BOBO'S MAILBAG
| I have gotten some pretty strange letters from a few people who have been offended by Bobo World, but a female clown from "north of the border" takes first place in the "Weirdness Category", if not just for her frequency of correspondence to me. Over the period of just a few weeks, I received no fewer than 28 e-mail messages from this Loony Toon from Canada! For your enjoyment, I have included the best ones on this page, along with my replies. Except for the removal of her last name and e-mail address, the letters appear EXACTLY as they were sent to me, including all of the glaring spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Look at the dates and times on some of these. You can almost see the wheels in motion inside her poor, underpowered brain! This disturbed woman reported Bobo World to several government agencies as well as the media. Much to her dismay, though, all they got out of it was a good laugh! Notice how she is friendly to me at first, while at the same time being offended by Bobo World. As time goes by, though, her friendliness begins to fade... Laugh along with me now, as we read "Letters From Linda"!
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1999 13:51:52 -0700 From: "LINDA" Subject: shocked To: bobotheclown@mailexcite.com August 29 99 Hi I just visited your site and I am very much angered and shocked to see this. I would like to know if this is real footage or made up.This clown should be locked up Is there any way you can give me any footage of this. Please tell me if you find any details of who this individual is or where he may be.It is never too late Thanks kindly Congradulations on trying to create awareness signed Linda
Linda, Your reaction to Bobo World and to Bobo himself is not unusual. The footage is very shockingly real. The event occured at an amusement park in the 1950s. It was originally shot on a silent 8mm wind-up-type Kodak Brownie movie camera, was transferred to VHS, and then digitized as a QuickTime movie on a Power Macintosh computer. The file was so large that I converted it into the small GIF movie you see on Bobo World. If you would like a copy of the original VHS tape (not my whole home movie reel, just the Bobo part), I will send it to you for $9.99 plus actual cost of postage, your choice of First Class, Priority, or overnight. Let me know if you want a copy, and how you want it shipped, then I can give you a total for the check or money order (your check, of course, will have to clear before I can mail the tape). As for Bobo being locked up, well... since this event occurred over forty years ago, and since Bobo at the time was probably middle-aged, that would make him well over 70, perhaps 80, perhaps... DEAD! So like it says on the page, the only way to get back at him is by cursing him out in the guestbook or on the messageboard! So go ahead, start something, Linda! And let me know if you want that movie! Thanks for writing!
Greg (alias "Son of Bobo") Hi thanks I've received your reply.I would not mind paying for shipping and handling but for me to have to pay for something that depicts an offence as such would not be appropriate.Let me know if you can accept mastercard.Where do I send the cheque if you can't accept mastercard? Thanks again I can include an extra 10.00 for your trouble with the postage.Linda
Hi Linda, I understand how you feel. But I hope you can understand that I have to charge for the tape. Other people have asked for it, and if I just gave it away, I'd be broke in no time! I think $10 is very reasonable considering the time and effort of making the dub, plus the cost of the tape itself. I'm making just a few dollars on each tape I sell. If you'll send me your name and mailing address, I can let you know how much the postage will be. I am not set up for MasterCard yet because there have only been a few requests for the tape, but in the future I may be doing that when I start advertising the tape and a Bobo t-shirt, if anyone is interested. I'm trying to get the message out that there are bad clowns out there who are doing bad things to children in the name of comedy, and that they should be weeded out from the flock somehow. Thanks again for your reply.
Greg
*********Please send me your address to send the cheque O.K.*********
Listen there are other ways of getting your message out .Your t-shirt idea may actually scare people therefore not getting the proper message out.You have to approach this issue with sensativaty. I hope we can keep in touch in regards to this subject.If you find any other incidents regarding clowns or santas please let me know.
