Why do you think "Doink" worked where other cartoon gimmicks failed?

[FourFifty]

Originally Posted by Waylander Doink worked?

YOUR MOM WORKED!!! OH SNAP!!!!

But seriously, Doink worked as a face because of the era he came in. It was a cartoon. Now I have fond memories of guys like The Big Bossman, Papa Shango, IRS, a blue blood Triple H, Duke "The Dumpster", Repo Man, and several other guys that had an over the top cartoon gimmick. However, a face Doink, or these other gimmicks, would be marginal at best in today's atphmosphere.
Hell Doink, on the other hand, played into people's hatered and fear of clowns. This man took an iconic symbol of joy and he made children cry with it. However, if a heel Doink came into day everyone would compare him to Heath Ledger as The Joker.
Albeit on a smaller scale than Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and Steve Austin, it was the right time and the right place.

[Emperor Smeat]

Originally Posted by FourFifty YOUR MOM WORKED!!! OH SNAP!!!! Hell Doink, on the other hand, played into people's hatered and fear of clowns. This man took an iconic symbol of joy and he made children cry with it. However, if a heel Doink came into day everyone would compare him to Heath Ledger as The Joker. Albeit on a smaller scale than Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and Steve Austin, it was the right time and the right place.

I could see this working today as long as they play off the fact that while the Joker was a clown, he was also very insane and smart. Make the new clown character a mega heel and its possible to have someone be the opposite of Cena's "superman" style character.