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Community activist tears into clown running for city council at Roxbury forum

At an at-large city-council forum at the Roxbury ABCD tonight, activist Jamarhl Crawford was not having any of Pat Payaso's clowning around. Latoya Gayle videoed Crawford going after him - and Payaso's explanation for why Roxbury residents should take a guy dressed like him seriously.

Earlier:
Report on at-large forum in Roslindale.

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Comments

A lot of people seem to be getting bent out of shape about him dressing up like a clown, but I've liked everything I've heard (or read) him say. Pretty sure I'm voting for a clown in November.

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He's a narcissist who thinks this is all about him. He's not a serious candidate. He claims he needs to be listened to, and because no one is listening, he must dress as a clown, even change his name. It's Payaso vs everyone else, and everyone else is the enemy because they wouldnt vote for him when he wasn't Payaso.

This man should be ignored, regardless of his alleged "good ideas".

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Luckily I'm a big boy who can make decisions for myself instead of relying on anonymous internet psychologists to tell me what to do.

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So if you don't like the way someone dresses or the way they look, they should be ignored? Got it.

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In the case of Payaso, I absolutely dont like him for the way he looks and dresses, because it's phony. If you like that kind of thing, good for you.

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Watch the first few minutes of the tape. The moderator asks him to explain why he's dressed as a clown. He refuses to answer, and changes the subject.
Seriously, this guy is an idiot.

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You know who it is.

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Moderator
Whats up with the clown costume?
Payaso
I live here and play basketball here. Take me seriously. Did I mention that I play basketball? Here's my basketball schedule

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https://ballotpedia.org/Pat_Payaso

You also might enjoy our youtube channel with our latest video:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB9UW2f46vdWEgmhwLdTmpQ

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Your positions are icing on the cake.

Bien hecho, señor Payaso.

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Muchas gracias. Espero que trajo una sonrisa !!!

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But why all the comments in high school Spanish, and now French? If you have something to say, then say it in a language most of us can understand. Pendejo.

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With your repeated "high school Spanish" schtick?

Is it because High School is the only time in your life you've encountered a language other than English?

Is it a flail at acting superior while demanding "ENGLISH ONLY!" like a flyover cretin?

¿Es que no sabes que la otra mitad de la naranja es Colombiana?

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My partner of many years speaks Spanish as his first language. I speak Spanish as a second language with him and his friends and family. I watch tv in Spanish. I read websites in Spanish. I never said English only. Payaso's Spanish is about as good as mine, which is ok but not great. It appears that he learned Spanish in school but doesnt really speak it or communicate with Spanish speaking people. He makes bad errors like "la problema".

But my point was that if he really is about getting elected, then why the comments in Spanish, not his first language, on a website that communicates in English? Payaso is saying "Look at me!!! I speak Spanish !!! I'm so cool!!!" If he want the vote of the majority of people who speak English, not Spanish, then at least do it in both languages, which he actually did a couple of times.

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First off, to be clear, I don't know the clown(s). I'm just amused by them. Our city councilors have frequently seemed like clowns to me - from rubber sidewalks to the public sunscreen dispensers to cultural objections to shoveling - and I'm happy to straight up vote for a clown this time.

But check it out: there's more than one person campaining dressed as a clown (look at the videos - sometimes it's a man, sometimes a woman). And I believe there's more than one person posting here as Pat Payaso. One of those people writes Spanish well. The other doesn't.

Here's an example of the person writing Spanish poorly. As you pointed out, "muchas otras problemas..." Sheesh!

Here's an example of the person writing Spanish well. I'd be surprised if you find any "high school" type errors in this text. And, a few comments down in the same thread, we find this: the indication that the person writing this platform is female.

Let's assume that the bad Spanish writer is the clown formerly known as Kevin. The good Spanish writer must be the other clown. I have my guesses as to the identity of the payasa, but again I don't know these people.

And I concede your main point: payaso formerly known as Kevin, you need to hit the books!

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I think I read somewhere, maybe here, that both McCrea and his wife dress up as clowns. But it looks like they may both be posting as clowns. Great.

Maybe the Payaso(s) can tell us what's going on.

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617-297-7721 let me detail to you how you will act appropriately in my community.

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Yup, asshole.

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And you must obey. It is his kingdom you are in, and he dictates the terms under which you will operate there.

Fuck off, you arrogant dick. "My community" my ass.

[edit: it has been pointed out that the poster to whom I responded here may in fact be an impersonator and not actually Jamarhl]

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May be a false nag.

