(Daniel Deme/EPA. 2009)

You never know if circus art pays off you might be able to get into cirque du soleil which would definitely be worth it in my opinion.

There is also a movie coming out in 2012 called “The Dead Circus”, even though it has not got anything to do with clowns it still has a meaning. Often people say “Oh my it is like a circus in there!”

(http://portfo.li.  2011).

The movie is about a singer’s death, his name was Bobby Fueller who was a musician, and did a cover to the song “I Fought The Law”

Let’s have a quick look at Bobby Fueller’s death to get a broader understanding on what the movie is going to involve.

“Deceased was found lying face down in front seat of car--a gas can, 1/3 full, cover open--windows were all rolled up & doors shut, not locked--keys not in ignition". The report also noted excessive bruising on his chest and shoulders, and attributed the cause of death to asphyxiation "due to inhalation of gasoline". 

Bobby had been drenched with the gasoline, and he was in a state of rigor mortis. His body appeared battered, and his right finger was broken, as if it had been bent back. The police attributed his death to suicide, with the report stating that there was "no evidence of foul play." So basically he beat himself up, broke his finger, and then drenched himself with gasoline. Oh yeah, that makes sense. The case remains closed and sealed under California law. Bobby was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery, in Burbank.”

(Kevin Hassell. 2008).

(mchdaily . unknown).

Even though this movie as nothing to do with clowns or circus as the term might suggest, there is one thing to keep in mind.

 

When people type the title of this movie in, they are bound to find some information linking them to actual circuses and clowns, which in terms means that clowns and circuses are not going to be extinct in the near future at least.

Conclusion:

I conclude that horizon in the clown section most definitely has a cultural relevance and a very long one at that, this is if we take cirque du soleil into account as it has been around since 1984 which is definitely a long time indeed if it is still going into 2012 which is next year, so all in all even in the horizon part of clown history it remains to have some grounds of cultural relevance.

Superstition Horizon

 

Superstition Horizon:

When it comes to superstition, it is quite hard to see what is evolving but I guess we can still take into account the name superstition and see what pops up. I have come up with something that does kind of relate to superstition which is to come out in 2012.

Voodoo is also part of superstition and as I was saying earlier in 2012 a baseball bat that the company “Demarini” has produced has been named “Voodoo”.

The company has gone with a very supernatural approach to market their baseball bat, here is how they describe the bat:

“Unleash Some Evil. BBCOR Approved.

Spellbinding, ain't it? The mere sight of a DeMarini Voodoo puts opposing teams into a trance. And for good reason. Voodoo supernaturally combines an advanced SC4 Alloy barrel with our exclusive Tri Strut TR3 Composite Handle. Its BBCOR certified to comply with the new rules and regs for 2012 high school play, but it has a unique weight advantage over other aluminium bats. That's because DeMarini's patent-pending Taper Ring Technology adds weight closer to the taper off the bat, resulting in a gargantuan sweet spot and wicked swing speeds. In other words, it's evil through and through.”

(bbcorbats. (07/11/11).

As you can see the way they have approached the audience and trying to sell their upcoming product is by using supernatural words to give an eerie feel to the baseball bat, as if to say with this bat anything is possible.

Here is a picture of the bat:

(bbcorbats. 2011).

There is a movie coming out in the year 2012 called “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters”, and here is a small summary to explain what the movie is about.

 (Posts (Atom).  2011)

“15 years after their traumatic gingerbread-house incident, siblings Hansel and Gretel have become a formidable team of bounty hunters who track and kill witches all over the world.”

(Posts (Atom).  2011)

(Posts (Atom).  2011)

Witches are part of superstition so in a sense this movie is carrying on the spirit of superstition so to say, as they both have a link to each other.

Because if people go and watch this movie and then go home and research witches they are bound to come across something that ties back to superstitions or something related to supernatural things and that will most likely link back to superstitions.

So saying that, I do believe that superstition yet still has a glimmer of hope in the future.

  

(Posts (Atom).  2011)

Halloween is full of superstitions so Disney has gone with a different approach and hosted a “Halloween at Disneyland”

 (daveeeed.tumblr.com. 2011 ).

This is what they say on the front page.

“Throughout October 2012, you're all invited to the wonderfully scary Halloween celebrations at Disneyland Paris!

The Halloween festival promises to be even more spooky and scary! Come celebrate with your favourite Disney Characters and meet a whole host of new ones!”

(admin. 2011)

(admin. 2011)

Even though this is meant for kids, if they say it offers spooks and scares I believe them and I am sure they will go all out on the Halloween theme. This makes me believe that if Disney is hosting these kinds of events then the superstition tradition will surely carry on as kids will surely not forget something that Disney has provided them.

Every year there is a festival in china called:” Ullambana”, which means “The Hungry Ghost Festival”. 

(Somewhere in the world today .  2011 ).

Here is a quote from the site to make a bit more sense about what this festival is about.

“It is believed that ancestors can influence a person’s luck in this life and so during the festival the Chinese have extravagant family meals always setting a place for any deceased family members. Small offerings are left to the spirits and paper effigies of daily items such as money, cars, TVs etc are burned for the spirits to use in the afterlife”.

(Somewhere in the world today .  2011 ).

 (admin .  2009 ).

So every year in china they hold this festival for the spirits that are in unrest and to please them they offer them gifts which can include anything from money to food for them to supposedly have in the afterlife. I guess they do this just so that they do not restlessly wander around, or start to haunt their close ones.

  (http://www.formosatravel.net. 2010). 

This is quote is especially interesting.

“Floating lanterns filled with Lotus flowers and candles are sent off into water (presumably carefully so as not to get dragged in!) and also into the air, which signifies giving directions to the lost ghosts and spirits.”

