Modern clowns and clown-type characters in today's TC
shows, Hollywood movies and TV shows owe their popularity to the Charlie
Chaplin who first appeared on big screen in the early 20th century in
the era of silent movies. Other favorites that have made people laugh
constantly with their jokes, pranks, jests, tricks, foolish and stupid
actions and their eccentricities are - Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy
and the Keystone Cops along with several others. Today, the most famous
comedians (modern form of clowns and fools) are Basil Fawlty, Mr Bean
and Blackadder. Theater artistes such as the French mime Marcel Marceau
and the Russian clown Slava Polunin also deserve to be mentioned here
for keeping up the clowning tradition and entertaining people for years.
The Fool is the only card in a standard deck of cards that has no
number on it and no set position in the orders of the cards. In the
Tarot cards, a clown standing awed by the mystery of creation, showing
his wisdom and great curiosity to know more, represents the Fool. The
Tarot Fool is also bold enough to go and explore the world and creation
of God. It represents a journey to inner self and how we look upon our
thoughts, feelings and dreams playing across the shadow theatre of the
mind. It has few possessions and the pilgrim's staff. A strange animal,
cat or dog near it symbolizes the inner motivation that leads us once we
start our journey to know the Truth.