Clowns have completely eclipsed their purpose in recent years. While variations of clowns (or fools) have existed as far back as 2800 BC, the modern clown , with its colorful and often ridiculous-looking clothing, wasn't a thing until the 19th century. That white-face makeup that we associate with the clowns we know, love, and fear? That was the doing of Joseph Grimaldi, the actor who made the clown role a lot bigger than it used to be. Though clowns are generally portrayed as bumbling fools, t…