Who Is Pagliacci The Clown? 'But Doctor, I Am Pagliacci' Meme Explained

The Watchmen comics have always been a source ripe for memes, whether it be the innumerable Dr. Manhattan templates (Source? I Made It Up) or the iconic scene where Rorschach gets blitzed, often after a ligma-esque joke.

There is one joke, however, that has become so synonymous with the Watchmen comics that some forget that it predates them. Here's the lore behind But Doctor, I Am Pagliacci!

Where Does The "But Doctor" Joke Come From?

The joke set up wherein a sad clown sees a doctor, only to be told to go to his own show has been noted in the literature as early as the 1800s, often with the comic Grimaldi in place of Pagliacci. However, the joke is best popularised by the iconic Watchmen comic where Rorschach can be seen narrating the joke over panels depicting the Comedian's death.

How Is The Joke Used In Memes?

The joke was reinvigorated sometime in the 2010s in the form of people trying to subvert riff on its premise. Twitter was a popular platform for such wordsmiths, with early variations of the meme depicting people rephrasing both the doctor and the clown's lines.

What Are Other Riffs On The Meme?

Some memes combined the Pagliacci joke with other iconic memes, such as Ironic Da Baby memes, or Are Ya Winning Son drawings.

For the full history of the Pagliacci Joke, be sure to check out our entry on it here for even more information.