Pagliacci (joke format)
A Pagliacci joke is a format of joke whose punchline is that a clown recommended by a doctor to cure his patient's depression is, in fact, the patient himself.
Origins and variants[edit]
One of the first forms of the joke can be seen in the Spanish poem 'Reír Llorando' (Laughing While Crying) by the late 19th century Mexican poet Juan de Dios Peza. The poem tells of an English actor called 'Garrick' that a doctor recommends to his patient as the only cure for his loss of interest in life, whereupon the patient reveals that he indeed, is Garrick. It has been suggested that this Garrick was the entertainer Joseph Grimaldi.[1]
The poem was then seen as a story in the 1910s, again, with the performer called 'Grimaldi'[2], and again from the 1930s[3], featuring a clown called 'Grock', suggested as being the Swiss clown Charles Adrien Wettach[1].
In popular culture[edit]
Watchmen[edit]
The user of the poem/story as a joke became popular in popular culture after being featured in the graphic novel, Watchmen, where Rorschach recalls:
'Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed, says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says "Treatment is simple. Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up. Man busts into tears. Says "But doctor, I am Pagliacci"'[4]
Stand up comedy[edit]
Comedian John Robertson (comedian) is well-known for his love of the Pagliacci joke format, creating dozens of such jokes on his Twitter profile, often subverting the format to dark effect.[5]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The patient". HistoryExtra. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
- ↑ Wheeler, Edward Jewitt; Crane, Frank (1910). Current Opinion ... Current Literature Publishing Company. Search this book on
- ↑ Information, Reed Business (1979-05-24). New Scientist. Reed Business Information. Search this book on
- ↑ "I Am Pagliacci | But Doctor, I Am Pagliacci". Know Your Meme. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
- ↑ Robertson, John [@robbotron] (2020-02-25). "A doctor goes to the circus. Says he's tired, depressed, life has no meaning..." (Tweet). Retrieved 2020-08-21 – via Twitter.
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