Silly Billy the Clown loses business for Child Molestor Relatives

(Via New York Post)

David Kaye (formerly David Friedman) is the son and brother of Arnold and Jesse Friedman, who were teachers convicted of molesting their students in the 80s. In light of Kaye's occupation as a magician/clown, he changed his name.

But the release of the documentary Capturing the Friedmans in 2003 saw the decline of Silly Billy's business, as his association to his family made his clients uncomfortable. Originally, Silly Billy the clown was locally the most popular child entertainer for birthday parties.

Oddly enough, Kaye has now invented a new persona- "Dr. Blood". A slightly darker character that appeals to an older audience. He claims it has nothing to do with his decline in business.

I personally think it's an odd move on his part, but I can understand how fragile a child entertainer's reputation can be- parents can get easily rattled, and simply don't want to take chances.

At Philip and Henry, we maintain a policy of checking into each and every magician, so that we can assure our clients there's nothing to be worried about.

Nonetheless, here's the trailer for the documentary. Capturing the Friedmans got an academy award nomination.



Let's try that again. This time with a little bit more feeling, and a little bit more clarity:

In our society, accusations of child abuse (sexual or otherwise) carry with them a heavy load of suspicion, paranoia, and outright anger. David Kaye, formerly David Friedman, has had to deal with the fallout of accusations against his father and brother. According to the article I read (which is confusing me) he may have suffered a loss in business when a documentary on the subject was released in 2003.

You see, David Kaye works as a magician/clown named Silly Billy. In fact, for a good long time, he was locally the entertainer of choice for children's birthday parties.

Back in the 80s, Arnold and Jesse Friedman were both convicted of child molestation, stemming from a Pedophile Sting Operation. The documentary (called Capturing the Friedmans), through their personally recorded video journal, casts doubt on the logic and evidence that was brought against them.

More than anything, this shows that the media can have a powerful effect on people. The smallest implication of child abuse can send a community in a fury, putting pressure on authorities and the media to put their own spin on things.

Much like the article I read, for instance, which may have put its own spin on things.

In this case I will admit my own ignorance and tread a lot more carefully next time- writing blandly about a sensitive topic simply doesn't happen, and as a writer I shouldn't let it.