Ringling Bros. Kilted Clown

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

Hi Todd,

Not at all. I was not trying to block anyone's right to have a differing opinion. It just seems that sometimes we get into disagreements and try to be politically correct to the extreme. He double hockey sticks, it has gotten so bad in some situations that I want to make a comment to someone at work and feel afraid to because I don't want somebody to get the wrong idea. If a clown wearing a kilt is offensive or non-PC, then why is a clown wearing pants not? Maybe it is because I saw the show, but the kilt was no more than a piece of clothing. The clown could have been wearing pants, a skirt, lederhosen, or speedos and still would have been funny because of his antics, not what he was wearing. I am just saying that I did not take offense or see that it was offensive. Others can and will have differnet opinions.

[Ugly Bear]

Oh, for crap's sake. This isn't about being PC or having a sense of humor or being hypersensitive or having a good cry on Oprah's couch. This is about, do you want to support Ringling Bros. circus because one of their clowns is kilted? I say no, and I think I've laid out my case pretty well.

If anyone else wants to play the part of the stewardess at the beginning of "Anger Management," go ahead.

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

...This is about, do you want to support Ringling Bros. circus because one of their clowns is kilted? I say no, and I think I've laid out my case pretty well....

I just went back and read the original post and there was no request to support Ringling Bros. because there was a clown wearing a kilt. Like all the other postings in the "Kilts in the Media" forum, somebody was just pointing out where they had seen someone in a kilt and letting us know we could see it too, if we wished.

[Ugly Bear]

... somebody was just pointing out where they had seen someone in a kilt and letting us know we could see it too, if we wished.

And THAT is supporting Ringling Bros.

If this tour is coming to a city near you
you just might see Luke, the kilted clown.

Just because he used the words "if" and "might" doesn't mean that he's not promoting support for Ringling Bros. My position is that doing so is ... mighty iffy.

Am I smacking Heath for his suggestion? No, just declining the suggestion and spelling out why.

[lrpddrummie]

I think it is kind of funny that folks are getting all bent out of shape over a circus clown who wears a kilt and worried about a negative image of kilt wearing but yet we see people making fun of the kilt all over the place. Did anybody organize a boycott against ABC for putting Jim Belushi in a kilt, has anybody protested outside the FOX network headquarters because of Willie on the Simpson’s, even better, a great number of members on this site drool over Monarch of the Glen but yet the kilted character is a buffoon (down with PBS!!!), and to be honest there are a lot of pictures of kilted members on this site that look like clowns in some of the outfits they have put together. Call out the fashion police there is a group of guys wearing table cloths as kilts at the local Ren Faire; let’s put a stop to Ren Faire’s. This is all ridiculous, if one is going to worry about one clown at a circus wearing a kilt and creating a negative image then one needs worry about all the negative imaginary out there. Let’s get real if you are not going to support the circus do it for a good reason like the mistreatment of animals not a kilted clown.

[Ugly Bear]

Okay, I propose a boycott of people who think that declining support is the same thing as a boycott. Furthermore, I will boycott people who imply that their broad generalizations are in fact my opinions, or ought to be. Oh, and I boycott these types who insist that argument in any form is an act of hostility.

In short, I see no point in arguing with people who don't know how to argue.

Any relevent points left in this thread? Any? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

[646guy]

This entire discussion reminds me of when I worked in the theatre and was part of a touring company of Nunsense 2: The Second Coming. We were going to be doing a large benefit performance for one of the major Catholic charities and it almost got cancelled because a small group felt that the performance mocked the Catholic religion and nuns in general (Mother Superior and Sister Hubert get drunk on sake, there's a big can-can number, the Catholic guide to gift giving that had subtle penis jokes, etc).

It came down to the head of the charity pretty much saying that life shouldn't taken so seriously and there are some pretty humorous things about being Catholic. If you can't laugh at yourself, then who else can you laugh at? When you wear a kilt, you're basically putting yourself out there for stares from people who aren't used to seeing it, people who will call it a "skirt," people who will ridicule you for your choice, etc. But we don't care? No. We put another one on the next day and get the same stares and comments but we still continue to wear tham and enjoy doing it.

Everyday we wear a kilt there's probably someone who hasn't ever seen someone in person garbed that way. They may have seen it on TV but never in person. We're showing them that the kilt can be a very formal piece of attire but also something very casual and everyday as well. It opens eyes, minds, and perceptions about the garment and the people who wear them.

I understand both sides of the argument and think that everyone has valid points. But as lrpddrummie pointed out, there could be a lot worse things out there than a person doing their job in a kilt...and in this case, the guy is a clown performing for audiences nationwide.

[lrpddrummie]

Ugly Bear,

You have become blinded by your opinion and completely missed my point. You said you see no point in arguing with people who do not how to argue but yet you offered no counter argument to my point. You said in your original post that having a circus clown in a kilt is not a dignified means of promoting kilts as an alternative to trousers (This is called paraphrasing so don't get your panties in a bunch)

Oh, good. Here I was just wondering what we could do to promote kilt-wearing as a viable option to trousers, and the answer comes: a kilted clown. Of course. That'll make kilts seem dignified.

Does Ringling Bros. get my support for this? Uhh ... no.

My point was not about the definitions of the words "boycott" or "support" I am arguing that if you are going to look at a circus clown in kilt as having a potentially negative impact on the kilted community then you need to look at all the negative sources i.e. the portrayal of Duncan and Willie as buffoons.

[Ugly Bear]

You have become blinded by your opinion and completely missed my point. You said you see no point in arguing with people who do not how to argue but yet you offered no counter argument to my point.

Why not? Here it comes:

... I am arguing that if you are going to look at a circus clown in kilt as having a potentially negative impact on the kilted community then you need to look at all the negative sources i.e. the portrayal of Duncan and Willie as buffoons.

That's like saying that if you drink a glass, then you have to drink an ocean. Your point is nonsense. That's why I didn't respond to it. That's why I wouldn't have responded to it if you hadn't cried fowl.

Oh, well. As long as your straw man is up there, I'll expedite it with a quick whack.

I haven't seen much of MotG, but from what I gather, Duncan is not a clown in any sense of the word. Being hapless doesn't make you a clown. Being comic relief doesn't make you a clown. If you see Duncan and a circus clown as equivalents, you are being willfully and pitifully obtuse.

And "obtuse" is what I think of your side's position. You are still doing nothing to shake my argument. I'll restate it so that you may take it on, and not some cartoonish interpretation of it:

"I see no reason to go to Ringling Bros. circus to promote kilt-wearing."

That's the position. Grab a stick and get busy.

[mbhandy]

Most of the time I hate clowns, because they are so saad or making fun of other clowns. :-(

MrBil

PS I would still go to the circus.