Circus Freaks

[Zinjanthropos]

Yes I’m treading carefully here. Something about the plight of the circus freak may strike a chord with those who see a similarity with certain elements/issues of today’s society.

Just a few minutes read…
https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Ba...20element.

[C C]

Yes I’m treading carefully here. Something about the plight of the circus freak may strike a chord with those who see a similarity with certain elements/issues of today’s society.

Just a few minutes read…
https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Ba...20element.

EXCERPTS: Annie Jones, the Bearded Lady, called a meeting to protest at the use of the word ‘freak’. [...] The meeting was unanimous that another name should be adopted to replace the offending word. [...] After lengthy discussion, the word ‘ Prodigies’ ... was deemed most acceptable.

[...] The Prodigies were satisfied and life returned to normal. The Greatest Show on Earth finished its winter season at Olympia before touring Britain through the summer. The following year it moved to Europe.

And that might have been the end of the matter. But four years later the word ‘freaks’ had returned and a similar protest meeting was called in New York while the show was playing a season at Madison Square Garden.

[...] Eventually the truth emerged. The Washington Herald revealed the whole thing had been a massive publicity stunt. The man credited with dreaming it up was none other than Sol Stone, the Lightning Calculator.

But the mastermind behind the whole thing was Richard F. ’Tody’ Hamilton, the long serving and legendary press agent for Barnum and Bailey. Because of his flair for language, his use of adjectives, hyperbole and alliteration, he became one of the most well-known men of his age.

[...] In 1899, nearly a decade after Barnum’s death, he was still doing his brilliant best to keep the show firmly in the headlines, never more so than in the extraordinary story of the ‘Freaks’ Revolt’. In a candid moment Hamilton said it had been so successful he was almost ashamed of himself.

The "circus" context of those original, orchestrated social justice stunts is very much pertinent as well.

And apparently they really did call him "dude" back then. The skeleton guy. Though that was with respect to the older "a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance" rather than what would otherwise be an anachronistic and overused slang meaning of today.

"Hey, dude." ... "Dude, I'm trashed." ... "Don't touch that, dude." ... "Dude!"

[Zinjanthropos]

The tattooed man & lady were ahead of their time and probably be looking for work in today’s world. Bearded lady might have been a hint of what’s to come. Moss haired girl would not be so outrageous today. Looks like govt didn’t pay much heed to their troubles.