Oh, I'm sure there are plenty of nice clowns working at festivals and such. It's just that without genuine talent - at comedy, acting, juggling, dance, whatever - they're just tired men in too much makeup. Clowning is like any type of performance art; if you're bad at it then it's really pretty awful to watch. There's much more to it than funny clothing and a big smile. I mean, it's fine if you want someone to come to your child's birthday and make balloon animals, but that's like comparing the ballet lessons you took in kindergarten to the dancing of a professional French ballerina.