After listening to an adaption of The Elephant Man on BBC 7 (don't judge), I looked up Victorian Freak Show posters and found myself bieng pulled in two different ways. Yes, the subject matter is horribly insensitive, ignorant, cruel, disturbing and all those other things but the posters themselves are actually rather beautiful. I really love their surreal quality. Look at the impeccably dressed tiny people on top of the table. I love the drawing of the Queen looking all surprised and entertained! I can see myself owning a few and hanging them in my downstairs toilet or something.
I was also thinking that although Freak Shows were horrific and the people were treated like animals etc etc, it's not as if we've changed our voyueristic ways. We're just more socially aware and have the advantage of technological advancement to watch 'freaks' in our living rooms, in private, on TV. 'The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off', 'The Mermaid Baby', 'The Tree Man', 'The Wolf Man'. All of these people with names and families have featured on tacky programmes on channels like Five and Sky1 and their viewings must be high because there's always one of them on. So people who sneer at the Victorians (who, I believe, should be kept in their historical context, for the most part anyway) are probably the ones shouting 'eeeewwww' and covering their eyes when a girl who looks like an 'octopus' is filmed living her everyday life. They are probably the people who go into work the next day saying something like 'Ooh, did you watch the Octopus girl last night... poor thing' etc etc. We're just as bad. Actually, we're worse. Because these programmes are pitched to us from a faux sensitive view point, as if everyone in the country is mature enough to watch some of these people without squirming, laughing or feeling shocked. Yes we don't lock people in cages anymore (which is a good thing, obviously) but the desire to stare at things different from us is still there. At least the Victorians were open and honest about it.This poster below is a section from a larger poster. Look how it advertises The Stoutest Lady in The World and... Australians!!!! Australians!! Look how happy they are, as well. And the Stoutest Lady in the World is practically anorexic compared to today's obese population. I feel sorry for her, she's a trend setter not a freak. Anyway, all this talk about freak shows has made me want to go to one. Anyone fancy a trip to Eoghan Quigg's house?
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