Occasionally, someone might be afraid of Harpo. This has happened once.
I remember when I first saw him in that coat and hat, I thought to myself I might be scared of him if I saw him
in person. Although the hurtful remarks saddened me, what bothered me more was their lack of caring to listen to why
I was dressed that way. I can only hope they'll one day understand. Even though Harpo doesn't look like
the traditional clown, though he's not a clown, many see him that way. He still looks different enough
to be intimidating to some people. Thankfully, most see him for what he is- a goofy adult who's really a kid
at heart, who only wants to have fun and make people laugh.
As
Harpo, I've waved to many people, and perhaps hundreds of children. Some I've played with, a few have hugged
me, and most have responded positively. I often wonder what they're exposed to at home, in school, and among their
friends. The times we live in are so unimaginably different from the era Harpo knew, and even different from the days
of my youth.
I know there are many very young children
who have seen the Marx Brothers movies, and though those films are very adult oriented, they're toned down enough that
a child can enjoy them. "A Day at the Races," may be the best of their movies to show to a child, I believe.
When they're old enough, it may be helpful to explain some things the brothers did that aren't done anymore in showbusiness.
My concern stems from what passed for humor that involves how other ethnic groups are portrayed
and treated. No one was mean, and The Brothers were not prejudiced, yet these jokes were thought to be funny
back then, also when Harpo played with guns, he must've thought it was humorous, though he'd never
hurt anyone. There were a few movies where ethnic jokes wouldn't be acceptable now, and no one dresses in black
face anymore.
My portrayal of Harpo has become more focused
on children, as my way of getting them interested in that era long gone, and showing them something most have never seen.
There's more than enough adult oriented acts out there, children are growing up too fast, and learning all the wrong things,
which they think make them cool, and mature. Too many adults have lost touch with their inner child. Harpo has
helped me keep mine from dying. I love bringing out the child in others. This has also helped me reconnect with children
in a wonderful way. I feel very fortunate to be able to do this.
This Harpo enjoys being friends with everyone. The original Harpo had a special bond with children and animals, which
I wish he would've shown more often. I love his sweet, innocent, almost angelic side. We need more of that,
especially in today's world.
It is for the children that
I carry at least one toy in my magical coat. Whenever I see a child, I immediately want to play. I bring my favorite
toy everywhere. It's amazing what a simple game will do for a child! They are so wonderful! The adults
like it, too!
I want the children to know there's more to
entertainment than what they're seeing today. There's more to life than what they see and hear, too. They
need to know the value of working hard to produce quality material. There's more to being on stage and playing a
part. Anything worth doing, any success we may achieve, is best appreciated when paid for with good, hard work.
Harpo Marx believed in that, and so do I.
Our children need
a good example to follow, and should understand the difference between reality and make believe. For example, many things
that happen in a movie, should not be done anyplace else. In another example, Harpo's character occasionally has
a gun, though I don't think he ever hurt anyone with it, I fail to see the humor in using one. The only thing I
can think of is, the Marx Brothers, and those who wrote for them, focused on the unexpected. This seems to be the mainstay
of comedy. If a child sees a character playing with a gun, an adult should be there to explain why this could be seen
as funny, and make sure the child doesn't act this out in real life. Especially today, when violence is glorified
so intensely, children must understand why this is done. Reality and fantasy can often seem the same, which can be very
confusing to a child. They think what's on TV and in movies is real. I did, too, for awhile, but soon figured
out for myself the difference.
Harpo's character would only
hurt someone who hurt someone he cared about, and in one movie, I enjoyed how he got back at people who hurt him. Although
they deserved it, and it was funny, we should explain to the children about that, and how it shouldn't reflect what we
do in real life.
If entertainment is meant to take us away from
reality, where "anything goes," and is used as an outlet to act out those things that are forbidden, then it should
be understood beforehand that what we do on stage is not always what we do off stage.
While a child is developing, the brain doesn't comprehend concepts as well as an adult,
so they act out what they feel, see, and hear, not realizing the consequences. If a bad guy gets away with wrongdoing,
they think it's ok to do that themselves. Sadly, many adults think that way, too, though they should know better.
For the children's sake, for the wellbeing and safety of everyone, I sincerely hope more
people will be careful how they treat their children, which includes what they're exposed to as "entertainment."
It's bad enough to have so much negativity splahed all over the news, it's just as bad, and even worse, to see violence
being glorified and marketed as entertainment. Society must do better at solving its problems nonviolently.
I'm glad the Marx Brothers movies didn't depend on violence to hold a plot together.
Also I'm glad they did other things that are more positive. Although Harpo is my favorite, I don't like everything
he did. Most the time, he was just a big kid having fun, and was more helpful than hurtful.
It is my sincerest hope that these children, our future generations, will be entertained in
a more constructive way, and preserve the good from films of the past. There's a fine line between humor and insults,
fantasy and reality. If we want to preserve that innocence, see that sparkle in their eyes, and hear their laughter
for as long as possible, we must be responsible for what they are exposed to.
For the children, the decisions
and choices we make for them will affect the decisions and choices they'll make, that will stick with them for the rest
of their lives.
For the Children
Sincerely,
A Harpo, Family Friendly Entertainer