*******I would like to know if the child in that movie is yourself?????
Linda: The five-year-old boy in the movie is most definitely yours truly! Kinda cute, wasn't I? You know, Bobo World can be taken on several different levels. There is the information level, which states the facts, ma'am; there is the investigative level, which asks the question: "Why?" And then there is the lighthearted level, for after all, this is a site about a clown, and clowns are supposed to be funny, right? Well, I never thought Bobo was funny! He scared the dickens out of me! I swear I smelled booze on his breath when he bent down to show me the apple, but I can't be sure. So on another level, Bobo World is kind of like therapy for me. I am especially delighted when I get feedback. I am still waiting to find someone who remembers Bobo, though. I wonder what would happen if Bobo is still alive, sees the web page and goes public to try to clear his name? I can see it now: it would be a media circus! the talk show circuit would begin, and on the Jerry Springer show, we'll come to blows! And to add insult to injury, Bobo will actually bring the apple with him to the show, and in the middle of fisticuffs, he'll make the worm pop out and send me into a psychotic coma! (Boy, do I have a wild imagination!) I don't know of any other bad clowns right off hand. You might check out the No Clown Zone. As far as the worm goes, without a physical examination of it, the jury is still out on just how much it resembled a penis, because there are no more left to examine. The prop was dropped by the clown industry years ago for reasons that are obvious today, but were not apparent to anyone in the 1950s for some reason. It was a period of sexual repression as I recall, so people's minds may not have been tuned into that frequency, thus not recognizing the worm as a phallic symbol as most would today. The information in Bobo World is presented in a humorous fashion because more people respond to humor than just dry facts. And besides, as one of Bobo's victims, I have to laugh about it, because the only alternative is to cry! I wouldn't take all of this too seriously, though. The only evidence we have that Bobo was a sexual pervert is the movie. If the Worm-in-an-apple trick was the extent of his perversion (as damaging as that could be to some sensitive children's psyches), then I would be very thankful. Then there is the possibility that Bobo really did get me alone somewhere in a sexual situation and I have completely blocked out the event, but I doubt it. I remember that day fairly well, and I don't remember ever being alone with a stranger.
Greg
Hi I received your response I waiting for your reply with shiping charge and your address I look forward in hearing from you soon bye for now
Hi This is Linda I have received your letter and I thought you were going to send me the info on the cost of shipping By the way you seem to take that incident lightly minimizing what this pervert did. What happened is totally inexcusable.All kids should be protected from these kind of individuals.I must tell you there are codes of ethics and conduct.for clowns No adult has the right to expose a child to this kind of stuff.It really bothers me.Please let me know what the total with shipping is.THANKS AGAIN TAKE CARE CAUSE THERES A CLOWNS THAT CARES..SILLY..BYE!!
Good observation, Linda. I guess I do take the incident lightly... maybe I have to. I sometimes wonder if I really was traumatized by Bobo, and there's no
telling what kind of damage was done subconciously. So I guess laughing about what Bobo did is a way of dealing with it. You know, I had completely forgotten about the incident until we had the home movies put onto VHS tape, and when we watched them, that scene stood out like a sore thumb. Last Christmas we watched home movies with my 14 year-old son, and when we got to the Bobo part, he said, "wait... hold on a minute... back that up!" I asked what part, and he said, "the clown". He asked me what that thing was that the clown had, and when I told him it was a worm coming out of a plastic apple, he replied, "well, it looks like something else!" I didn't need to ask what. That proved my Bobo theory, and shortly thereafter I posted version one of Bobo World.
