Clowns are designed to make us laugh by reflecting and engorging our faults and foibles. At the same time, they also warn us about social "wrongs" -- the Koyemsi of the Zuni are one example of this. Because clowns are intended to make us laugh, a sad clown (e.g., Rigoletto) or an evil one (as in recent horror movies) juxtaposes our natural expectation of laughter with sadness -- and in the case of evil, demonstrates how closely evil and laughter can be. Clowns fulfill a remarkable function in human society, a function the contemporary comedians (at least in the US) do not.

When the white thigh of history is finally thrown over what passes for our culture, one of the judgements will be that we should have cloned clowns.