Okay, so a big meme among Traditional Catholics is their claim that the Clown Mass is the worst travesty and blasphemy and liturgical abuse. And they trade out-of-context videos, depicting supposedly Catholic ceremonies (which often turn out to be Episcopalians or Methodists or just ... clowns ...) where the "priest" or host is wearing some sort of clown makeup and/or costume, or there are clowns dancing or the clowns brought up the offertory gifts, and they honked a honky-horn instead of ringing Sanctus Bells, or something. A related thing is the custom of "Processional Giants"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Processional_giant

These are heads, or entire characters, made of papier-mâché or resin, and in European cultures, they're paraded around in both secular and religious contexts. Probably also in New Orleans as part of the krewes' culture there, too.

But Americans hate these provincial customs and Americans don't understand villagers' sense of reverence, or villagers' sense of exaggeration and metaphor in terms of these farcical characters that may enter into a liturgical context.

Clowns as I know them have a physicality, a wordless absurdity that is derived by leveraging the exaggerated facial features in makeup, the enormous shoes, the slapstick comedy and pratfalls that play well to international crowds. Clowns don't need to speak English; they don't need to speak to be amusing or entertaining. Mimes are specialized clowns. Clowns appeal to children, and the young at heart, because clowns demonstrate insight into the essential human condition; times when we love to poke fun at serious "straight men", or times when we desperately need to be distracted from accidents or bleeding gymnasts or a rodeo broco rider who was just gored; that's when the rodeo clown tries to distract everyone with antics.

The "funny thing" is that one of my own priests was an actual clown, (as in circus clown, Barnum and Bailey's Three Rings Traveling Show thing), and he definitely never wore the makeup or the clown costume during Holy Mass. Father was the son of a clown himself, and thus, clowning was a family tradition that was passed down father-to-son. And Father being a priest wasn't a long stretch from circus clowning, and court jester's duties, and winning the hearts and minds of the audience. Father innovated many things, including the part where he stepped out from behind the ambo, and gave his homilies from the center aisle, or he would even journey through the rows of pews with a long, long cabled microphone, and engage the faithful with questions and answers. For these innovations, according to the Second Vatican Council, Father endured great controversy, and many people would've preferred the status quo, and I wonder how many school parents knew that Father had the true heart of a bona fide clown.

But yet, Father held on to his clown makeup and his clown wig and his clown accoutrements, and they were carefully packaged in a leather carrying-case, and he made no secret of them. But he was a good and devout priest, he smiled and he loved children, and we loved him in turn.

Clowning Around: On the Principles of Clowning