(Somewhere in the world today .  2011 ).

(drpyro . 2009).

This to me suggests that superstition is taken very seriously in china, the reason I say this is due to the fact that every year to go through so much trouble and offer sometimes expensive gifts all to please the people that have passed on to help guide them into the afterlife.

But the thing that also gets me is the part where they let the floating lanterns into the water to direct the ghosts to the right place, and they believe that if they are not careful when going about this then they can be dragged into the water! That is quite a suggestion, I mean the share thought of that is quite frightening.

(Anna.  2011

It is not like they are saying they going to drag you under and keep you there under water but still the idea of being dragged into the water by something that is not living are quite scary indeed.

Conclusion:

I conclude from what I have done for the superstition horizon that tradition has a cultural relevance in china especially when it comes to the superstition and supernatural side of life.

Also that companies name their baseball bats after things that relate to superstitions, normally this would not be a cultural relevance but in America, baseball is a big part of American culture and generates a lot of money for the sport, so in that respect it does have a cultural relevance. 

Clown Present

Clown Present 

 In this section of clowns in the present I am going to introduce harlequins, well a different take on it.

The game Batman Arkham Asylum has a character called Harley Quinn which is play on words off the word harlequin. 

“9. Harley Quinn (voiced by Arleen Sorkin)”

(Josh. 2009).

She is listed as number 9 on the characters that are in the batman arkham asylum game.

Harley Quinn is dressed like a harlequin, which is suitable as the person she is in love with is the joker another form of clown. 

The game batman arkham asylum and the newly released batman arkham city has her in it and she is actually dressed like a harlequin would do with a slight modern take on the costume, she is the prime example that clowns still play a role in today’s society. Even though it might be connecting with the gaming audience it is still relevant. 

So let’s get some background information about Harley Quinn.

“Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, also known as Harley Quinn, first appeared in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Jokers Favor" (episode #022, original air date: September 11, 1992) where she served as a humorous female sidekick to the Joker. In her first appearances she was depicted as a character completely devoted to the Joker, totally oblivious to his psychotic nature and his obvious lack of affection for her - a characterization that has remained more or less consistent throughout her subsequent appearances. Her name is a play on the word 'harlequin'.”

(unknown. 2008).

Here is a picture of her from the batman comics:

(clownyprincess. 2010)

Here is a picture of her from the Batman Arkham asylum game:

(J Patrick Ohlde.  2009 ).

And here is the latest picture of her from the new Batman Arkham city game:

(CyberneticR. 2011).

Because she absolutely loves the joker more than he loves her, she said something to describe her love for the joker:

“"My love for my Joker was stronger than their madhouse walls."” 

(unknown. 2011).

That quote is relevant as joker is seen as being completely insane, hence why she chose the words madhouse, Harley is by the joker’s side no matter what. Even though the joker does not show Harley how he feels or tells her how he feels, he does care because if he didn’t he would probably not have kept her around.

There are even dolls made of Harley Quinn that are found on eBay which is an auctioning site for almost everything. Even the price is a lot for a simple doll which shows that even in this time and era dolls of a clown breed is still popular. Yeah sure the doll might be of a psychopath with no remorse when it comes to killing people, nonetheless it is still popular in this day and age, what a scary world we live in.

(Mattel.  2011).

Moving onto a worldwide known clown that goes by the name of Ronald McDonald, wait….what... I hear you saying how can he possibly be in the present, there just is no way he is... sadly friends he very much is present, let me break it down for you.

What people forget is that the company “McDonalds” has been around since the dawn of time, slowly but surely infiltrating the minds of young ones with their very weird looking clown by the name of Ronald McDonald.

I hope you can sense the sarcasm in that paragraph anyway back on point on how he is relevant, well it cannot be possible the first ever person who portrayed this clown is still doing it for the McDonalds commercials, no.. What McDonalds have cleverly done is, every few years they pick a person and tell him to relive this horrid nightmare or they will bug him until he does it anyway (sarcasm is evident still).  The person portraying him presently goes by the name of Brad Lennon, he also has a Facebook. 

(American Badass 607.  2010).

As if this would not have been enough to make you question what world we live in, they actually have awards for clowns.

Yeah you heard or shall I say read right, they now have awards for clown of the year.

Well the person we are going to have a look at is amazing, he has managed to humiliate himself, no I do apologise I cannot let my emotions control my actions, I do apologise if people are offended by what I say, I promise it’s just a bit of humour no offence is intended. 

Well 2011 clown of the year goes by the name “Earl “Orky” Temkin”.

He was named clown of the year by the “World Clown Association”

Here is a picture of the winner:

( Joyce Payne. 2011).

Going back into some serious clown business a person has also been given the title of clown of the year by a person from the website Dallas drilling.

Anyway he has managed to win this award 2 years in a row, he won the 2010 clown of the year and now has won the 2011 clown of the year. 

He goes by the name of Rick Perry and is the governor of Texas which is in America.

Here is a picture of Rick Perry:

(concerned64. 2010).

Here is a small section of what has been written about him which explains why they gave him this title.

“CLOWN GOVERNOR RICK PERRY

He performs his acts in a state that encourages unethical behaviour between industry and state regulators. He skates by any investigation or inquiry into these practices while proclaiming that Texas is open for business. As the state continues to slide into becoming the dirtiest state in the country and his other clowns help to continue the masquerade, the rest of us pay the price with a dirty environment and ill health.”

(concerned64. 2010).

Conclusion:

In the clown present I found that there are different terms of the word clown, whether it comes from fictional characters or governors that really mess up badly when it comes to their jobs.

So I conclude that clown in the present also has a cultural relevance just like its past history has a cultural relevance, even though if the culture is the gaming world and has only characters to relate to.