NO JOKE

Clown Shortage Plagues Nation

Membership in clown organizations is plummeting.

Clowning around is just not as popular as it used to be. The World Clown Association reports that membership has fallen from about 3,500 to 2,005 in the past decade. “The challenge is getting younger people involved in clowning,” said Association President Deanna (Dee Dee) Hartmier. Most of her organization's members are over 40. President Glen Kohlberger of Clowns of America International also reported that the number of registered professional clowns in their organization has dramatically dropped since 2006, though he wouldn't reveal the exact numbers. “What happens is they go on to high school and college and clowning isn’t cool anymore,” he said. “Clowning is then put on the back burner until their late 40s and early 50s.”