Hi I got your message and I am sending you 20.00 CANADIAN It is about that with the exchange rate. Hey want to check out an interesting site it is childabusemonument.org Let me know what you think theres a lot to check out Click on Art workshop HAND QUILTS very moving stuff .It's about time people speak out. Well let me know when you receive the letter Bye for now.............. LINDA
Well thanks I did not realize it was more otherwise I would of sent you the right amount. I already mailed it to you last night with a little souvenir from canada. Oh ya I would like to ask you that when you send it to me can you write down on a piece of paper that it is O.K. that I allow others to view it since you say you are the one in it I would not want to embaress someone or get into any trouble My purpose for this video is to make sure that other children are not exposed to this kind of thing.So what you probably should write is that you swear it is your video and that you have allowed me to use it for the purpose of either creating awareness or finding the clown responsible.By the way it's ok to be angry it's o.k to be sad and it's sure o.k. to cry but then society teaches people the wrong thing by people thinking it's not o.k to cry These are feelings that we should all express unfortunately when we don't it makes us sick.When we surpress our feelings what is really going on??We may try to hide our feelings with alcohol or some other addictive way.But one good way is to talk or even write as we are doing now.Enough of my rambling on........................... . Well you mentioned that even your son thought it was something other than a worm what did you say? Hey I just got the internet service how long have you had your page there??? You did a mighty good job of it too. Talk to you later.......Bye Linda
Don't worry about it Linda! Consider it a "special introductory offer"! And thanks for the souvenir from Canada -- whatever it is! Today I finished the brand new, professionally produced Bobo video, "A Day At The Amusement Park", complete with titles, music, and sound effects! Remember, the actual Bobo clip is very short -- just 4 seconds or so, but the new movie tells a story, showing the rides we went on that day, among other things. So with the titles, the whole thing runs about two and a half minutes. Not much for twenty bucks Canadian, eh? Well, I wish that I had tons of Bobo video, but I can't go back in time forty or so years and get more video. Oh, well. The worm shows up very clearly on the tape, at least. I will include an affidavit stating that the video is without question original and authentic, and that I am the little boy in the movie. I will also include the standard release clause, which states: "The use of the likeness of Bobo the clown in any image format, electronic or otherwise, is strictly prohibited except by permission of the author of Bobo World, and under no circumstances may it be used for sale or profit except by arrangement with the author." I'll include a separate note stating that I have given you permission to use the likeness of Bobo for a non-profit purpose. So if you include the video or a reference to it in any presentation or publication, electronic or otherwise, you must give me credit. Something like, "Copyright 1999 Bobo World Productions. Used with permission."
Greg
Hi there Just wondering if you received the
Hi I don't understand that you say you can't send me a copy of the original! I have no use for anything that is not original in sound , visual or otherwise. If you cannot sent the authentic version then sorry I am not interested.I was told that this tape was authentic and now you are telling me it isn't Well as you already know I did make it clear that I did not want something that wasn't original.It must ONLY be totally authentic with nothing added to it.Thanks for understanding. Linda ....................
Linda, you don't seem to understand the meaning of the word "copyright". If I were to give you a copy of the raw video, it would be the equivalent of giving away my copyright. The fact that the original video, 100% authentic, is embedded in a story, is irrelevant. It does not affect the authenticity one iota. But since you are so insistent, I will tear up the check (if I ever get it) and forget about the whole thing.
OK I agree with that anyhow I change my mind about it anyhow so please realize that I will cancel the cheque and say" it was nice chatting". Take care LINDA
Hi It's LINDA from Canada I've sent you e-mails but I guess you don't want to respond Well I wish you would tell me whats the matter! TAKE CARE
Hi It's Linda I wonder if you received my email????
Hi It's me Linda I wonder if you received my e-mails ?????
Linda, The only e-mail messages I received from you were ones asking if I
received your e-mail! Excite had an outage the other night, so if you had sent an important piece of mail, I may not have gotten it. If it was important, by all means, send it again, and I will reply to it. However, I was under the impression that our business was finished. You said you didn't want the tape, I tore up the check, no hard feelings, right? And trust me Linda, I do not need therapy because of Bo-Bo. I am quite over him, and I'm not sure that any real damage was done. He was a silly clown with an equally silly clown trick, very common in the fifties. The offer for the tape is still open should you change your mind. I see that the CBC visited Bobo World, along with some other Canadian visitors... you must be spreading the word! Greg ;o)
Hi Thanks for responding.That trick that you think is normal is not.I have the same kind of trick with the apple and worm but it is like a puppet a finger is inserted inside the apple which is then inside the worm that comes out. And I do not believe there was ever a prop that was made as you show, this is why I even wondered if you added this to the film through some kind of special effect.But you tell me it's authentic therefore I can sugest that this clown had possibly made this prop up himself for his own weird sick pleasure.As to the canadian visitors you are getting could possibly be from me disgussing this topic.I don't think you realize the severity of the clowns actions. Anyhow I would like to keep in touch through e-mail if thats O.K LINDA aka."Silly" DA CLOWN!!
