Squirting Flower

The squirting flower prop is a classic clown gag that continues to garner laughs after decades of comic mischief. Mastering the strategic water puzzles of these playful props remains an essential skill for prankster clowns.

Origins

The first patented squirting flower was developed by Soren Sorensen Adams in the 19th century, initially intended as a medical nasal douche. Its comical potential was quickly seized on by clowns and jokesters.

By the early 1900s, burlesque comedians and vaudeville clowns incorporated squirting flowers into skits. The gag playfully blurred the lines of high and low comedy, with clowns spoofing aristocratic manners while inevitably devolving into messy slapstick water chaos. Notable early adopters helping popularize joy buzzers and squirting flowers included acclaimed clowns like Lou Jacobs and Otto Griebling .

Eventually, large novelty companies like S.S. Adams Company began mass-producing squirting flowers to meet rising demand. The iconic fun prop became widespread in the children’s party scene and a staple for birthday clowns.

Classic Bits

Over the years, certain squirting flower gags have become standard laugh-getters:

• Surprising new victims with a stealth blast to the face

• Engaging volunteers in games of chance with loaded consequences

• Instigating call-and-response false lulls before delivering the wet punchline

• Feigning innocence by “drinking” harmlessly before drenching crowds

• Mock ventriloquist acts with squirting doll heads on laps

Even just waving flowers near spectators tickles funny bones. Adding putty noses, May flowers, or bow ties increases the squirting flower’s comedy pedigree.

Importance of Squirting Flowers

Though a seemingly trivial prop, squirting flowers showcase key aspects of clowning: misdirection, comic timing, audience engagement, quirky costumes, and reveling in messy chaos for laughter’s sake. The interactive prop continues sprinkling audiences with contagious mirth after all these years—a testament to enduring clown classics standing the test of time.