CLOWNING AROUND IN GOVERNMENT

When I interviewed Selena McMahan, a professional clown, for More Intelligent Life a few months ago, she suggested that governments could benefit from having more clowns around. Not the troupes of oblivious blowhards found caucusing in many nations' capitals, but actual self-aware performers. "The clowns that are in government don't know that they're clowns," McMahan laughed. "If there were professional clowns whose job it was to give some perspective, I think that could be really interesting and could possibly make government more effective." Voters and politicians have since put her ideas to the test.

In Brazil's federal elections on October 3rd, a clown won the most votes of any candidate elected to the lower house of Congress this year, and the second most ever. Francisco Oliveira Silva, better known by his stage name "Tiririca" (which means "grumpy" in Portuguese slang), is a 45-year-old political novice who grew up in the poor north-eastern state of Ceará. He began selling cotton candy in the circus at age eight and eventually worked his way up to hosting a nationally televised comedy show. As Tiririca, Silva clowned around in many colourful campaign ads.

Will Tiririca expose the hypocrisy and corruption in Brazil's congress? It's unlikely. Despite the 1.3m votes he tallied, it is not clear whether Silva is even eligible for congress. A recent article in the Brazilian magazine Epoca cast doubt on the candidate's ability to read, which is a legal prerequisite for holding office in a country where 10% of the population is illiterate. Even if Silva's victory survives the electoral court proceedings, his time in office may amount to little more than a bad joke. As Reuters ominously notes, "his candidacy may not have been as spontaneous or innocent as it might appear." Given that Tiririca benefited from a well-financed campaign, it is safe to assume he will be as beholden to special interests as the other clowns in Brasilia

A more incisive use of clowning took place on Capitol Hill in September, when Stephen Colbert testified before a House judiciary subcommittee meeting on immigrant reform. In addressing the issue of the thankless work of farm hands, who are often illegal, underpayed and overworked, the titular host of "The Colbert Report" talked about the day he spent picking corn with the United Farm Workers. "I was a corn packer," he said. "I know that term is offensive to some people, because corn packer is a derogatory term for a gay Iowan." Immigration reform remains stalled, but Colbert's surreal performance was both subversive and provocative. Court jesters are sometimes empowered to say the darndest things.