There’s a Worldwide Shortage of Clowns

We talked about this on the air a few weeks ago and a recent convention confirms it:  the world is facing a looming clown shortage. 

A combination of factors, including diminishing wages, competition from aerialists (really!), and a lack of interest from a younger generation have contributed to the decline.  According to an Australian broadcasting service,  the World Clown Association claims to have 2500 members, a 30% decline in the last ten years.

Apparently, work has become hard to come by with companies cutting back on corporate entertainment; however, cruise ships are said to be a good source of steady  work.  Can you imagine being stuck on a ship with a clown..no escape!  It was interesting that the article cites competition from the aerialist racket as one of the reasons for shrinking numbers; who would have guessed that aerialists made better money because of higher demand?  Another problem is the graying of the clown population; most of the WCA’s members are over 40.

Do you like clowns or would you be ok if there were no more clowns? Leave your comments below.