this post was submitted on 27 Feb 2026
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Explanation: You've almost certainly heard Entry of the Gladiators even if not its name. It was originally intended as an uplifting military march, like fearless and proud gladiators presenting themselves to the crowds of the arena.
... but almost everyone who knows it associates it with clowns and carnivals anymore.
To be fair, clowns and carnivals were the gladiators of their age.
and football and mma are the clowns of our age.
times change but it all has the same bullshit vibe.
I thought that was the world leaders.
nope. the leaders use the circuses and clowns to distract from their terrible policies.
and the number of people who care more about sportsball vs. the number engaged in their own democracies, proves it works.
Topical. You should write for Leno.
Come on man, my jokes are shit, but not that shit.
Wow this is a really cool TIL. Listening to it I can definitely hear how it was composed for marching.
Needs more slide whistle.
And calliope.
It's kind of how "nimrod" now means idiot: source forgotten, irony lost, joke missed.
I love that Bugs Bunny forever changed the meaning of Nimrod.
And Daffy Duck permanently altered the pronunciation of "despicable."
The band in my high school played it as a warm up everyday of the semester; my accounting class was right next door. I hate the song.
My gym teacher used the same mix tape for every goddamn class.
I quite like Duran Duran. Being forced to hear "The Reflex" ever again would make me claw my way through drywall.
Your link is broken.
Whoops! I think it's fixed now.
It still sounds kinda goofy, though. Not surprised the clowns went with it.
I know, I don't know if it's just prejudice from how established it is for clowns, but that opening is so clownish it hurts.
tbqh, a lot of that late 19th century orchestral music sounds so bombastic that it loops around into being outright silly.
But orchestral music recovered