America's largest clown institutions are in jeopardy, as obstacles including lack of interest and old age has made memberships decline, resulting in a general lack of clowns, the New York Daily News reported in an exclusive.
The clown shortage could not have come at a worse time, for the circus Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is set to return to Brooklyn on Thursday.
Clown organizations, like Clowns of America International, have seen membership decline over the past ten years. In addition to a lack of enthusiasm for the profession, being hired as a clown is now more difficult because the standards are higher.
"What's happening is attrition," Glen Kohlberger, president of Clowns of America, told the New York Daily News. "The clowns are passing away."
Kohlberger said membership has declined since 2006. Part of the reason is that it's not easy to get young people who are interested in becoming clowns to actually pursue it when they get older.
"What happens is they go on to high school and college and clowning isn't cool anymore," Kohlberger told the Daily News. "Clowning is then put on the back burner until their late 40s and early 50s."
The nation's largest clown trade organization, World Clown Association, has seen its numbers drop from around 3,500 to 2,500 over the last decade, the Daily News reported. Deanna Hartmier said most of her clowns are over 40-years-old.
New York Clown Alley President Cyrus Zavieh said another reason for the decline in interest is the lack of money. At birthday parties clowns can earn $300, however that is not enough to draw young people in, the Daily News reported.
"American kids these days are thinking about different careers altogether," Zavieh told the Daily News. "They're thinking about everything other than clowning."
This year, only 11 clowns out of 531 applicants were offered jobs with the 95-year-old Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
"Our audience expects to be wowed," Ringling Bros. Director of Talent David Kiser told the Daily News. "No longer is it good enough to just drop your pants and focus on boxer shorts."