Clowning, Minstrelsy, and the Racist Roots We Need to Talk About

Clowning is often seen as playful, absurd, and a form of universal humor. But like many performance traditions, it has a complicated and uncomfortable history—one that is deeply intertwined with racism. Many of the tropes we associate with clowning today—exaggerated features, slapstick humor, and even costume elements—have roots in Blackface minstrelsy, a genre of entertainment built on mocking Black people.

A lot of my knowledge on this subject comes from @Daintyfunk’s insightful YouTube video, which I highly encourage everyone to watch after reading this post. Their breakdown of how minstrelsy shaped clowning sheds light on an issue that often gets overlooked in discussions about performance art.

The Influence of Minstrel Shows on Clowning

Minstrel shows, which gained popularity in the 19th and early 20th centuries, were a form of racist entertainment where white performers (and sometimes Black performers under pressure) donned Blackface to portray exaggerated, degrading caricatures of Black people. These performances exaggerated features—big lips, wide eyes, oversized clothes—while relying on buffoonish physical humor, often making Black people the butt of the joke.

Sound familiar? These same exaggerated aesthetics became foundational in clown performances. The grotesque makeup, the clumsy physicality, the oversized shoes—many of these elements parallel the dehumanizing portrayals seen in minstrel shows.

Even as clowning evolved into circus and theatrical performances, remnants of its racialized past remained embedded in the art form. Certain clown characters, like the Auguste clown, with its big lips and chaotic, bumbling persona, reflect some of the same characteristics popularized in minstrel performances. This isn’t to say all clowning is inherently racist, but it’s important to recognize that these origins shaped what we now consider classic clown aesthetics.

Reckoning With Clowning’s Past

Understanding this history is crucial—not just for clowns and performers but for anyone engaging with the arts. Acknowledging these racist roots isn’t about ‘canceling’ clowning but about recognizing how performance traditions evolve and deciding how we move forward.

Performers, especially white performers, should ask:

What elements of clowning am I using without understanding their history?
How can I avoid perpetuating harmful stereotypes?
How can clowning be reclaimed, decolonized, and made more inclusive?
For Black performers, there’s also a question of reclamation. Can clowning be reimagined in ways that reject its racist past and instead serve as a tool for resistance, subversion, and joy? I believe so, and I see many performers doing exactly that.

Watch, Learn, and Support Black Educators

If this is new information to you, I encourage you to do more research. A great place to start is @Daintyfunk’s YouTube video on the subject, which dives deep into the history and legacy of minstrelsy’s influence on clowning.

Additionally, if you learned something from this post, consider compensating me for my labor. Black history month isn’t just about acknowledging our past—it’s also about supporting Black educators, artists, and cultural workers who do this work for free. You can find my payment links in my bio.

Let’s unlearn, rethink, and push for clowning that doesn’t carry the weight of racism in its performance.