Tuition was free but entry was difficult. Buster Keaton and Bugs Bunny were on the curriculum. You graduated with a wig, giant shoes, and full makeup. Welcome to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College.
Gage Skidmore [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
And they had some famous graduates too: Bill Irwin of Elmo’s World (I mentioned him in an earlier post); Steve-O from Jackass; Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller fame; and Steven Banks, who amongst other things was head writer of Spongebob Squarepants for six years.
The college closed in 1997. I wonder where aspirational clowns go now?
Categories: Arts Education & philosophy Film & television Theatre
The Generalist
I live in Auckland, New Zealand, and am curious about most things.
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