(Photo above from Show Me Progress)
ST. LOUIS — An event at the Missouri State Fair Saturday raised some eyebrows at the time and received a large amount of commentary Sunday after left-leaning blog Show Me Progress posted about what happened and the story unfolded.
“Just prior to the start of the bull riding event, one of the clowns came out dressed in this,” Perry Beam posted on Facebook — included in the blog post — along with a photo of a rodeo clown dressed as President Barack Obama. “The announcer wanted to know if anyone would like to see Obama run down by a bull. The crowd went wild.”
The blog post continued, as did the story about what happened and accompanying input from citizens and elected officials who were upset about what occurred.
Eli Yokley, PoliticMo Editor in Chief, was the first to report a response from the Missouri State Fair on the event:
“The performance by one of the rodeo clowns at Saturday’s event was inappropriate and disrespectful, and does not reflect the opinions or standards of the Missouri State Fair,” spokeswoman Kari Mergen said. “We strive to be a family friendly event and regret that Saturday’s rodeo badly missed that mark.”
Additionally, it was discovered that the announcer during the event was Boonville School District Superintendent Mark Ficken, who told Missourinet Monday morning that the voice actually was the rodeo clown, not Flicken.
A video of the event is available on YouTube from the Kansas City Star’s Yael Abouhalkah.
The events drew large amounts of criticism via social media, including some requests from some elected officials for action to be taken against the person responsible. The Missouri Times will add more tweets to this post periodically.
This incident is shameful. http://t.co/eYYcWWzzfO
— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) August 11, 2013
The @MoStateFair celebrates Missouri and our people. I condemn the actions disrespectful to POTUS the other night. We are better than this.
— Peter Kinder (@PeterKinder) August 11, 2013
I love the @MoStateFair and will attend this week. I implore @GovJayNixon to hold the people responsible for the other night accountable.
— Peter Kinder (@PeterKinder) August 11, 2013
I don't agree w/ this Prez on many things. But he is deserving of respect and shouldn't be the object of political stunts. Out of line!
— Caleb Rowden (@calebrowden) August 11, 2013
https://twitter.com/patrickalynn/statuses/366706475021778945
You know what's worse than a racist rodeo clown and announcer? A crowd of #MoStateFair Missourians cheering on their disrespect of a nation.
— Tony Messenger (@tonymess) August 11, 2013
The racism @ #MOStateFair is appalling. @SpeakerTimJones should ask Govt Oversight Ctte for full investigation #moleg http://t.co/CYjGCP9tTL
— Rory Ellinger (@RoryEllinger) August 11, 2013
Cue the @nytimes, again. *sighs* MT @eyokley: Clown dressed as POTUS taunted at #MOStateFair rodeo, chased by bull. http://t.co/5BAeZH9RCf
— Jeff Smith (@JeffSmithMO) August 11, 2013
https://twitter.com/YaelTAbouhalkah/statuses/366637537793540097
Disgusting@MOStateFair announcer/supt. has more rodeos coming up in Warrensburg, Troy, Pacific, Steelville. He's done this before.
— Hon. Stacey Newman, Missouri (@staceynewman) August 12, 2013
.@GovJayNixon's Scott Holste emails Nixon thought #MOStateFair performance "was disrespectful and offensive". Didn't call for resignation.
— Eli Yokley (@eyokley) August 11, 2013
FY2014 Appropriations for @MoStateFair: $4,921,010 for 59 FTEs. The fees escrow account is $250,112. State Fair Foundation raises lots.
— Great State of St. Louis (@stl7thward) August 11, 2013
I wonder where I can find some $$ in the state budget next year? @MoStateFair
— Jeremy LaFaver (@jeremylafaver) August 11, 2013
Going to try to use metaphor "faster than a state fair clown in an Obama mask" sometime this week.
— Chuck Hatfield (@chuckhatfield) August 11, 2013
Rodeo clowns are typically found in front of a bull. What this clown did is more akin to what is usually found behind one. #MOStateFair
— Roy Temple (@roytemple) August 11, 2013
Criticizing politicians is the American way. Hinting at violence toward the President of the United States..not so much.
— Roy Temple (@roytemple) August 11, 2013
While I don't agree with how #MoStateFair participant expressed his disagreement with Prez, disagreement isn't immediate grounds for racism.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) August 12, 2013
https://twitter.com/tishaura/statuses/366632798896926720
"'I felt like I was at a Klan rally,' Missouri State Fair goer Perry Beam told Raw Story" http://t.co/62kkBd432K
— Justin Wingerter (@JustinWingerter) August 11, 2013
Oh Missourah, you never fail to make us Republicans in Missouri wince. #StateFair #CmonGuysYouAreNotHelping
— Kevin Rejent (@KevinRejent) August 11, 2013
https://twitter.com/jmaz/statuses/366664563648774146
“@JaneDueker: #TimeToDefund @MoStateFair!!”
What happened is bad, but using that logic,conservative bashing IRS should be defunded too.
— Scott Fitzpatrick (@FitzpatrickMO) August 11, 2013
I mean, really, who at @MoStateFair thought that was a good idea? It's just plain embarrassing.
— Ryan Conway (@RyanConwayMO) August 12, 2013
Both @JacobHummel & @GailBeatty want @SpeakerTimJones to appoint "appoint an interim committee to investigate" @MoStateFair incident.
— Jason Rosenbaum (@jrosenbaum) August 12, 2013
https://twitter.com/jmwillsMO/statuses/366741393965719556
https://twitter.com/jmwillsMO/statuses/366741637541527555
WATCH: #MO Democrats and state media will not report how Jay Nixon controls ag appointment, fair commission appointments. #MoStateFair
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) August 12, 2013
https://twitter.com/ClintZweifel/statuses/366752547802853378
https://twitter.com/ClintZweifel/statuses/366753597440008192
Kudos to LG Kinder for sticking up for American values. Disrespecting the office of the President is disgraceful!#pdk@PeterKinder
— Barry Aycock (@BarryAycock) August 12, 2013
Tuffy Gessling, the #MOStateFair clown, on Facebook: "I never ment to offend anyone I ment no disrespect to anyone…" pic.twitter.com/U9aFFZI0ZT
— Eli Yokley (@eyokley) August 12, 2013
Official estimates of annual state money to MoStateFair vary from $400K to $5M annually. Story revised: http://t.co/75GdrCn33f
— Jo Mannies (@jmannies) August 12, 2013
Outraged by what happened at the #MOStateFair…Missourians deserve better than this.
— Jill Schupp (@JillSchupp) August 12, 2013