In any case, nobody has any right to tell anyone how to behave in that snotty way. That includes people wearing non-approved hairstyles and how people wear their pants and clown shoes. Sounds fascist to me.

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I miss the old "not verified" tag. The distinction now is too subtle.

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yes to refer to me as King is very appropriate
I posted my number and if you would like to discuss this matter further
the King will grant you an audience.
and yes my community, within my Kingdom.
I don't often require that people address me by my full title, but I appreciate your adherence to formality.

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Check out the big shot activist who over the past 5 years has only donated to one politician- post-expulsion Carlos Henriquez. You know, the guy thrown out of the state house for assault.

You may or may not be the real person but that person seems to have bad taste in which politicians he supports.

http://www.ocpf.us

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ADAM!

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I dont care about your positions if you cant show some minimum respect to the voters of Boston. And painting tears on your face doesnt show respect to victims of gun violence either. That was despicable.

Just because you appeal to some anonymous trolls (including the ones with screen names) on Uhub doesnt mean anything. When you lose this election, and you will, what is your next move Payaso? Suggestion:take off the mask and act like an adult.

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if you cant show some minimum respect to the voters of Boston.

"minimum respect to the voters of Boston," to me, means things like not taking secret campaign contributions from special interest groups, not what makeup you do or don't wear on your face.

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Which candidates are taking secret contributions? And is Payaso one of them?

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He tried that. Ever hear of Kevin McCrea?

Maybe you have, but you probably just know he ran for mayor or city council or something. Maybe you haven't. You wouldn't be alone. He got 4% (3,000) of the vote in 2009 for mayor.

He respected the voters more than some of the candidates that got more of the percentage of the vote at the time. In fact, his campaign led from his desire to see the city meet its own obligations to the open meeting laws. He wanted that so much he sued the city at least once to make them comply with the law. He respected the system and ran a regular campaign just trying to get his message out. He got 4%.

This time he still respects the voters. What he appears to have lost respect for completely is the system. He's not dressed as a clown to laugh at *you* but to laugh at the system which is ingrained in a way to prevent someone like him...like you...like any of us from being able to bring attention to the problems and potential solutions that don't penetrate the safety bubble that surrounds the people who are in the system.

And it's working. If Kevin McCrea had run for city council this year, then you wouldn't have noticed or cared...again. But you know there's a clown running. You even know his name...and if you're paying attention now, then you may even learn why he's running as a clown and what he intends to do so that in the future this sort of tactic isn't a necessary and ironic step to make people take him seriously.

I may or may not vote for him, but if you think him being a clown is all about you, that says more about you than it does him.

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Of course I know Payaso's real identity and the whole story about why he dresses as a clown. But this idea that if you dont get votes you should change your name, dress as a clown, and start mouthing off in Spanish, may impress you. It doesnt impress me. It's all about him. He is full of himself.

I take government and voting seriously and I research before I vote. And based on my research I would never vote for McCrea or Payaso.

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So don't. That doesn't mean a legitimate candidate for office should be shouted down and unable to speak because an individual doesn't like him.

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I take government and voting seriously and I research before I vote. And based on my research I would never vote for McCrea or Payaso.

So, based on your research, you wouldn't vote for him. Then it shouldn't matter to you whether he dresses as a clown or not. Your research of his policies and stances should be good enough since they don't align with your choices for how the city should be run. To bad mouth his clown approach suggests your decisions on your serious research is biased. And that'd be fine too...if that's what you admit to...that you won't vote for him because you don't like the way he looks or his approach.

And I'm not impressed by his clownsmanship. Don't put words in my mouth. I've personally known far better clowns. Hell, I WAS a far better clown in college a few times as part of a campus juggling troupe. But I still give him credit for a novel approach that has garnered far more attention to his ideas than his past attempts at office under a manipulated system.

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Even as you tell me to fuck off, you're missing the point again. The clown costume and the fake painted on tears to "honor the victims of gun violence" are legitimate reasons not to vote for Payaso. I suggest you go beyond what a candidate claims their positions are , and look at the person and personality, and whether they are suitable for public office. Look at the whole picture.

Yes, one of the reasons I wont vote for Payaso is his makeup and costume. It's all phony. In some cases the way a person looks and dresses are in fact a reason not to vote for them. Payaso dresses as a clown with phony painted on tears, but you want me to pretend that he's not doing it when I decide whom to vote for. Strange.

Are you going to tell me to fuck off again?

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His clown costume and tears is a legitimate reason for YOU not to vote for him. Maybe it isn't for others.

