Clowns to the Left of Me

One of the most magical characters to me as a child was a clown.

When I was three and I went to the circus with Bob and Meg, I saw the clowns from a distance and could not wait to be spotted by them.

Bob started crying (I guess he wasn't looking forward to it as much I was), but the clown came over anyway and talked. I think he gave us some bubblegum.

To be honest, the only clowns on my own radar were:

 Clarabell the Clown from The Howdy Doody Show, and I don't really remember this firsthand, only from people talking. I was just a smidgen too young. But to my horror, I found out Clarabell was Captain Kangaroo in drag.

Go figure.

Of course, Bozo the Clown was, and I guess is, still famous.

And don't forget Ronald McDonald. Or maybe you should...

And you should really forget Pennywise the Clown from the horror novel, "It" by Stephen King.

Emmett Kelly has been named the most famous of all clowns. He was "Weary Willie" the sad clown who tried to sweep up the spot lights after the Ringling Brother's acts were over. There is a whole market of stuff featuring his sad face, from figurines to coffee mugs. His daughter is/was a pharmacist in Ball Ground, Ga.

Ringling Brother's also had Blinko.

There was Lou Jacob who was an American Circus Clown and is believed to have invented the clown car gag.

Did you know Slim Pickens was a rodeo clown before he became a film actor?

Remember Chuckles the clown on "The Mary  Tyler Moore Show"? In the most watched show of their history, he was trampled to death.

Flunkie the clown from the David Letterman Show read junk mail on the show.

Mr. Noodle on "Sesame Street".

Loonette the Clown on "The Big Comfy Couch"

Buttons, played by Jimmy Stewart in the movie "The Greatest Show on Earth."

When I googled famous clowns, I got names like Abbott & Costello, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Keystone Cops, Laurel & Hardy, Pinky Lee, Martin & Lewis, the Marx Brothers, the Three Stooges, Lucille Ball, Paul Rubens (Pee-Wee Herman), and the guy who plays Mr. Bean.

The one name that really stuck out for me was Red Skelton. Man, I loved him! Clem Kadiddlehopper, The Mean Widdle Kid, Freddie the Freeloader, and more were showcased every week on my television. And Mr. Skelton would get so tickled at his own jokes, he would break down in laughter before he could tell the whole story.

He was also an artist who painted different clown images, sometimes making famous people the clown in the painting.

Whether you like 'em or hate 'em, clowns are for some strange reason, an integral part of our society.

Well, I'm tired of clowning around for now.

As Red Skelton would say, "Good night and God bless."