I really do wonder about “journalists,” maybe because I used to be one. But I had the advantage of never having attended journalism school.
Yesterday, at the Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City, a well-paid, highly-trained journalist interviewed a couple of clowns who were entertaining the crowd. He asked, “How did you become clowns?” All right: a reasonable question.
“We went to clown school,” was the answer.
He then asked, “What did you learn in clown school?”
What did you learn in clown school? Crikey, what did he think they learned–nuclear physics? French cuisine?
“Uh, we learned how to be clowns.”
Let us draw the curtain over this pitiable scene.
The clowns’ answer wasn’t an answer to the initial question. Yes, they went to clown school, but WHY they decided to go to clown school would have been the answer to “How did you become clowns,” and that should have been the journalist’s next question.
Actually, “what did you learn at clown school” would have been a good followup question to “why did you go to clown school.” What DO people learn there? What specific skills are taught? Makeup and costuming? Acrobatics? Small-car maintenance? The interview might have been interesting and illuminating. But you’re right, Lee: The “journalists” weren’t thinking about learning anything; they just had a sheet of questions that someone gave them, and they got a couple of seconds of air time.
Someone should tell the journalist to stop clowning around. 🙂
Please rephrase what is the most important lesson you learned in Clown college?
They could be from Washington, D.C. Many of our politicians appear to be alumni
My wife doesn’t like clowns at all. Whenever she hears Frank Sinatra’s “Bring in the Clowns” she goes ape and immediately changes the channel. I can take them or leave them (same with Sinatra).