Freak Show: Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit

by Robert Bogdan

From 1840 until 1940, freak shows by the hundreds crisscrossed the United States, from the smallest towns to the largest cities, exhibiting their casts of dwarfs, giants, Siamese twins, bearded ladies, savages, snake charmers, fire eaters, and other oddities. By today's standards such displays would be considered cruel and exploitative—the pornography of disability. Yet for one hundred years the freak show was widely accepted as one of America's most popular forms of entertainment.

Robert Bogdan's fascinating social history brings to life the world of the freak show and explores the culture that nurtured and, later, abandoned it. In uncovering this neglected chapter of show business, he describes in detail the flimflam artistry behind the shows, the promoters and the audiences, and the gradual evolution of public opinion from awe to embarrassment. Freaks were not born, Bogdan reveals; they were manufactured by the amusement world, usually with the active participation of the freaks themselves. Many of the "human curiosities" found fame and fortune, becoming the celebrities of their time, until the ascent of professional medicine transformed them from marvels into pathological specimans.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Disability, Disability Studies, American History, Academic, Cultural

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Robert Bogdan is distinguished professor emeritus of special education, cultural foundations of education, and sociology at Syracuse University (Syracuse, New York).

Reviews

[Zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shocking!

Yes, I’m shocked, but I shouldn’t be!

So much is covered in this book about human oddities, that I don’t know where to begin.

The people in this book are referred to as freak by the author because this is the term that was used during the period of their exploitation.

The book covers the importance of the term freak and what is the meaning for its use.

The people who are in this group would be considered disabled and extremely exploited today. They spent their lives being on display in amusement parks, circuses, carnivals, sideshows and certain museums.

Many of the people were in on their exploitation, but so were many taken advantage of. Many children as well as adults were sold to the showman or show woman who exploited them.

Lots of outright lies or exaggerations were told about many of the “oddities” in order to increase their popularity thus their value.

It was normal to display any black performers as wild, or savage African or ape and ape like. To this day many black people have an intense dislike for monkeys and apes and any references to them because of these bigoted comments.

People who were mentally disabled were treated like they were different species and were taken advantage of.

Fortunately, the sideshow “freaks” have lost their popularity and people are no longer interested in staring at someone with no arms or two heads.

This book gives a lot of background information and details about the life of many of the people who traveled through this career.

Thanks to the author for listing plenty of notes and references in the back of the book. And thanks for the wonderful pictures.

Four stars. ✨✨✨✨

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freak Show: Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit by Robert Bogdon (University of Chicago Press 1988) (791.1). Author Robert Bogdon paints a vivid portrait of life inside the travelling shows that exhibited malformed humans. The fat lady, the sword swallower, the Lobster Boy, the bearded lady, and on and on. From 1850 until well into the twentieth century, there was no stigma attached to the opportunity to gape at these unfortunate humans. This is a fantastically researched volume on a fringe topic. My rating: 7.25/10, finished 3/7/17. I bought my PB copy in acceptable condition for $1.50 at McKay's. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

[Karen Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE BOOK
An interesting and thorough research on the topic of "Freaks". The first half of the book covers the historical and conceptual background of the topic while the second half presents extensive examples of the so-called freaks. The book is confined to the time period of 1840-1940 when "Freak" shows were greatest in popularity. The shows started off in dime museums and progressed to circuses, carnivals, amusement parks, and fairs. The exhibits presented were mostly people of oddities. These people of oddities included giants, dwarfs, midgets, bearded ladies, Siamese twins, multiple births, and those born with deformed limbs, no limbs, and people with microcephaly, tattoos, and obesity. The "Freak" shows started to decline in the 1940's when the medical establishment started to realize that these human deviations (oddities) were related to genetics and endocrine disorders and several federal laws made discrimination against people with physical disabilities illegal. It must be noted that a majority of people presented during the 1840-1940's willingly participated in the shows and were paid to do so. People were curious to see these "Freaks". Freak shows were a form of entertainment with exaggerated advertising to get people to attend the shows.

MY OPINION
Fast forward to today. The entertainment of Freak shows is really no different than the reality TV shows that are shown today. Like in the past, people agree to be on these shows, are paid quite well to do so, and the advertising is out there to entice you to watch the shows. Here are numerous examples of reality TV shows of today that compare to the "Freak" shows of earlier times:
My Giant Life (Giants)
The Little Couple, 7 Little Johnstons, Little People Big World (Dwarfs)
Abby & Brittany (Siamese twins)
Kate Plus Eight, Out Daughtered, Sweet Home Sextuplets (Multiple births)
Body Bizarre (Deformed people)
Ink Master (Tattooed people)
My 600 Pound Life, 1000 Pound Sisters, My Big Fat Fabulous Life (Obesity)
Things are really no different today compared to over 75 years ago. People are still curious to see people of oddities and see it as entertainment.

