In the Victorian times, many circuses and carnivals displayed freak shows in side tents, following a tradition that goes back to the 17th century, when princes around Europe would often have dwarves, midgets, and other human oddities in their courts and entourage.
Joseph Carey Merrick, better known as the Elephant man was perhaps the most famous of the Victorian era. But others of great fame were Tom Thumb, and the various Siamese twins who toured the world.
But famous or not, these performers toured for various circuses and showmen, and some made very good livings. Which was far far better than the dreadful misery they would have endured in the slums of the time. However, times changed, and these shows died out in the 1960's as public tastes altered.
The shows were described as damaging to the performers human dignity, and it was said that they would never be allowed again ..... Or so we were told. However they have re-emerged, and without a hint of complaint from those who banned them, not so very long ago in the Western world (they carried on elsewhere).
Perhaps the most evocative portrayal of these unfortunate people was in the 1932 Tod Browning film Freaks which was cast almost exclusively from the American Carnie shows. The film is very disturbing, even in comparison with the torture flicks that pass as mainstream horror movies these days .... as far as I am aware, its the only film to cast real people with a disability, in a not always flattering light, but in a realistic manner which allowed for various characterisations to be portrayed. Certainly there is not another movie with so many characters like that.
These days, Ward’s World of Wonders, is or was, the last legitimate 10-in-1 (10 acts for the price of one) sideshow in America, and the rest are all gone. Retired in the main to Gibsonton Florida (the carnies called it Gibtown), which was a community where the freak show workers traditionally retired to. It was first settled by Al "The Giant" Tomiani (who stood at 7'11''), and his wife, Jeanie “the Half-Woman" (two and half feet tall), in the 1940's, with the post office later having extra-low counters to cater for little people, and the beer hall had custom-built chairs for the Fat Ladies and the Tallest Man. At its height in the mid 1960's, it was home to up to 100 self-defined “human oddities”, in addition to several thousand “carnies”.
Now however, a new form of sideshow appears nightly on TV in the guise of reality TV shows. They hide in plain sight. The fat woman carnival tent show .... My 600lb Life. The midget tent attraction .... Little Women LA or the modern day geek show, Body Bizarre.
The list actually goes on and on ..... and includes TV shows about people with excess skin (My Extreme Excess Skin), or women having breasts reduced or enlarged, as well as shows about drag queens .... are these not just the return of the freak shows by another name? Just thinly disguised as medical or social interest TV shows, rather than the same public gawping and titillation at those who for one reason or another are different from the norm?
TV station expansion has quite a lot to answer for, as it has raced down to the lowest common denominator and level of public good taste. But perhaps the return of the freak show is one of the worst crimes.
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| General Tom Thumb Would Be On TV Nowadays ... |
Joseph Carey Merrick, better known as the Elephant man was perhaps the most famous of the Victorian era. But others of great fame were Tom Thumb, and the various Siamese twins who toured the world.
But famous or not, these performers toured for various circuses and showmen, and some made very good livings. Which was far far better than the dreadful misery they would have endured in the slums of the time. However, times changed, and these shows died out in the 1960's as public tastes altered.
 |
| These Side Shows Rarely Exhibited What Was Advertised ... |
The shows were described as damaging to the performers human dignity, and it was said that they would never be allowed again ..... Or so we were told. However they have re-emerged, and without a hint of complaint from those who banned them, not so very long ago in the Western world (they carried on elsewhere).
 |
| Tod Browning And Some Of The Cast Of Freaks |
Perhaps the most evocative portrayal of these unfortunate people was in the 1932 Tod Browning film Freaks which was cast almost exclusively from the American Carnie shows. The film is very disturbing, even in comparison with the torture flicks that pass as mainstream horror movies these days .... as far as I am aware, its the only film to cast real people with a disability, in a not always flattering light, but in a realistic manner which allowed for various characterisations to be portrayed. Certainly there is not another movie with so many characters like that.
These days, Ward’s World of Wonders, is or was, the last legitimate 10-in-1 (10 acts for the price of one) sideshow in America, and the rest are all gone. Retired in the main to Gibsonton Florida (the carnies called it Gibtown), which was a community where the freak show workers traditionally retired to. It was first settled by Al "The Giant" Tomiani (who stood at 7'11''), and his wife, Jeanie “the Half-Woman" (two and half feet tall), in the 1940's, with the post office later having extra-low counters to cater for little people, and the beer hall had custom-built chairs for the Fat Ladies and the Tallest Man. At its height in the mid 1960's, it was home to up to 100 self-defined “human oddities”, in addition to several thousand “carnies”.
Now however, a new form of sideshow appears nightly on TV in the guise of reality TV shows. They hide in plain sight. The fat woman carnival tent show .... My 600lb Life. The midget tent attraction .... Little Women LA or the modern day geek show, Body Bizarre.
The list actually goes on and on ..... and includes TV shows about people with excess skin (My Extreme Excess Skin), or women having breasts reduced or enlarged, as well as shows about drag queens .... are these not just the return of the freak shows by another name? Just thinly disguised as medical or social interest TV shows, rather than the same public gawping and titillation at those who for one reason or another are different from the norm?
TV station expansion has quite a lot to answer for, as it has raced down to the lowest common denominator and level of public good taste. But perhaps the return of the freak show is one of the worst crimes.
As the man said 'You never go broke catering to the lowest common denominator.'
ReplyDeleteSadly as true now as when Lisa Simpson said it. Thanks for the comment.
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