Hi I just want to say thank you so much for exposing this clown. I would like to let you know that my purpose for interest in your clipse was that I've been lobbying the government for change in having all clowns and santas mandatory background checked.I ' ve been actively doing this for several years. The news will be airing a special soon that I will be interviewed in that specifically talks about Mandatory Background checks. I hope that you agree.. Linda
Hi Linda, I should probably tell you that I work nights and get home at varying times depending on whether I come straight home or go shopping, see a movie, eat out, go on a date, etc. Sometimes I don't get home until 9 or 10pm during the week, and 12am at the earliest on the weekend since I work full night shifts on Sat. and Sun. and often go out after work. So please don't be concerned if I don't answer your mail within your timeframe. I also don't get online as soon as I walk in the door. Yes, I believe all clowns and Santas should have background checks and also take the standard psychological personality profile questionaire, which can see through deceptive answers by asking the same question several times in a different way. It can also identify possible problems with drugs or alcohol and sexual deviancy.
Hi Hope you got my e-mail !! I would like to know what you think!! Linda Not just another clown..................
By the way do you know of a profession where there are test that you mentioned about questionaires that are required.I think if that if they tried to do this by means of questions that could be discreminating . You cannot discreminate on the grounds of religion , color, nationality , sex and other grounds. The law here is very strict about that . I ask that the clowns I hire to volunteer for a screening for a background check Anyhow it's very late I woke up and thought I should check out if I had any e-mails Today is going to be a busy day.By the way if you don't mind me asking what kind of work do you do??Bye.... Linda
Linda, If you go to the state employment placement assistance office in your area, I'm sure they would be happy to give you a copy of the test. Take it yourself, just to see how it works. I am a freelance photographer, videographer, and editor specializing in multimedia production, as well as webmaster for Bobo World. I am also an ordained minister of the gospel.
Greg
I do not know what prompt you to send me a letter telling me to take a test for what?? This has insulted my intelligence.I do not understand your thinking.Responding to something ask disturbing as your so called video clip you had from your childhood . I assume now that you 've disclosed that your a video grapher your video clips is a hoax.Well if it is or not it sure has stirred up a lot of interesting facts. Like why would anyone want to create this kind of act it's beyond my means of understanding. Good Luck with your sales.......................LINDA
By the way I am a successful business person not just some clown you came accross I've been interviewed several times on television and participate in the annual Santa parade promoting lot's of joy and laughter.What could be better than doin something that brings so much joy and getting paid top dollars Like minimal 150.00 an hour I have done promotions that where in the thousands of dollars and where less than a days work So next time you or someone wants to put a clown down better take second looks at yourselves..!!!
Hi Hey I think I took your message the wrong way I apologize I guess it doesn't help to not get enough sleep.I would like to say that I think I misunderstood part of your message but anyway I hope you have luck finding that bad clown you were looking for. I hope you forgive me for whatever I wrote since I misunderstood everything Take care Silly Linda thats why my name is SILLY No wonder eh!!
Hi it's me Linda I don't know if you received my e-mails or if your even interested in responding to them. I hope you find the clown you have been looking for. I was on the news just yesterday in regards to my crusade to have mandatory background checks on clowns and santas. It was interesting to watch and if anything I surely created more awareness on the issue.In any case you seem to have doupt if the clown ment anything bad about the prop. I would like to not only give my opinion about it but disclose that there are certain codes of ethics which in no doupt were broken.If it had of been something harmless then there would not of been any doupts.If you have to question his behavior then for sure something was not right.With clowning and santas there are numerous rules to follow. One is never to consume food or beverages or smoke in the presence of people.There are also guidelines about verbal communication and gestures. It only makes sense to respect children and people. When entertaining a clown should never use a person to produce a laugh A good clown only ridicules himself. If you ever come to canada you can check us out. Take care friend!
By the way I do not believe that trick was common as you have showed it.It may have been common in the fifties with the worm in it but not as it is shown in your clipse .
