From the buffoon to the hospital clown: the trajectories of ridicule in a society of the spectacle

The study presents reflections on the historical relevance of buffoons through an analysis of the artistic and social view from the buffoon to the hospital clown. The subject is discussed in four topics: The mask, the actor, and the audience; The buffoon and the expression of ridicule; The spectacle and the indication of ridicule; and Laughter in the society of the spectacle. The hospital clown promotes a reflection that is similar to that of the buffoon, but the interaction with the audience must present a spectacle of comicality with an ethical stance. It is possible to laugh at oneself in the face of adversity, at the sick body, but respecting the patient, and at postures of professional superiority concerning care, as a way of reversing the logic of power without questioning one’s professionalism, with an equal degree of protagonism.