The Semiotics of Clowns and Clowning: Rituals of Transgression and the Theory of Laughter (Bloomsbury Advances in Semiotics)

"During the last 300 years circus clowns have emerged as powerful cultural icons. This is the first semiotic analysis of the range of make-up and costumes through which the clowns' performing identities have been established and go on developing. It also examines what Bouissac terms 'micronarratives' - narrative meanings that clowns generate through their acts, dialogues and gestures. Putting a repertory of clown performances under the semiotic microscope leads to the conclusion that the performances are all interconnected and come from what might be termed a 'mythical matrix'. These micronarratives replicate in context-sensitive forms a master narrative whose general theme refers to the emergence of cultures and constraints that they place upon instinctual behaviour. From this vantage point, each performance can be considered as a ritual which re-enacts the primitive violence inherent in all cultures and the temporary resolutions which must be negotiated as the outcome. Why do these acts of transgression and re-integration then trigger laughter and wonder? What kind of mirror does this put up to society? In a masterful semiotic analysis, Bouissac delves into decades of research to answer these questions."--Bloomsbury Publishing. Cover Contents Introduction 1 The Faces of the Clown Appearance and identity The making of a face Kinds and scales of facial transformations in clowns The crafting of a clown’s makeup The face of dominance Interpreting the face of a clown The modern face of the clown When clowns go postmodern 2 The Costumes of the Clowns The clowns’ trunks The splendor and sophistication of the whiteface The auguste’s misfits and tatters The sociosemiotics and biosemiotics of clown costumes Clowns in drag: Cross-dressing and transvestism 3 The Clown’s Workshop The semiotics of artifacts A visit to Charlie Cairoli’s workshop When clowns play magic Clowns as craftsmen and engineers The clown’s barnyard 4 The Semiotics of Gags What is a gag? Gags in context Rob Torres: A solo clown act in New York The semiotic anatomy of gags The physics of gags 5 The Game of the Rules The language of clowning The straight, the tight, and the loose Identity: One in two, two in one 6 Clown and Trickster Master of tricks Too good to be true Transgression and consequences Master of fire The trickster and his avatars Understanding tricksters and clowns Peering into the cultural past: A reasoned speculation 7 Clowns and Gender Play: The Politics and Economics of Sex Beyond sex and gender Images of desire An odd couple A “normal” couple A bird tale Gender play 8 Clowns, Death, and Laughter Death at the circus Death of the auguste Realm of the macabre: Ghosts, corpses, and skeletons Clowns and death in the arts: Laughter at the edge 9 Profaning the Sacred: The Saga of the Clown The avatars of Clown A grand narrative and its fractal performances The sacred and the profane Putting things inside out and upside down 10 Clowns without Borders Mapping clowns around the world Clowns without borders? Clowning beyond the cultural fences Clowning in Java The gentrification of clowning Clowns with a mission Conclusion: Contribution to the Theory of Laughter What is laughter? The meaning of laughter Senseless laughing Laughing as an addiction: A hypothesis and an agenda References Index Machine generated contents note: Introduction1. The Faces of the ClownAppearance and identityThe making of a faceKinds and scales of facial transformations in clownsThe crafting of a clown's make-upThe face of dominanceInterpreting the face of a clownThe modern face of the clownWhen clowns go post-modern2. The Costumes of the ClownsThe clowns' trunksSplendor and sophistication of the whitefaceThe auguste's misfits and tattersSociosemiotics and biosemiotics of clown costumesClowns in drag: cross-dressing and transvestism3. The Clown's WorkshopThe semiotics of artifactsA visit to Charlie Cairoli's workshopWhen clowns play magicClowns as craftsmen and engineersThe clown's barnyard4. The Semiotics of GagsWhat is a gag?Gags in contextRob Torres: a solo clown act in New YorkThe semiotic anatomy of gagsThe physics of gags5. The Game of the RulesThe language of clowningThe straight, the tight, and the looseIdentity: one in two, two in one6. Clown and Trickster Master of tricksToo good to be trueTransgression and consequencesMaster of fireThe trickster and his avatarsUnderstanding tricksters and clownsPeering in the cultural past: a reasoned speculation7. Clowns and Gender Play: Politics and Economy of SexBeyond sex and genderImages of desireAn odd coupleA "normal" coupleA bird taleGender play8. Clowns, Death, and LaughterDeath at the circusDeath of the augusteRealm of the macabre: ghosts, corpses, and skeletonsClowns and death in the arts: laughter at the edge9. Profaning the Sacred The avatars of ClownA grand narrative and its fractal performancesThe sacred and the profanePutting things inside out and upside down10. Clowns without BordersMapping clowns on the worldClowns without borders?Clowning beyond the cultural fencesClowning in JavaThe gentrification of clownsClowns with a missionConclusion: Contribution to the Theory of LaughterWhat is laughter?The meaning of laughterSenseless laughingLaughter as addiction: a hypothesis and an agendaReferences. During the last 300 years circus clowns have emerged as powerful cultural icons. This is the first semiotic analysis of the range of make-up and costumes through which the clowns' performing identities have been established and go on developing. It also examines what Bouissac terms 'micronarratives' - narrative meanings that clowns generate through their acts, dialogues and gestures. Putting a repertory of clown performances under the semiotic microscope leads to the conclusion that the performances are all interconnected and come from what might be termed a 'mythical matrix'. These micronarratives replicate in context-sensitive forms a master narrative whose general theme refers to the emergence of cultures and constraints that they place upon instinctual behaviour. From this vantage point, each performance can be considered as a ritual which re-enacts the primitive violence inherent in all cultures and the temporary resolutions which must be negotiated as the outcome. Why do these acts of transgression and re-integration then trigger laughter and wonder? What kind of mirror does this put up to society? In a masterful semiotic analysis, Bouissac delves into decades of research to answer these questions. Book jacket In this book, Paul Bouissac, pioneer and master of the scientific approach to circus arts, demonstrates in a complete and brilliant way, by semiotic, anthropological and cognitive approaches, how the clowning art is a multimodal and complex act of communication, which produces laughter and sense through cognitive and cultural constructions shared by artists and spectators. THE definitive reference to understand clowning During the last 300 years circus clowns have emerged as powerful cultural icons. This is a semiotic analysis of the range of make-up and costumes through which the clowns' performing identities have been established and go on developing. It also examines what Bouissac terms 'micronarratives' - narrative meanings that clowns generate through their acts, dialogues and gestures