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you boys can take turns

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Because you didn't read what I wrote...so clearly there's no way to have a discussion here with you.

What I said:

And that'd be fine too...if that's what you admit to...that you won't vote for him because you don't like the way he looks or his approach.

Then you claim:

Even as you tell me to fuck off, you're missing the point again. The clown costume and the fake painted on tears to "honor the victims of gun violence" are legitimate reasons not to vote for Payaso.

So, no, I didn't miss that point. I addressed it directly. I even said that's a fine reason too. We all have our reasons.

But it's not like he hits his opponents with pies in the face or mimes his policy statements. His appearance can easily be separated from his statements. It's not affecting his communication skills.

However, this thread is played out for me because you're arguing points I already addressed which means you're not paying attention to me either.

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research of his policies and stances should be good enough

I couldnt disagree more. Payaso put on the costume, including the makeup and wig. HE is the one who made this election about him being a clown,so voters should take this into account when they cast their vote. It's not usually about a candidate's choice of makeup, wigs, and clothes, but in this case, it absolutely is about that, because Payaso made it about that.

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I like the idea of the clown suit. I like that it's arts activism and that it's ironic and all of that. But then you open your mouth, and the first thing you say is - I live in Roxbury, I play basketball here, and then a bit later you quote MLK Jr. That's where I turned it off. Maybe I should have kept listening, but all of that sounds like "I'm not racist, I have black friends." (and I'm not saying you're racist, it just sounds as silly as what you said).

Anybody with money can live in Roxbury, basketball? wow not even gonna go there, and one of the worst things you can do is quote MLK to a roomful of African Americans. Like they don't know MLK. Like they haven't studied his work and probably know it better than you. You basically just followed the textbook on how to talk down to people of color while thinking you're connecting with them.

Also, Jamarhl didn't have a great approach either, but after hearing your opening lines I can see why he is frustrated.

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Because I dress up as a clown to fight the establishment!!
Because I play basketball with the blacks in Roxbury!! I even live here!!
Because I speak Spanish to English speaking people!!
I also have positions on public policy you may agree with, so you should vote for me and ignore the clown stuff and other questionable things I do or say!!

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That Jamarhl Crawford is kind of an asshole.

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Maybe. But I need more data.

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Maybe. But I need more data.

Data which this morning's comments feed seems to be providing.

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From his website:

"Jamarhl Crawford also known as UNO The Prophet comes from a legacy three generations deep in Boston..."

Another top google hit refers to him as a "Blackstonian" which is about the most face-palm thing I've heard all week.

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Call him "deep dish."

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Blackstonian... As in Black Bostonian... as in the website and newspaper I created now 15 yrs ago.. the same word you can find referenced by the NY Times, NPR all locals, etc.
So why do you have a problem with it that requires a face palm? Methinks it offends your inner racism that just won't allow for a Black Man to coin his own term to denote his own place in Boston. The term Black Community is over used and very non-descriptive, while the term Blackstonian is very specific and dare I say clever (yes I do dare).
Hope this explanation meets your approval. I will seek therapy because as you can imagine I am all bwoke up inside knowing you all think so little of me... you huwt my wittle feelings.
(let me know if I used too many big words)
Thanks 617-297-7721

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Start with "Blackstonian."

Definition of Blackstonian

law
:of or relating to the English jurist Sir William Blackstone or his philosophy of law

*Where previously the Blackstonian doctrine mandated that when a nuisance could be proved, a plaintiff was entitled to its abatement, courts of equity were willing to couple the finding of nuisance with a remedy limited to damages.
—Louise A. Halper, Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review, Fall 1998

*Summoning another factoid, he recalled a seminal Blackstonian tenet, reciting it nearly verbatim: “This is what Blackstone said: ‘The goal of the judge is to find and declare the law.’ They were not to read new meaning into the Constitution.”
—Michael Leahy, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2009

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...doesnt like another person who calls himself Blackstonian. Interesting

Crawford's Blackstonian.org is a pretty good website with news,sports, culture, and commentary about the black community in Boston. Uhub has linked to articles in Blackstonian from time to time.As good as Uhub is, it is not the only good site about life in Boston.

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Crawford's Blackstonian.org is a pretty good website with news,sports, culture, and commentary about the black community in Boston.

Whether or not he runs a good website has very little bearing on the question of whether or not he acted like an asshole last night (and is continuing to act like one here this AM)

In related news, Mussolini ran the trains on time.

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I agree that Crawford's website and Crawford's behavior at the candidates forum are 2 different things.
But I was referring to the commenters that cant grasp, or criticize, Crawford calling himself a Blackstonian.
As for being an asshole, Payaso wins the competion.
And fyi Mussolini did not run the trains on time. Look it up.