[Metagion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book because of the extensive research that was done to make the reader knowledgeable about the topic at hand. While Mr. Bogdan breaks it up into categories that can be followed if read the right way, I feel that he should've just broken it up into more manageable pieces; that way the reader isn't easily confused (as I sometimes was). I loved the fact that there were biographies and ephemera that you never knew about the "freaks" that you could buy at a time when money was scarce (such as the Depression Era), the men behind the curtains, and the tricks of the trade that were employed to get the customers in. Great for those who love the lore of the old sideshows and how they came to be, and the people behind them. Great reading!

[Cwl · Rating 3 out of 5]

"As freaks sat on the platform, most looked down on the audience with contempt--not because they felt angry at being gawked at or being called freaks, but simply because the amusement world looked down on 'rubes' in general. Their contempt was that of insiders toward the uninitiated. For those in the amusement world it was the sucker who was on the outside, not the exhibit."

Thoroughly decent historical exploration of the sideshow's carny roots, this one operating from a cultural/sociological perspective. Although it covers a lot of the same ground found in similar works, its system of inquiry and scads of anecdotes make it a worthwhile read.

[Elaine Selfridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s worth considering that, although freak shows seemed to take advantage and supposedly exploited people with disabilities, medical conditions, and birth defects, those “freaks” were largely showmen and in charge of their careers. People who thought they were doing good by working to ban these types of shows as exploitive made it so the freaks couldn’t make a living.

Fast forward to now and we have freak shows that are socially acceptable because we call them “reality” TV shows. Who’s exploiting whom?

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a text book for a class i took on culture i took at csuf in the 90s. It was in American studies masters program. Such a good book and I learned so much.

[D.N. Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bogdan's work is one of the most informative books on sideshow history ever published. There are dozens of books on individual performers and events, but Bogdan's book is unique in the way it addresses how the acts were presented. Bogdan states that human oddities were often presented in "the exotic mode" or "the aggrandized mode."

The exotic mode played on the audience’s enthusiasm for foreign, mysterious, unexplored places. The presentation often emphasized the great distance traveled or large expense paid to obtain the performer. Audiences were told that explorers searched the world for talent, hunting in far-off corners of the planet for the rarest, most amazing exhibits the world had to offer. The performers were presented as everything from missing links to wild men raised by wolves.

The aggrandized mode exaggerated the human oddity’s intelligence, skills, and accomplishments. Often, the oddity’s fame would be exaggerated as well. Audiences were told the performer hobnobbed with famous singers and movie stars, and made command performances for kings.

This exploration of the storytelling and theater of sideshow is unique. No other book covers these fascinating details. Absolutely worth a read for anyone interested in the history of the sideshow.

[Blaise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great historical history book about the circus and accompanying “freak show” that exhibited mostly in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. It does mention a lot of individual performers, but the point of the book is to describe the business of exhibiting as it pertained to the time. The practice still is used today but the visual may be different (think “reality” shows, including Trumps old show).
Everything you could want to know about this subject.

[Daniel Silliman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really outstanding example of cultural history from the 1980s that has aged quite well. Bogdan argues that freaks were cultural productions, i.e. shows, working to manage / mitigate / package / profit from human difference. Freak Show looks at how this served different interests and clashed with the ideas of various people—performers, owners, audiences. A smart book, essential to the field.

[Bradley Fung · Rating 5 out of 5]

A holistic and thorough insight to the freak show, exploring the lives of many notable performers, but also the culture and ethos that created the circus itself. Absolutely fascinating to explore the psychology of this form of entertainment; how performers were chosen, how they were presented, and the cultural implications behind these choices. Loved it.

[Dick Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A look at the business of the sideshow.

This is a concise story of the early sideshow era. It also delves in the human side of this business. I was in the fair industry for over twenty years and knew Ward Hall the last of the great sideshow managers. It is too bad that society has lost this art form.

[Kelly Maust · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best book I've read on this endlessly fascinating and complicated aspect of entertainment history. Bogdan was writing in the 80s and a few of his terms are outdated, but it is clear that he thoroughly researched this topic and writes about "freak show" performers with compassion and dignity.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting perspective of the history of the 'Freak Show'. Exploitation vs. Opportunities/Travel/Financial Stability/Family Mentality. It's definitely a niche topic, but I am very glad I picked it up.

[Jo Besser · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of the information I read I knew about. There was some information that I didn't know and was new and interesting to read about.

Only complaint were how sources were cited. It took away from the book because of how distracting it was.

[Dkolacinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong, academic study of human oddities over an extensive period of history, with massive yet comprehensible footnotes and an enormous bibliography. If you're looking for "cheap thrills" you're not going to find them here. It's well worth the time reading this book.

[Chad Montabon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got more than I expected; a primer on the early history of circuses, major and minor players in the field and a very enjoyable read that left me with new questions.

[no elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

i thought this was going to be an instructional guide, 1 star

[Liz James · Rating 4 out of 5]

It reads like a doctorate dissertation (I think maybe it was?). Super interesting and surprisingly relevant but a bit repetitive. Glad I read it. Not a light read.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Bogdan is a Professor of Cultural Foundations of Education and Sociology and the Director of the Social Science Doctoral Program for the Center on Human Policy, Law, and Disability Studies at Syracuse University. His book, Freak Show: Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit, looks at the history and practice of the freak show through a social lens.

