“They’re retiring left and right,” [said David Simmons, a dunk tank clown]. “They’re being run out of town.”...One place I go for modern-day insulting is the subreddit r/RoastMe. You have to volunteer to be insulted, so the enjoyment of the insultee is factored in. The same is (sort of) true with the old-time dunk tank clown. Don't go near him if you don't want to be insulted. He's not circulating. He's at a fixed point (and he's subject to the punishment of dunking). But some people go near because they like hearing him insult somebody else. With RoastMe, you can read it all you want, and the insults don't come to you unless you ask for it. There's also ToastMe, where people ask to be boosted and complimented. And I like this guy, who posted at RoastMe, "I posted on r/ToastMe and But balance is necessary so here I am. Give it your best shot 👏👏."
At the Erie County Fair... [p]eople sat on the metal benches, trying to guess which person Mr. Simmons would pick on next, an open-air comedy show in the vein of Don Rickles or Richard Pryor.
“We just came to sit and listen,” said Zenaida Piotrowicz, 62, who was laughing along with her husband, Bob. “He mostly says the things you’re thinking in your head.”
“Ha, you know you’re trailer park trash if you wear a T-shirt with your cigarette brand on the chest,” Mr. Simmons, 33, yelled to one man, who kept on walking. “I’m probably paying child support for you, kid,” he barked to a teen jawing back at him....
[For] the Champlain Valley Fair in Essex Junction, Vt. Mr. Simmons thought that would be a good place to wear the red Make America Great Again hat he keeps in his cage.....
September 8, 2019
"The Last of the Dunk Tank Clowns/Turns out Americans don’t really enjoy being insulted anymore."
A great title for what I hope is a great NYT article. It's by (great name) Jason Nark.
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Donald Trump is the dunk tank clown that no one has yet been able to dunk.
I’m deleting my comment because Left Bank of the Charles comment is funnier.
A dunk tank clown got one of my high school friend’s so bad the name stuck. As we walked by, the clown yelled out, “Check out that guy. His nose so big it looks he’s eating a hogie!” From then on he was known as Hogie Boy.
And Left Bank of the Charles - you, fine sir, are a genius.
A sadist and a masochist were put into the same jail cell and soon found out about each other.
The masochist cried, "Oh, hurt me, pinch me, humiliate me. Please cause me pain!"
The sadist looked at him and said, "No".
It used to be that all Americans were able to take an insult. Equality meant no one was above it.
Now the in-group oppressed can’t be insulted.
And the out-group oppressors must be insulted at every turn.
Thus have “equality” and “oppressed” become perverted.
But you know what MAGA is an acronym for, right?
My GOP considered using an actual dunk tank and inviting our 2020 candidates, you know, to raise money...I so wanted to see Greg Gianforte and Matt Rosendale get dunked. But none of them accepted our invitation.
No humility at all.
No "era of that's not funny" tag?
"I posted on r/ToastMe and But balance is necessary so here I am. Give it your best shot 👏👏."
Being a conservative Republican means never having to ask to be roasted.
Insults have to get at a truth to be worthwhile.
Kamala Harris said “Well said, well said” in response to a supporter who called Trump “mentally retarded.” Isn’t that insulting, or have the rules changed?
The last carnival dunk tank that I saw was 10 years ago back in Wisconsin. That one didn't need an insulter in the cage: they used a Brett Farve jersey as bait and some hapless kid just sat there and took the dunk for him. Tell me that isn't more the norm. Different dynamics and definitely more passive aggressive than the set up Althouse describes here.
At the Middleton Good Neighbor Fest many years ago, local politicians and various pillars of society would work the dunk tank in shifts for charity fund raising. Some of those guys were pretty large to be shirtless, but that was part of the humiliation I suppose. People took out frustration on the dunkees.
As society becomes more diverse, who the "Dunk Clown" can insult has gotten smaller and smaller. I assume most of the people trying to "Dunk" the Clown, were men/boys. Women don't like to be insulted and generally "throw like girls". So its probably a white guy thing and like most white guy things is going away.
Chuck Shumer would make a great Dunk Tank Clown. Was that his previous job?
I honestly don't think about dunk tanks, and insults being together
at my Insurance Company*, every fall (for the Iowa State vs. EVIL game; in other words: next week); they have a Company Picnic in the parking lot (sure, it's expensive, see footnote below). One of the things they do, is have a Dunk tank. The money collected goes to the United Way.
ALL the people that volunteer to sit in the tank are either Managers (sorta fun, if it's Not YOUR manager); or SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS and other executives (More fun, than ANYTHING!!!).