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Heck, a lot could be said about Payaso, but he wasn't caught on tape yelling and screaming and demanding that someone get expelled from a public forum. That's why Crawford comes of as kind of an ass in the exchange.

But yeah, Crawford calling himself a "Blackstonian" is not a bad thing at all. Kind of catchy, to be honest with you. Still doesn't excuse his actions last night.

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A black man who calls himself UNO the prophet, and refuses to sit on the panel with a clown, is an asshole?

And a white man who paints his face, including fake tears "for victims of gun violence", and wears a clown costume, is not an asshole?

I understand what's going on here. Thanks

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All that feeding people, working against domestic violence, proposing policy changes and working on legislation... wow first grade asshole.
Or is it that you are uncomfortable with uncompromising, intelligent, well-spoken, fearless Black Men. I'll wait. 617-297-7721

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Do you really want dialogue?

Or do you want to decide who can talk at what time?

Payaso showed up to talk about the issues. You didn't seem to want to hear him out. You didn't want him there. You decided to yell and scream about how he wasn't welcome and should leave.

So, perhaps you can reflect on how, rather than asking the candidates about

feeding people, working against domestic violence, proposing policy changes and working on legislation

you screamed and ranted against someone who might actually answer the questions.

So yeah, first grade asshole.

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https://www.facebook.com/jamarhlakauno?fref=ufi&rc=p

is him just throwing shout outs to his friends.

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.... that it was Payoso who showed up at the Hale school. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't.

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404

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I just watched that entire video. He keeps saying that Payaso is making a mockery of something, but he's not sure of what, so he assumes he's making a mockery of the community. I don't think that conclusion is correct, I think he's mocking the political system, but hey maybe I'm wrong.

He also says he's going to Payaso's house today with a bunch of people and he's also not going to allow him to play basketball in Roxbury anymore. That's all a little ominous. I get that this guy clearly cares about his community, but I think he's overstepping his bounds here.

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The lack of coverage in the Globe is pretty amazing in both the mayoral and council races.

Apparently they called Payaso today and he wanted to talk substantive issues. They only wanted to talk face paint, essentislly making Payaso's point about the power structure in this city.

Hey Globe -this is why I won't subscribe to your piece of crap. You obviously have an agenda and you use your mouthpiece to speak or remain silent to accomplish that agenda.

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.

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but I almost went through the delete the cookies move to read Leung's no doubt oblivious piece on Amazon. I'm sure she thinks the tax payers of Boston should of course give Amazon $100m so she can hobnob with a different set of business elite or something.

she's a world class sycohphant, that's for sure.

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It's a fairly ridiculous kind of special pleading when you run for office dressed as a clown, and then complain that all anyone wants to talk about is why you're dressed as a clown. This is the problem with the "all publicity is good publicity" policy. What you get noticed for, sticks. Why shouldn't it? Why should you expect people to forget the lengths you were willing to go to to get attention?

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I'm sure Payaso would have been happy to do an interview without any mention of the clown. But given the globe's coverage, they would never have called him as a regular person. But they'd be happy to ridicile him as a clown because he probsbly wouldn't be so friendly to Henry and his peers.

Not saying Payaso will get elected, but the globe will do its part to make sure he doesn't. That's EXACTLY the point of the clown costume. It's not just the politicians, it's their friends in the media and the rest of the system who maintain the staus quo using their bully pulpit like the fake WBZ strike to keep Marty off the podium.

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I hope the clown takes Flaherty's spot.

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The vertical video thing is obnoxious and makes it hard to watch.

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McCrea/Payaso claims he's dressing as a clown because it's the only way the media and voters will pay attention to him. That's pretty rich coming from a multi-millionaire who certainly has the means to get his message out. Nevermind he's run for City Council and mayor before and has some name recognition already. Maybe it's just that his gadfly message gets old quickly and voters reject him as a result...

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Maybe it's just that his gadfly message gets old quickly

The gadfly message gets old very quickly for those who are part of the incumbent power structure.

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In addition to the thousands of voters in each election in which he runs and finishes well in the back of the pack.

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I'm certainly not part of the incumbent power structure, whatever that means. But I agree that Payaso got old very quickly.

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plywood and rusty screws, when a $10 clown suit would have been more productive. Damn consultants.

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People seem to be paying a lot more attention to the city council race - negative and positive - than previous contests.

I suspect that was a serious part of the Clown's end game.

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