Back in the old days, it was common to hire a clown for parties and events. These days, they are rare. I did see one clown at a mall and it was a middle aged old man making simple balloon sculptures promoting a store but since clowns are an old thing, I won't expect some 21 year old guy getting into the business. So yeah, clowns are becoming extinct.
Dude Waldo. Hats off to you for coming up with the most random yet interesting Offtopic threads on the site. Indeed clowning is a dying art form.
I hear there's a huge conservation effort going on in Washington, D.C. National Geographic snapped this pic of them gathering under one roof: