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GOOD CLOWN: Earnest Desire

Michael Fandal might be a clown in prison, but he's on the right side of the law. This 53-year-old retired New York City policeman works at Horizons, a juvenile detention lock-in facility, as a teacher, showing troubled youths how to have good clowning fun. He started performing while still on the force, sometimes tying balloons to the girdle holster that concealed his pistol. "I could stand on my head without my gun falling out," he said. "The kids never knew. It was hidden under my clown suit."

BAD CLOWN: Insane Clown Posse

Members of the hard-core rap group wear clown makeup while singing about sodomy and promising beatings for their enemies.

GOOD CLOWN: Onionhead

The Universoul Circus endeavors to bring circus entertainment to minority communities. Star Onionhead developed his clowning skills on the mean streets of the Bronx, incorporating rap music, basketball and traditional clowning skills. "My clown's a 'playa clown,' " he says. "I give respect and I get respect."

BAD CLOWN: Flasher the Clown

Flasher never really exposed himself. Bob Manion, 61, had entertained thousands of parade watchers for more than 20 years in the annual Walnut Festival in Walnut Creek, Calif. In his act, he'd rip open his trench coat to reveal his pet dog sitting inside his pants. There was no flashing of skin. But two years ago, he got booted after someone complained to police that clown peekaboo acts were offensive. Festival organizers say Flasher will be invited back this year, as long as he changes his act and obeys the rules. So, at least for this bad clown, there's hope.

Buck Wolf is entertainment producer at ABCNEWS.com. The Wolf Files is published Tuesdays. If you want to receive weekly notice when a new column is published, join the e-mail list.