Freak show

A freak show is an exhibition of rarities, "freaks of nature"?such as unusually tall or short humans, and people with both male and female secondary sexual characteristics?and performances that are expected to be shocking to the viewers. Heavily tattooed people have sometimes been seen in freak shows, as have fire-eating and sword-swallowing acts.

History

Freak shows were popular in the United States from around 1840 to 1940, and were often, but not always, associated with circuses and carnivals. Some shows also contain exhibits containing deformed animals (such as two-headed cows, one-eyed pigs, and four-horned goats), famous hoaxes (such as the famous beheaded swamp monster that was found to be the buttocks of a deer with false eyes and fangs) or simply 'science gone wrong' exhibits (deformed babies caused by smoking, people with tumors covering their faces, etc.).

Related Topics:
Circus - Carnival - Swamp monster - Buttocks - Deer

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