response: Oh, I understand. The first mainstream clown was played by a person named Joseph Grimaldi. He also invented the whiteface makeup.
original_response: That's very fair. They can be weird. The first mainstream clown was portrayed by Joseph Grimaldi.
history: We had circus in the area last week.  I am not a fan of the clowns. Are you? I have no opinion, since I'm a bot. I understand their traditions, costumes and performances vary quite a bit. the comedy style of clowns , playing the fool, has a long history in many countries. Oh, that's interesting. They're known for using slapstick comedy, often in the style of a mime. I think the fear of clowns is a psychiatric condition that is called coulrophobia. That's an interesting tidbit. The modern clown is closely tied with the circus clown, which grew out of earlier theatrical performances. Yeah, I guess there are different types. The white makeup and big red mouth are what creep me out, plus some horror movies.
knowledge: The first mainstream clown role was portrayed by Joseph Grimaldi (who also created the traditional whiteface make-up design).