Clown World

[[File:Clown World Propaganda.png|165px|thumb|Honkler. [[Pepe|Where have we seen this character before?]]]]
{{alt-right}}

'''Clown World''' (emojified as 🤡🌏, also known as '''Honkler''', '''Heil Honkler''' or '''Honk Honkler''') is an [[alt-right]], [[neo-Nazi]] propaganda [[meme]] and [[dog whistle politics|dog whistle]].<ref>[[Vaush]], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cscP830j2KA CLOWN WORLD & Nazi Dogwhistling]</ref> The "Honkler" image first appeared on [[4chan]] in February 2019.<ref name=holt>Right Wing Watch; Jared Holt, April 4, 2019: [http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/white-nationalists-adopt-clowns-as-their-next-racist-symbol-yes-seriously/ White Nationalists Adopt Clowns as Their Next Racist Symbol (Yes, Seriously)] by Jared Holt (April 4, 2019 2:54 pm) ''Right Wing Watch''.</ref> Clown World and Honkler have been co-opted by the [[alt-right]] in an effort to obfuscate [[racism]] and hate with seemingly innocuous memes in the form of mockery toward postmodernism.<ref name="KYM"/>

==Etymology==
"'''''Clown World'''''" is composed of "world" refering to the planet [[Earth]] and "clown" which refers to colorful looking folks who chuck pies at each other for the amusement of others.

The word "'''''Honkler'''''" is a portmanteau of "[[Hitler]]" and "Honk", particularly in the usage "''Heil Honkler''".

==White nationalist usage==
{{cquote|They will adopt our child, and post Honkler on social media under mainstream memes already in circulation. There will come a time when we must take him back. … Whether of the HONK or not, we must perpetuate this meme to show the world our ideas.|||Anonymous<ref name=holt/>}}

The alt-right uses memes as an online radicalization tool. One of the best-known icons is [[Pepe the Frog]], a meme co-opted by 4chan in 2008. Honkler resembles Pepe, but in a clown outfit. While Pepe has innocent uses, Honkler has explicit racist connotations and is alt-right, often used by [[neo-Nazi]]s.

"Clown world" was a phrase used in the subculture from about 2015. Its users claim it simply means that the ([[Western world|Western]]) world is so "crazy" in its embrace of [[social justice]] [[politics]] (read: not racist) that the only people who could conceivably be running it are 
[[International Jewish conspiracy|Jews]]
 clowns, hence "clown world". Countries without closed borders and which don't allow for the [[ethnic cleansing]] or [[genocide]] of minorities are considered "clown countries" because they don't embrace the policies of the [[Third Reich]]. More plainly, this is a reaction to social change, showing disappointment that the real world doesn't work like ''Leave It to Beaver''. The phrase started being heavily promoted on [[The Right Stuff]]'s podcast "The Daily Shoah" in 2017.<ref>Daniel E. Harper and Jack Graham. [https://idontspeakgerman.libsyn.com/i-dont-speak-german-episode-14-the-red-pill-and-youtube I Don't Speak German, Episode 14: The Red Pill and YouTube].</ref> 

The "Honkler" meme originated on 4chan board [[/pol/]] in February 2019 in a thread titled "Operation Honk".<ref>4chan; /pol/ [http://archive.ph/ACYmq OPERATION *HONK*] (archived)</ref> Referred to as Honk Honk or Honkler, it quickly gained popularity across the internet in [[far-right]] groups, where Honkler imagery portrays [[antisemitic]], [[homophobic]], [[transphobic]], and [[racist]] tropes.<ref>Reddit; OutOfTheLoop: [https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/bbyhxz/what_is_going_on_with_this_clown_world_thing/ What is going on with this "clown world" thing?]</ref>

Honkler is the main figure of the Clown World, though other alt-right imagery is also drawn over by clown features, including images of [[Adolf Hitler]] and shock imagery. Honkler was described in ''Clown World Chronicles''<ref>VJM Publishing: [http://vjmpublishing.nz/?p=16099 Clown World Chronicles]</ref> as the Clown World equivalent of the Roman god Mercury, the herald of Kek, who is the highest god.

The alt-right even dress up as clowns for protests, ''e.g.'' several [[Proud Boys]] at Patriot Prayer's attempted [[anti-abortion]] rally in Albany, [[New York]] in May 2019.<ref>[https://www.nationofchange.org/2019/05/13/patriot-prayers-joey-gibson-has-a-sad-day-in-albany/ Patriot Prayer’s Joey Gibson has a sad day in Albany] by Zach D. Roberts, May 13, 2019, ''NationofChange''</ref>

Honkler has become associated with the so called [[Manosphere glossary#Black pill|"black pill"]], a form of [[absurdism|absurdist]] [[nihilism]] in which [[reality]] itself is portrayed as a cosmic joke.<ref name="KYM">Know Your Meme: [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/clown-pepe-honk-honk-clown-world Clown Pepe / Honk Honk / Clown World]. ([http://archive.ph/1BkiX archive snapshot])</ref>

Variants of Honkler showed up in [[Alt-right glossary#Fren|"Frenworld"]], in which alt-right talking points are stated in the language of a small child. The Frenworld subreddit was banned in June 2019 due to its users inciting violence.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/c2znoq/what_is_rfrenworld_and_why_did_it_get_banned/</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}
[[Category:4chan]]
[[Category:Antisemitism]]
[[Category:Alt-right]]
[[Category:Fascism]]
[[Category:Homophobia]]
[[Category:Internet culture]]
[[Category:Islamophobia]]
[[Category:Memes]]
[[Category:Neo-Nazism]]
[[Category:Propaganda]]
[[Category:Racism]]
[[Category:Right-wing troll campaigns]]
[[Category:Transphobia]]

Categories: 4chan, Antisemitism, Alt-right, Fascism, Homophobia, Internet culture, Islamophobia, Memes, Neo-Nazism, Propaganda, Racism, Right-wing troll campaigns, Transphobia