Laughing at how our tax money is spent
Seriously - doesn’t this sound exactly like something David Brent (from BBC’s The Office) would do… (or rather, has actually done in one episode LOL!! )
Clowns enlisted to raise spirits of Tampere municipal workers. “Laughter is the core of well-being”, says city’s personnel chief.[...]
The idea for the city clowns came from comedian Mona Ratalahti, occupational well-being trainer Riitta Harilo, and its godmother was Kirsi Koski, head of the Mayor’s office. Koski has worked as the city’s head of personnel for three years.
“I have thought about what would be the core of well-being. Yes, it is laughter”, Koski says. “It is all right to laugh at craziness - at what is not said out loud in business discussions.” Ratalahti feels that a clown nose “changes us and the viewer in such a way that forces people to look at things differently”.
“When people enjoy their work, it is reflected directly on the bottom line.”
Photo on left by Reijo Hietanen, from Helsingin Sanomat
Actually trying to make a Finn see out of the box was probably a good use of your tax money.
Comment by winter - "Yea, Proton Power, now in remission†— Wed, May 30th, 2007 @ 4:46 pm
A state run entity needs to spend money to boost morale just like any other company. But I could just imagine the reaction around here if Nokia hired a bunch of clowns to fuck around during lunch time. I think it would have the same response as it did when David Brent did something similar in The Office.
Comment by Phil — Wed, May 30th, 2007 @ 4:55 pm
Yeah, I agree with winter. Seeing out of the box is good. Plus, municipal people are the ones we deal with occasionally. So having happy people benefits us.
With that said, I would have hired strippers….
Comment by Kristian — Wed, May 30th, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
strippers?
Male or female? or both?
Comment by winter - "Yea, Proton Power, now in remission†— Wed, May 30th, 2007 @ 5:04 pm
Lawsuit… by someone with clown phobia ;). Clowns suck, I’d prefer the strippers.
Comment by aet75 — Wed, May 30th, 2007 @ 5:24 pm
A sex show like Casa Rosso would be good. Many years-ago, my girlfriend and I got ‘conned’ into a show there. Almost no cost, but we had to sit in the front row. Guess who one of the female performers requested from the audience?
I kept my clothes on. With 35-spectators ogling my ‘performance’, a handful of Viagra wouldn’t have saved me. Good thing I’m handy with a dildo
Comment by Kristian — Wed, May 30th, 2007 @ 5:33 pm
#4
If I remember correctly Kristian prefers trannies
Comment by Kronos — Wed, May 30th, 2007 @ 5:44 pm
busting a gut “@ fucking around during lunch time”. Dude, you made me laugh my nuts off with that comment.. good one man
Comment by hill billy — Wed, May 30th, 2007 @ 5:55 pm
Actually trying to make a Finn see out of the box was probably a good use of your tax money.
QFT
Comment by gopha — Wed, May 30th, 2007 @ 7:27 pm
I actually know the clown on the left.
Comment by Asa — Wed, May 30th, 2007 @ 11:02 pm
gopha:
QFT
Et tu, Brute?
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Thu, May 31st, 2007 @ 2:17 am
Kristian, I can think of more titillating things than watching two junkies having it off on stage. Never quite understood that thrill.
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Thu, May 31st, 2007 @ 2:20 am
The only clown I know about begins with K.
Comment by Dave the Slave — Thu, May 31st, 2007 @ 3:51 am
I hope at least one of those clowns is the asstard who paid 60,000 or so for ice blocks as ‘art’ in the summer.
Couldn’t they just dress up the drunks and save some money?
Comment by hfb — Thu, May 31st, 2007 @ 8:23 am
gopha:
QFT
Et tu, Brute?
I never saw Caligula.
Comment by gopha — Thu, May 31st, 2007 @ 2:07 pm
The only clown I know about begins with K.
Krusty?
Comment by Freeridin' Franklin — Thu, May 31st, 2007 @ 5:03 pm
Bah, who needs clowns? Don’t they have customers.
Comment by Antti rn — Thu, May 31st, 2007 @ 10:01 pm
..and the best libertarian clown in Finland is Phil Schwarzmann..
Comment by Mika Z. — Thu, May 31st, 2007 @ 11:51 pm
..and the best libertarian clown in Finland is Phil Schwarzmann..
Hey some respect to phil dont be a ass.
Comment by katas — Fri, Jun 1st, 2007 @ 7:18 am
Phil:
“Laughing at how our tax money is spent”
OUR? If this is municipal money spent in TAMPERE it’s hardly OUR money, or is it? Unless I’m wrong Tampere is not among the official suburbs of the MOTHER OF ALL SUBURBS (at least in Finland), Espoo.
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