A Brief History
Rise of the Freak Show
"In 19th century America, gawking at people who were born with deformities was not only socially acceptable -- it was considered family entertainment"(Crockett, 2014).
The 19th century was the height of circus freak shows but they had existed since at least the 16th century. This newfound popularity can be attributed to a number of factors. The 1800's introduced a growing middle class who had money to spend and were eager for new entertainment, additionally the institutionalization of the Saturday half holiday freed time for workers to look for entertainment (Durbach, 2009).
The Moral Debate
Even during their peak, freak shows were criticized as "exploitative and demeaning"(Crockett, 2014 ). It is not hard to view them that way now. Some acts were demeaning, and it is obvious that few "human curiosities" were such of their own volition, instead their conditions were apparent congenital disorders, the main exception being the tattooed men and women. However, in this critique and debate of the morality of such shows, one has to remember the options these performers had. Those with congenital disorders affecting their ability to work had no welfare or disability assistance to rely on, just church or parental charity. Performing in freak shows gave them a chance to earn decent money and famous performers became very wealthy. In addition, there was no protection against discrimination based on disabilities so those with visible conditions could have a hard time finding work outside of the circus or freak show. Circuses could provide financial stability and a sense of community to those often marginalized (Durbach, 2009).
The Death of the Freak Show
The freak show phenomenon began to wane in popularity towards the beginning of the 20th century and had vanished by the 1950s. This was due to three primary reasons. The first was due to the advancement in modern medicine. These so-called "human curiosities" now were being diagnosed with medical conditions such hypertrichosis, hirsutism, or achondroplasia. Performances and stories that were once wonderous, mysterious, and fascinating, lost their appeal as the reality of these medical conditions became known. The second reason also negatively affected the entire circus industry. Rising to prominence in the early 1900's, film was soon the entertainment of the day. Film provided all realities and any oddity requested without the need for a live show. However, what really finished off the freak show was the rise in disability rights. Soon the schadenfreude nature of freak shows was frowned upon. Also, with disability benefits and ADA employment protection the circumstances that led to performers seeking employment in freak shows no longer existed (Crockett, 2014).