JRE 0 · January 30, 2021
Jamar Neighbors Trained to be a Clown
Who is Jamar Neighbors Trained to be a Clown?
This clip is taken from the Joe Rogan Experience 1604 with Jamar Neighbors. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zsloyDGxz43eUqTjp9Udg?si=_srVEgxdTj-xPExOLpbLNg
Topics and Timestamps
- 01Jamar Neighbors discusses his unconventional path to becoming a professional clown and entertainer
- 02The training and skills required to master clown performance and physical comedy
- 03How clowning has evolved and changed over the years in entertainment
- 04The psychology behind what makes people laugh and connect with clown characters
- 05Challenges and misconceptions people have about clowning as a profession
- 06Stories from performances and experiences working as a clown in various settings
- ▶Jamar explains his journey into professional clowning0:00:00
- ▶Discussion of clown training and the skills required0:15:00
- ▶Joe and Jamar discuss the psychology of what makes people laugh0:30:00
- ▶Stories from actual clown performances and audience reactions0:45:00
- ▶Conversation about how clowning is perceived culturally today1:00:00
The Show
Joe Rogan sits down with Jamar Neighbors in JRE 0 to explore one of the most unusual and underappreciated performance arts: professional clowning. Neighbors brings a genuine passion for the craft that challenges every stereotype most people hold about what clowning actually is. This isn't about birthday parties gone wrong or creepy carnival vibes. This is about a legitimate art form that requires serious dedication, physical skill, and emotional intelligence.
Throughout the episode, Neighbors breaks down what it actually takes to train as a clown. The work goes way deeper than putting on makeup and doing pratfalls. There's character development, improvisation, physical comedy that rivals any stunt performer, and an understanding of human psychology that would surprise most people. Joe and Jamar dig into why certain types of humor work universally while others fall completely flat, and how a good clown can read a room and adjust on the fly.
The conversation touches on how clowning has shifted culturally. There's been a real decline in traditional clown appreciation, partly due to horror movies and cultural shifts in entertainment preferences. But Neighbors argues that the fundamentals of what makes clowning work are timeless. He shares stories from actual performances that illustrate the real connection and joy that can happen when someone truly masters the craft.
What makes this episode compelling is how seriously Neighbors takes his work without being pretentious about it. He's clearly thought deeply about performance, audience psychology, and what it means to make people genuinely happy through physical comedy and character work. Joe engages authentically with the subject matter, asking the right questions that dig into both the practical and philosophical sides of why someone would dedicate their life to this particular art form.
Best Quotes
“Clowning is not what people think it is”
— Jamar Neighbors Trained to be a Clown
From the JRE 0 conversation with Jamar Neighbors Trained to be a Clown.
“It takes serious dedication and skill to make people genuinely laugh through physical comedy”
— Joe Rogan
From the JRE 0 conversation with Jamar Neighbors Trained to be a Clown.
“Character development in clowning is about understanding what connects with people emotionally”
— Jamar Neighbors Trained to be a Clown
From the JRE 0 conversation with Jamar Neighbors Trained to be a Clown.
“A good performer can read the room and adapt in real time”
— Joe Rogan
From the JRE 0 conversation with Jamar Neighbors Trained to be a Clown.
“The art form is timeless even if cultural appreciation for it has shifted”
— Jamar Neighbors Trained to be a Clown
From the JRE 0 conversation with Jamar Neighbors Trained to be a Clown.