Where in the SSH does the class clown fit?
A few readers proposed their answers.
I think it depends on whether he's being a clown just to amuse himself or if it's done as a way to grasp at social approval. Former would be sigma and latter would be gamma, IMO.
No, this is flat-out wrong, and in fact, serves as yet another demonstration of the Gamma tendency to try to define externalities on the basis of internal motivations. The class clown is, by definition, a part of the hierarchy, and therefore cannot possibly be either Sigma or Omega. Also, class clownery is entirely dependent upon entertaining others, and the dancing monkey aspect simply doesn’t correspond at all with the Sigma’s social and sexual successes.
Just stop and think about the basics for a second. Have you ever known a class clown to be confused with the class Alpha? Are women particularly drawn toward the local hierarchy’s resident performing monkey?
A rule of thumb I've discovered is: if a "type" is regularly celebrated in high school movies made after 1970, then the "type" is usually gamma IRL.
Because Hollywood studio writers since 1970 have been almost exclusively gamma, they do the self-insert thing, celebrating themselves as the heroes in their revenge re-writings of high school. Class clown figures in such movies are usually the "good" guys who's jokes are either super-meta, super-ironic, or super-witty (usually all three), so its a good bet its gamma.
Of course like all rules of thumb its not 100%. Sometimes a "class clown" figure in a film picks on the gamma-hero and embarrasses him. Generally, this class clown figure is depicted as the uglier friend of the alpha "jerk" the gamma-hero must defeat to win the girl. So in these circumstances, the class clown from the gamma's high school days wasn't a gamma, but a bravo or delta of the high school alpha.
This is a considerably more astute observation. As another reader noted, “that's why Hollywood and recent Fantasy novels all have class clowns as the protagonist.”
The class clown is usually, though not necessarily, a Gamma. He could be a Delta, but probably would not be any higher. One possible exception is Owen Benjamin who is a Bravo, but while one might assume he was a class clown given that he is a professional comedian, it should be remembered that Owen was also a successful high school football and lacrosse player as well as a physical giant.
I think the key component in determining the average class clown’s SSH status is to observe that both indirection and passive-aggression are predominantly Gamma behaviors.
Not sure if he was a class clown in his highschool days, but a comedian who I believe to be a sigma is Norm MacDonald. Just listening to him in podcasts gave me the impression that he was that kind of guy.
Class clown is a bit vague. In 7th grade I got into the habit of smart ass witty responses to correct the teachers. After a year I had figured out everybody loathed me for doing it. I then turned to general shenanigans and pranking with friends, which helped my status go up. Thank God for the ostracism.