Send In The Clowns

Read an interesting article in the NYT today.

From this article I learned a new word: coulrophobia , which is the fear of clowns. I am not sure if there is a word for fear of clown portraits painted on black velvet, but if you know what it may be, please advise...

Also, I was pleased with the high quality vocabulary of the writer, dropping in one of my favorite terms learned in my Theatre History class, schadenfreude, a word that sees far too little usage in my opinion.

The article offers several reasons why people who do not suffer from coulrophobia find clowns fascinating, or even comforting.

One is that there’s something about someone falling on their face that will always be funny. We all know what it feels like to be an idiot.

Okay. I get that. Here is another:

For the audience the appeal stems from the vulnerability of the actor. Despite the humor and goofy outfits, the actual performance is often moving, even sad. When you look at the clown, you understand. He’s like a skinless grape.

Assignment: Please explain how an actor is LIKE a skinless grape. Feel free to expand on the dangers of creating metaphors. One page essay, double-spaced. Thanks.