I just have to say it is pretty sad that you are capitalizing on such a despicable act.You should be very ashamed that you are tryin to destroy some really good profession by exploiting this incident.I think you will be punished come judgement day.STOP what you are doin it is not right and you know it.It is a very selfish destrutive thing you are doin. You are tryin to make money on something like this It's sick......I hope that somehow you are taught a lesson from this all because you know what goes around comes around and money is not everything.You will probably be supplying sick people.A joke!? What kind of a joke is this?? Obscene of course. And who would find humour or interest aside from getting a copy to give police or a politician You are just as bad as the clown because you are exploiting this to make money.I hope that you get just what you deserve.................... It's one thing to have this site but it's another thing to actually sell copies of your video.May god teach you the difference between right and wrong....
I have been very busy getting the Bobo World Emporium up and running, so I
haven't had much time to respond to idiotic e-mail messages like yours.
First of all, Linda, in reference to your e-mail message dated 09-18-99: I
don't think you have enough intelligence to insult! It is obvious that you
are not very well educated and/or possess a low I.Q. by your lack of
understanding of my intent and everything we have talked about to date, and
you appear to be at least partially illiterate, using very bad spelling,
grammar, and punctuation. Your arguments lose their vitality when they are
backed up by third-grade-level composition. Once you get past English 101,
if you took some courses in the humanities, perhaps you just might become
sophisticated enough to understand the many levels on which Bobo World can
be appreciated. I get the feeling that you were abused as a child. I can
appreciate where you are coming from, but I think that you are stretching
things a bit by trying to include Bobo (and now myself, it seems) in your
campaign to end child abuse. It is neither requested nor desired. Bobo World is
not about child abuse. Bobo World is about a silly clown with a silly
trick, that's all. Bobo World has been rated by RSACi and has been found to
be within the bounds of decency for viewing even by children. What I think
we have here are two very sick clowns. One's name is Bobo. The other's name
is Silly. I have been polite up to this point, but now I have to tell you
that this is what I honestly think: I think you need help. I think you were
abused as a child and it has damaged you. You see things in Bobo world that
just aren't there. 99.9% of the people who have written in have said they
loved the site. You, my dear little clown, are the only one who has taken it
upon herself to send a flood of e-mail messages to me (no less than twenty
of 'em!) filled with your "deep concern". I feel sorry for you, but there is
nothing I can do to help you. However, I always get a good laugh out of your
insane ramblings, Linda, so keep 'em comin'! I may or may not reply,
depending on how I feel. By the way, the home movie is quite authentic and
has not been altered in any way. The fact that I am in video production and
that I have edited the home movie into a funny story does not detract from
the film's authenticity one iota. And why shouldn't I make some money out of
a bizarre childhood experience? It's my video. I can do whatever I want with
it. What a country!
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 21:33:18 PDT
Gosh, I'm starting to enjoy this! Let me offer my apologies for criticising your spelling, grammar, and punctuation. You have a fairly good grip on English (which is much harder to learn than French) for it being your second language. As for the content of Bobo World, you still seem to be missing the point. When we first brought the old home movies out of the closet to have them put on tape, none of us remembered Bobo. But when we watched the dub for the first time, we all looked at each other as if to say: "what in the world is THAT?!" It pricked my curiosity so much that I started showing it to people to ask what their opinion was about it. While a few people saw nothing unusual about it (my mother, for one; she called it an "innocent clown prank of a pretty strange decade", meaning the 1950s), most agreed that there was something odd about that clown, so I decided to take the forum to the whole world and ask EVERYBODY'S opinion. I leave it up to the viewers to draw their own conclusions about Bobo. Anything I say about him is just part of a collection of things that other people have told me. I am not "promoting" anything. Bobo World is an expose. Look up the word in the dictionary, and I'm sure you will see that it has nothing to do with promotion. I am just a reporter telling a true story. So have mercy on me, Linda! I think you are blowing this thing WAY out of proportion. I think you are stretching it a bit to call Bobo's trick obscene. Odd, strange, unusual, weird, oversized, and phallic all come to mind, but obscene? I think not. Now, if the worm was flesh-colored and had hair, then I would agree with you. As for me needing therapy, well, perhaps I do, but not because of Bobo. But then again, I think EVERYBODY needs therapy. We're all a little crazy. Some of us are just a little crazier than others. And then there are those like yourself who are WAY out on a limb! Lighten up, Linda, and have a great day!
Love and kisses,
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