Monday, December 22, 2008

Book quotation

This week is again Terry Pratchett. What can I say, the man's just really funny to me. I like his books! This one is entitled Men at Arms.

No clowns were funny. That was the whole purpose of a clown. People laughed at clowns, but only out of nervousness. The point of clowns was that, after watching them, anything else that happened seemed enjoyable. It was nice to know there was someone worse off than you. Someone had to be the butt of the world.

So I have mixed feelings about this particular passage. On the one hand, looking over my life I can still point to my trip to the circus when I was about 24 as one of the most exciting times ever - yeah, you heard me; I was 24 (not 4) and I could barely sit still from excitement. I loved the clowns.

On the other hand, how many creepy killer clown movies are there? Could it be that I am in a rare minority that enjoys clowns while the rest of the world agrees with Mr. Pratchett that clowns are something to edge nervously away from, all the while showing neither your back nor your fear? As my little sister pointed out, no one has lips that big. What's that all about? Also, who can think of clowns without thinking of this (evidence both to the wrongness of clowns *and* Tim Curry).

At any rate, I think the statement (and the sentiment behind it) is really funny (even if I've creeped myself out looking for stuff about clowns).

1 comment:

Kristina P. said...

I do think that clowns are generally scary and creepy.