Sideshow

:For the informal automotive skills event, see sydeshow.

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:for Australian usage see Sideshow alley.

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In American usage, sideshow is an extra secondary production associated with a circus. Its proper name is a "Ten in One", referring to the practice of having a revolving show of ten acts under a single tent.

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Sideshows had a hierarchy of performers in terms of prestige, with "Born Freaks", people with congenital physical peculiarities, at the top, followed by "Made Freaks" such as tattooed men and women, and "Working Acts" such as sword swallowers and fire eaters. Contrary to contemporary perceptions, which holds the term freak show to be pejorative, many of the "Born Freaks" were not looked down upon by their fellow performers, and many were in fact the owners and operators of the shows.

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Today only a few "Ten in One" shows remain active in the world. The Sideshow by the Seashore sponsored by Coney Island USA in Brooklyn, NY is the oldest.

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The anthropologist Jim Rose runs a modern sideshow called Jim Rose Circus.

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The Cut Throat Freak Show is another active modern sideshow based out of Phoenix, AZ.

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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 show...

Pejorative: A word or phrase is a pejorative (occasionally misspelled perjorative) if it expresses contempt or disapproval. The adjective pejorative is synonymous with derogatory and dyslogistic (noun: dyslogism) (antonyms: meliorative, eulogistic, noun eulogism). Dyslogisms such as "pea-brain" and "bottom-feed...

Sideshow related Images and Photos (experimental)

Side Show	Summer Sideshow	Circus Sideshow	Sideshow Bob Soapstone Caricature
Krusty & Sideshow Bob Pint Glasses - Set of 2	The Simpsons Krusty & Sideshow Bob Pint Glasses - Set of 2	Comiquette Bullseye Statue by Sideshow Collectibles -- 17'' H	Comiquette Colossus Statue by Sideshow Collectibles -- 17'' H
Comiquette Nightcrawler Statue by Sideshow Collectibles -- 19'' H	Legendary Scale Colossus Bust by Sideshow Collectibles -- 12'' H	Comiquette Silver Surfer Statue by Sideshow Collectibles -- 24'' H	Premium Format Wolverine Figure by Sideshow Collectibles -- 17'' H