One of the most famous musical theatre songs ever is 'Send In The Clowns.' It was covered by every mid-century singer you can think of, and it's considered Stephen Sondheim's only real hit song. For those of you who are unfamiliar, here's a taste of it.
Isn't it rich? Are we a pair?
Me here at last on the ground,
You in mid-air,
Where are the clowns?Isn't it bliss? Don't you approve?
One who keeps tearing around,
One who can't move,
Where are the clowns?
There ought to be clowns?
The number one question people have about this song is easy to guess; what does 'send in the clowns' even mean? I think it's pretty obvious this is not an extremely literal request. I wish that there was a phrase in common parlance that just brought clowns into the room, but there simply is not. If you want the clowns to be sent in, these clown memes are on their way.