He directly states his thesis early in the book: "Our reaction to freaks is not a function of some deep-seated fear or some "energy" that they give off; it is, rather the result of our socialization, and of the way our social institutions managed these people's identities. Freak shows are not about isolated individuals...they are about organizations and patterned relationships between them and us. Freak is not a quality that belongs to the person on display. It is something that we created: a perspective, a set of practices - a social construction."

Focusing on the heydey of Freak Shows, 1840-1940, Bogdan covers the history of the presentation of freaks in conjunction with the circus, dime museums, carnivals, world fairs, the amusement industry in general. What interested me most about the history was the transition of freaks from impressive curiosities to diseased dangers to society. Freak shows drew large crowds, were extremely popular attractions, and in many cases, "freaks" settled down into "normal" communities both at retirement and when on break from the show. It wasn't until the early 1900s when doctors claimed freaks as the property of science that people started to find freaks pitiful. Science both demystified their abnormalities and changed their uniqueness into diseases.

The book is not structured chronologically, so information is repeated chapter to chapter, the history, the people, and the theory. Rather than being annoyingly redundant, this repetition actually enhanced the reading experience for me. I feel like I learned more this way.

I will leave you with another restatement of his thesis because I think it is not only an important part of the book, but a very true, very important statement: "How we view people who are different has less to do with what they are physiologically than with who we are culturally."

[Brian Shevory · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a huge fan of Todd Browning’s Freaks and Leslie Fiedler’s Freaks: Myths and Images of the Secret Self, I was excited to read Bogdan’s book about the history and controversy surrounding freak shows and side shows. Bogdan traces the history of human exhibitions from the early exploitation of indigenous and non-European people on display in the 17th and 18th century, as well as advancements in medicine that began to examine human differences in appearance as abnormalities. Bogdan explores the conflicts inherent in this medical model that seems to argue for a standard in appearance and development and using deviations from the norm to advance our understanding of human development. At the time of these developments in medicine, PT Barnum was gaining popularity and frequently exhibited humans as part of his shows. Bogdan explores how performers like General Tom Thumb were able to make a living and become rather well known as a result of their exploitation and exhibition. He not only explores the history of some of the initial performers, but also interviews and explores the lives of modern performers (this book was published in 1988, so the performers were living in the 70s and 80s), and how the movement away from human exhibition was both a blessing and a curse. While Bogdan acknowledges the morally dubious aspects of human exhibition, he also interviewed some performers who struggled to find work or make a living due to restrictions and a declining interest in human exhibition. I found this book fascinating and important in exploring the sociology of disability and difference, and the complications that arise from our attempts to understand differences and norms. I also appreciated Bogdan’s meticulous research and classifications, noting that some performers were exploited for their differences, while others sought to explore their exceptionality and share the talents they developed as a result of their differences and/or disabilities (often performers without arms or legs). This was a great book that explores a controversial, yet important aspect of American culture and entertainment.

[M. Benesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

For being one of the first researchers to investigate this topic, Bogdan's work is a necessary starting point when you want to learn more about the history of Freak Shows. I didn't entirely agree with his assessment that Freak Shows were largely beneficial and not exploitative to performers, and I found his eventual use of the term "exhibit" or various derogatory terms for performers (despite their being common and accepted terms within Freak Show circles, I still thought they were a little too offensive to use as casually as he did) to be discomforting. Still, he did show that for SOME (usually white, less unusually shaped) performers Freak Shows could provide a means for them to improve their social statuses.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an excellent read, researched thoroughly and in depth. I like how the author was objective and allowed us to cast our own judgments. I'm sure for those who felt truly exploited by showing themselves there were just as many or more who felt it was a decent way to earn a living and maintain a lifestyle. I truly dislike it when people get outraged on the behalf of others. There is that saying about taking a walk in their shoes.

[Kathryn Wardell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched insight into the oddities that defied normalcy from 1800s to about 1950s. The rich treasure of folks on the tail ends of the bell curve are chronicled in this history of little people, the tallest man, conjoined twins, the fat lady, albinos and a variety of people who had no other means of employment but their differences.

[ariella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is interesting in so much as some of the facts/history he presents is fascinating. What caused me to rate it a three and not higher is that there is an overall tone of disdain in his writing--even to the point that you can see him actively trying to cover it up...

[Ashley Melucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very well researched, and written. I am skeptical, however, of the conclusions he draws in the end, but if you are looking for an educated historical account of the freakshow, I would recommend.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Occasionally repetitive, but by far the most thorough examination of freak shows I've ever come across.

[Christago · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book. It was sad as well though. It goes through the history of exploiting people with deformities through the circus and other "freak" shows.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just found a list of books I read as a teen. I have to admit I don't remember this one, but I think I probably read it for my senior history project on freak shows in American culture.

[Ingridamcg · Rating 4 out of 5]

If anyone is interested in the history of Freak Show performers, you should read this book. It is extremely well researched and written.