INfrequently Asked Questions: Clown on the joy of making a sick kid laugh

John Joseph

Age: 65

Hometown: Arlington Heights

Why him? John Joseph, who also goes by Jay Jay and Goober the Clown, has been in the business since 1982. He's the full package when it comes to clowning and can twist a balloon into a ram or a bicycle, perform magic tricks and paint faces. He even visits children in the hospital to cheer them up.

Q: How did you get your start as a clown?

A: "I started clowning in 1982. I was a Shriner, and I wanted to be more involved. I had an uncle in California who was a Shriner and a clown in the San Francisco area; he always seemed to be having a lot of fun. I didn't want to march, so I took to clowning. I picked it up really quickly and enjoyed it."

Q: How long did it take you to learn how to make all of the balloon animals?

A: "I picked it up very quickly. Some people seem like they can never get it, but for whatever reason, once someone showed me, I got it. Twisting balloons is a lot of visual perception, and you have to visualize what the end piece is going to be. Once you can do that, it's easy to twist balloons."

Q: Why do you use a pump to inflate balloons instead of just blowing them up?

A: "What I've discovered over the years is kids mimic, so when I put the balloon to my mouth to blow it up, then I give it to a kid and what do they do? They put it in their mouth. So I started doing balloons on cruise ships a few years ago, and in the contract it says you can't blow the balloons up by mouth because they're concerned about the germs. When you think about the sanitary and mimicking aspect of it, I use pumps now to inflate all of my balloons."

Q: What has changed about clowning?

A: "Today it's a much softer appearance in the clown makeup in contrast to the harsh look with some clowns back 30 years ago, but that was just a matter of style and training."

Q: Has anything else changed since you started?

A: "Today, it's fashionable to be afraid of clowns. And it's really kind of funny, because it's usually that middle school-aged girl who says 'Oh I'm afraid of clowns,' and yet says, 'Oh, can I have a balloon?' You know they're coming back when their friends aren't there. And the kids aren't afraid; they're taught to be afraid now."

Q: Do you ever get weird reactions from kids at birthday parties?

A: "It's not so much the kids but the adults. You always have the adult that wants to be part of the action, too, and tries to upstage you. I've been doing it long enough it's almost like being a stand-up comedian. I invite those people up and get them involved, and I embrace the problem."

Q: You visit children in the hospital and work with Make-A-Wish. What kind of requests have you gotten?

A: "One day I get a phone call from one of the families. They had somehow gotten my number through Make-A-Wish; one of the kids was going in for surgery, and their wish was to see Jay Jay the Clown. So I went home from work, immediately changed clothes, got into my costume and went over to the hospital. I went and spent an hour or so with the kid in the hospital and, when I left, the kid was happy. How do you not feel good about having done something like that?"

~ Erin Hegarty

INfrequently Asked Questions

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