Dunking an asshole doesn't seem fun. Dunking the head of Human Resources IS THE DEFINITION OF FUN!
my Insurance Company* NO i don't OWN it, it's a mutual company ( wholly owned by it's policy holders: That's why it is Required, BY LAW; Not to turn a Profit); i just worked there most of my life
oops! its policy holders sorry!
Ken B said...
Kamala Harris said “Well said, well said” in response to a supporter who called Trump “mentally retarded.” Isn’t that insulting, or have the rules changed?
She's ALREADY apologized. She says that she didn't hear him clearly; and Thought that the supporter called Jo Biden "mentally retarded"
Other big drivers of carnival dunk tank business were pretty girls in swimsuits and any woman in clothes that got more attention wet than dry. The business dynamics there were different than the dunk tank clown.
In Texas Carnival (1951) Red Skelton plays a dunk-tank barker and Esther Williams plays the dunkee.
"Last of the Dunk Tank Clowns" sounds like a good handle for commenting on blogs. Not as good as "I Have Misplaced My Pants", but still . .
Key & Peele Insult Comic: Sometimes you wind up in a no-win situation.
Chuck posts his RoastMe here every single day.
And, Left Bank wins today's, and probably the week's internet contest. I doubt to see a more funny comment for several days.
Otis Campbell was the last drunk tank clown
here's clown, looking to get dunked!
Mark Sanford announces Trump primary challenge: GOP 'has lost our way'
I wonder WHERE Mark Sanford thinks the GOP lost its way at?
Is this article part of the 1619 project? The topic of race is inappropriately introduced.
r/PussyPass is interesting also.
Women literally getting away with crimes, including murder, men would be incarcerated for
"wonder WHERE Mark Sanford thinks the GOP lost its way at?"
Where it refused to follow him on his hike in the Appalachians.
"I wonder WHERE Mark Sanford thinks the GOP lost its way at?"
On the Appalachian Trail.
Raygun, Reegun, I don't care! Rickles roasts Reagan - take it away maestro.
https://youtu.be/NIdsJRDJR3Q
Trump's primary opponents:
Bill Weld. Currently running against Trump. Resigned Gov of Massachusetts to become Ambassador To Mexico (which didn't pan out). Moved to NY, Ran for Gov of NY, lost in primary. Ran in 2016 on Libertarian Ticket. Lost.
John Walsh. Ran 4 times for Congress - won one term. Convicted of DUI and taken to court for child support. Outrageous talk show host who stated Obama is a Muslim and he would "Get his guns" if Hillary Won. Then called Trump a "traitor" for meeting with Putin.
Mark Sanford. Resigned as SC Gov when he disappeared for 4 days supposedly "Hiking the Appalachian Trail" when in fact was in Argentina with his mistress. Later won re-election to House. Supported Trump reluctantly in 2016, but then attacked him for the Muslim travel ban. building a wall. Defeated in 2018 primary. Now running as a "deficit hawk". A new position.
Possible additional Trump primary opponents:
Jeff Flake
David French
Bill Kristol
John Kasisch
Jeb Bush's Dog.
Isn’t that why you have a blog?
So we can just insult you.
Mike Royko did a column that was instrumental in closing down a Chicago dunk tank. As he later reported:
"The only problem was that about six black men showed up at my office, stood in front of my desk and demanded to know why the hell I had caused them to lose their well-paying jobs.
"As one of them said: 'I was making good money for shoutin` insults at a bunch of honkies and gettin` a little wet, and most of them couldn`t throw good enough to put me in the water one out of every 25 throws.` I explained that there were greater moral and social issues involved.
"And he said something like: 'Yeah? Well, what about the moral issue of you getting me fired? What kind of job are you going to get me now?`"
I was looking up some Slappy White video last night. It seems he was heavily involved with roasting the last decade or so of his career. He hosted a roast of Tommy Chong. Slappy's routine was about what you'd expect: race, drugs, some just nasty stuff. This was 1986, and at the end of the table sat Little Jerry Seinfeld, well-known but not what you'd call famous. When it came his turn, he did exactly what you'd expect: his usual act, with no concession to the roasting environment. "Tommy spends a lot of time in Las Vegas. Crazy town, isn't it...."
Wait a minute!
speaking of Dunk Tank Clowns, and (thanx to ME!) Republican Primary opponents....
Isn't Chuck over 36 year old?
Wasn't Chuck born in the U S of A?
ISN'T CHUCK A REPUBLICAN????
Chuck, Respectfully speaking; You Don't Have a Hair On Your ASS if You Don't RUN!!
If Trump was weak, you would think that he would attract a few serious primary challengers. In 1980 Carter faced a serious opponent in Ted Kennedy.
The GOP would rather lose Trump than lose the presidency. Pay attention, Democrats!
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