Americans may be seeing a lot less clowns in the near future, as the United States is currently experiencing a shortage of them, according to industry insiders.
The World Clown Organization, the largest clown trade organization in the country, has reported a drastic decline in membership over the past decade. Reasons for this drop include old age of current clowns, higher standards for being a clown, and a decrease in popularity among the younger generation. Since 2004, membership dropped from 3,500 to 2,500, marking a 28% decrease. Glen Kohlberger, President of Clowns of America International, another clown trade organization, also remarked that there has been a decline in membership.
“What’s happening is attrition,” Kohlberger said. “The older clowns are passing away.”
The profession is also not very appealing to younger people anymore. “What happens is they go on to high school and college and clowning isn’t cool anymore,” Kohlberger added. “Clowning is then put on the back burner until their late 40s and early 50s.”
In addition, being a clown doesn’t pay as much as today’s generation would like, since a birthday party gig for a clown could only earn up to about $300.
“American kids these days are thinking about different careers altogether,” said Cyrus Zavieh, president of New York Clown Alley. “They’re thinking about everything other than clowning.”
Employers of clowns are also raising their standards. Ringling Brothers only accepted 14 clowns out of 531 applicants to their rigorous two week boot-camp at its clown college last year. Only 11 of those clowns were then offered jobs.
“Our audience expects to be wowed,” said David Kiser, Ringling Bros. director of talent. “No longer is it good enough to just drop your pants and focus on boxer shorts.”
However, some say the clown shortage situation is being exaggerated. Jeff Seal, a clown and filmmaker, told Gothamist that young people simply do not want to join trade unions.
“There are still a lot of younger people becoming clowns, they’re just not joining the Clowns of America International,” Seal stated. “It’s more of a generational thing I think.”
