Should Clowns and children’s entertainers be licensed?
According to this article at Findlaw, Linda Beaudouin, a former clown, is pushing the Canadian government to license clowns, Santa Claus’s, and other children’s entertainers. She’s doing this because she’s a survivor of child abuse, and feels this would be a way to further limit child abuse. See her website for more details about this aspect of her work.
She argues that we license massage therapists and we license teachers– why not clowns? And she points to a number of high profile cases of molestation/pornography/ and malfeasance perpetrated by children’s entertainers.
Personally I’m not opposed to a license to clown– in the state of NY to work in the schools you already must have your fingerprints on file with the State Board of Education.  
However, I’m not sure how it does anything to stop child molestation other than to catch the perpetrator after the fact. She states on her website that most perpetrators don’t have criminal records.
What I’m really interested in is a clown license that licenses those ACTUALLY FUNNY and skillful and denies a license to those that don’t have it. (Although it’s hard to know how to make an objective test– “I’m sorry sir, you are not qualified to take a slap to the face/drop your pants/wear a lampshade on your head. Have you thought about becoming an accountant?”)
This way not every yahoo with a guitar, or a clown nose, or a fright wig will waste the public’s time and besmirch good children’s entertainers everywhere.
If we could get a licensing bureau together, I say Bring it on!
What do you think? Please reply in the comments?
Related articles
- Should Clowns Be Licensed by the State? [Crime] (gawker.com)
- Should Clowns, Santa Clauses, Be Licensed? (hypervocal.com)
By the way I am not pushing for this law of licensing children’s entertainers because I was abused BUT because there are predators using clowning to get close to children The reason I even brought the fact that I had been an exotic dancer was that I had to be screened with a criminal background check however when I was a entertaining for children no license or criminal background check was required I am pushing for this law because I know the devastation of child abuse and a position such as a clown or other children entertainer should be required a criminal background check
There have been registered sex offenders caught working as clown
John Gacy a serial killer and clown had there of been a license Gacy would not of been issued a license he had a precious conviction of sodomy
PLEASE KEEP KIDS SAFEÂ
THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME BEING ABUSED BUT PREVENTING CHILDREN FROM BEING ABUSED
WAKE UPÂ PEOPLE
CHILDREN ARE BEING KIDNAPPED AND RAPED
SEX OFFENDERSÂ ARE CLOWNING AROUND
Google
Alfonso Perez registered sex offender clown
Here in the UK we have a type of licencing which is effectively a criminal record check. It doesn’t really work in the private sector as no one asks to see your licence. However in goverment run schemes like schools or councils without this licence you can not get any work. I belive if it was a criminal check for sexual or violent crime it would have some use. However if when you were 16 you were caufgt shoplifting and your now 55 you will still not be able to work with children in schools in the UK in most cases. This I think is ridiculous and part of the danger of letting government legislate such issues.
Ethan Leeds ( professional Magician )
http://incomebymagic.com
Who would oppose such important laws especially with cases of abducted raped and murdered kids?
Example
Rex Mays clown murdered 2 little girls then continued to do clown parties while being investigated for klling 2 kids.
Alphonso Perez registered sex offender in position as clown.
Stephen Lynn magician convicted child molester used position as magician
There are plenty more ugh