Friends and Fools,
Village fools, they say, are only fools for being in the wrong village.
Stepping out of the norm, a fool appears, a crazy person, someone different. This might, in the best of all possible worlds, be a neutral statement. But, somehow, in the way we usually experience the world, the other is also less. But what if we could experience other as a portal into renewal, into fresh perspectives, into new ways of living. Or — and I would argue this to be even better — what if we could experience other as just being other. No transactional value to it. Just basking in diversity.
To bask in diversity! A feeling I would wish for everyone, myself included.
The fool is also a(n) (Jungian) archetype related to the clown, the jester and the dummling. A description of these archetypes is to be found by the patient reader or impatient scroller at the end of this newsletter.
All this is good and nice and Very Interesting, however, it isn’t really related to our podcast, so let’s get into that. Who knows, you might be persuaded to actually listen to us village fools!
Here goes:
In this episode of the Spiritual Mischief podcast you will hear the very first appearance of our theme song, we discuss the awfulness of our own show (it is appalling, after all), talk about the experience of watching the Team Amdverica barf scene with disabled people, we supply an even and balanced look at German social service and a perspective on this from the book ‘Island’ by Aldous Huxley, look into the ways in which Louis is disabled, create the possible new hit show ‘MTV Crypts’, relive a failed attempt of a public religious ritual by Simon, embrace Love & Care InCompany and the importance of a healthy mental diet: you are what you eat, after all!
If you are time-wise disabled and need your mief spat more quickly, subscribe to our YouTube channel where you will find various clips of the podcast. We are working on making them even shorter, really stepping into the zeitgeist, hoping we will find a way to release valuable and life altering 0.5 second videos. Until then, good luck with these clips or the full 2.5 hour episode.
So, that was that from the desk of Simon and Louis. We hope you enjoy the podcast — or just this newsletter — and tell all your friends if you did (and don’t tell anyone if you didn’t)!
Some links and stories:
The book ‘Island’ by Aldous Huxley
Where ‘Brave New World’ was his dystopian vision of the future, in ‘Island’ he describes his view of possible Utopia. It’s pretty great. But I guess most Utopias are…
The book ‘Shōgun’ by James Clavell
A short description of the Clown/Fool archetype:
The Clown archetype is associated with three major characteristics: making people laugh, making them cry, and wearing a mask that covers one’s own real emotions. The Clown is generally male, with few women playing the role either in literature or the theater. This may well be explained by the social attitude that associates weakness and loss of control with a man who expresses emotions. Therefore, the man has to wear a mask, which often portrays a crying face. The Clown reflects the emotions of the crowd, making an audience laugh by satirizing something they can relate to collectively or by acting out social absurdities. In general, the messages communicated through a Clown’s humor are deeply serious and often critical of the hypocrisy in an individual or in some area of society. Because of the mask he wears, the Clown is allowed–indeed, expected–to cross the boundaries of social acceptance, representing what people would like to do or say themselves.
The Court Jester or Fool is the manifestation of the Clown in a royal setting. Since no one can possibly take a fool seriously at the physical level, he is allowed entry into the most powerful of circles. While entertaining the king with outrageous behavior, the Fool is actually communicating messages that the king trusts. Political satirists often have dominant Court Jester archetypes, revealing the motivations of the highest officials in the nation in a manner that is generally granted freedom from the legal retribution that might be leveled against an ordinary citizen making the same comments.
Related to the Fool is the Dummling, the fairy tale character who, although often simple-minded, acts with a good heart and is usually rewarded for it. Modern film characters such as Forrest Gump and Nurse Betty embody this aspect of the archetype, which does not so much impart wisdom as foster living with kindness and simplicity.
The shadow aspect of the Clown or Fool manifests as cruel personal mockery or betrayal, specifically the breaking of confidences gained through knowledge from the inner circle.
In reviewing your relationship to this archetype, consider your use of humor in association with power. Since everyone is prone to jesting, you are looking for a connection to a pattern of behavior that is fundamental to your personal protection and survival. In distinguishing Clown from Fool, note that the Fool is connected to arenas of power, while the Clown does his best work as an Everyman, like Ralph Kramden on “The Honeymooners.” Reflect on whether “clowning” around is an essential channel for expressing your emotions over and above simple play. Ask yourself if, like the Fool, you carry truth into closed circles or closed minds.
Films: Danny Kaye in The Court Jester; Buster Keaton in The Navigator, Sherlock Jr., The General; Charlie Chaplin in The Circus, The Gold Rush; Giulletta Masina in La Strada; Barbra Steisand in What’s Up, Doc?; Rene Zellweger in Nurse Betty; Woody Allen in Zelig.
Drama: He Who Gets Slapped by Maxim Gorky.
Opera: I Pagliacci, by Leoncavallo.
Literature: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes; Gimpel the Fool by Isaac Bashevis Singer; Holy Fools and Mad Hatters by Edward Hays; The Autobiography of Henry VIII with notes by his Fool, Will Somers by Margaret George.
Religion/Myth: Mullah Nasruddin, a.k.a. Hoja Nasredin (Sufi figure in Egypt, Iran, and Turkey, half saint and half fool, who acts like a ninny to teach wisdom); Sir Dagonet (the fool of King Arthur who was knighted as a joke, but who also performed bravely in tournaments); Heyoka (in Lakota Sioux lore, someone who does things backwards to teach people not to take themselves too seriously); Coyote (in Native American lore.
Spiritual Mischief #102 - Village Fools