The Court Jester of Tabbyland, Harry Whittier Frees, 1922 "You’d make me laugh if it wasn’t prohibited.” -Waiting for Godot In one ancient bit of clownery, a fool tries to teach his donkey to go without food, and he bemoans his fate that as soon as his donkey learns the trick, he dies. The clown is naïve and doesn't see the link between cause and effect, and maybe we laugh because we know how he feels.
It's fun to challenge the tropes and think outside the box. Appreciate these insights.