Clash, as in Anti-fasc

I was uncomfortable opening the wrestling+clown toy chest. And then, I made it fun for myself and I got comfortable. That was a sign that it's time to make myself uncomfortable again.

I haven't been racking my brain about Clash Clown merely to write circles around my TV watching habits. That's part of it, sure. But that's also the writing equivalent of whipping together snacks while entertaining guests to put off getting messy putting together a meal.

I'm not the know-it-all I wish I was. I don't even feel like a know-enough for this. But here's what's important, and what taking a bigger bite would mean:

Get in the Hippy Clown Bus.

I'm fortunate enough to have been raised around a community where some fascinating history and inspiring figures are too present and interesting to take for granted. My outlook and perspective have been shaped by nomadic, radically countercultural clown hippies. I want Clash Clown to be a way for me to investigate, share and create work inspired by this peculiar lineage.

I'm Jewish, Got a Problem With That?

Stop me if you've heard this before, but I have a complicated relationship with my Jewish identity. I love being Jewish, somehow. I don't feel connected to practicing a Jewish spirituality outside of a self-deprecating, prickly ambivalence. I feel a Jewish spiritual call to combat fascism everywhere. I feel a Jewish depth and darkness when I consider the violence and the waters rising around us. I look up to my Jewish heroes, I feel a camaraderie and affection for Jewish humor. I envision Clash Clown as a way to carry guiding light into unexplored halls of identity, heritage, tradition and history that I've been avoiding out of fear of a heaviness I cannot endure. Consider the Jewish clown folk hero, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

The Truth is Out There.

I invented none of these concepts. I've just been looking for my container, my excuse, my encouragement to finally enjoy and do something about it. I want to learn through teaching and sharing. This brings me back to the not being a know-it-all. All of the clown books, the hippy books, the jewish books, the world history, the movies, documentaries, shows, damn. I feel dwarfed by a the mountain I want to eat, in the off chance I can digest and pass something even remotely worth our time. I'm getting ahead of myself. This is just a taste. A whiff. A honk.