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| TX: 03.10.08 - USA Freak Show PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON |
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| Downloaded from www.bbc.co.uk/radio4 THE ATTACHED TRANSCRIPT WAS TYPED FROM A RECORDING AND NOT COPIED FROM AN ORIGINAL SCRIPT. BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF MISHEARING AND THE DIFFICULTY IN SOME CASES OF IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUAL SPEAKERS, THE BBC CANNOT VOUCH FOR ITS COMPLETE ACCURACY. ROBINSON In the latest of her reports from her round the world trip Liz Carr visits what is billed as: the last place in the USA where an audience can see a side show of freaks, wonders and human curiosities. CARR A disabled friend of mine regularly heads over to New York to perform in the Coney Island Freak Show. I've always been disapproving of his decision to do this, seeing it as exploitative of him and anachronistic and generally damaging to disabled people. So when I travelled to the Big Apple earlier this year I decided to pay a visit and see if I could be persuaded otherwise. ACTUALITY FROM CONEY ISLAND FREAK SHOW The Coney Island Circus Side Show, aka the freak show, claims to be the last place in the USA where an audience can see a side show with freaks, wonders and human curiosities, come inside you'll have your voyeuristic desires fulfilled by acts like Insectavora - the tattooed woman, who will ascend to ladder of swords; Donny vomit who hammers spikes into his skull and Serpentina - a snake charmer and contortionist. These performers are what's called "self made" but what interested me were the born freaks - those acts who were born different or disabled. On a Saturday in May I joined an audience made up of locals, tourists, art students and disabled people for the super freak weekend, when Coney Island pays tribute to these acts. ACTUALITY FROM CONEY ISLAND FREAK SHOW First up was Jimmy, a person of restricted growth, or to use the American terminology - a little person. He talked of his problems reaching lift buttons and then did some robotic dancing. Next we had Seal Boy, a performer with small limbs who played the drums. Then another little person who made balloon animals. Then a woman with a beard who juggled machetes in a wedding dress. And then a .... it was a conveyor belt of the weird and wonderful. But it was also less freakish than I imagined. Most of the acts just talked about their lives and then did some kind of party piece. It was almost like a cross between a disability awareness training session and a meeting of exhibitionists anonymous. It was more fascinating watching the audience and wondering what they were thinking. ACTUALITY FROM CONEY ISLAND FREAK SHOW Normally we're told not to stare at anyone a bit different, so how confusing, yet thrilling, it must have been for them to have this chance to openly ogle and gawp at disabled people? The audience weren't sniggering or laughing at those on stage though, instead they seemed genuinely compelled. This really wasn't what I expected. ACTUALITY FROM CONEY ISLAND FREAK SHOW As I sat there watching a little person make a balloon poodle I wondered if this was a reflection of the current state of disability rights in the USA. I hope not. With a strong disability lobby, anti discrimination legislation and access to transport and public buildings to revile the UK thankfully it seems not. In fact there now an increasing number of disabled people who are supporting rather than boycotting the freak show. Many, like my friend, are reclaiming the word freak to turn it from a cruel taunt into a positive statement of their uniqueness. Coney Island provides the stage for these people to flaunt their freakishness loud and proud. By the end of the weekend I was almost tempted to join them. ACTUALITY FROM CONEY ISLAND FREAK SHOW Now I'm back in the UK, a country with its own freak show legacy, and I'm wondering if there is any place in today's society for this form of entertainment. I pick up the newspaper, I read about the government's current proposals to get us into work. In the name of welfare reform perhaps disabled people will be forced to join the circus or the freak show to earn their keep? At last employment where being disabled is an essential requirement. I go to the supermarket, I'm starred at, I'm starred at some more. You'd think people had never seen a wheelchair user before. I have an audience, I might as well be on the stage. Whilst the world may have progressed since the days of the Victorian freak show and the technology may have advanced one thing has remained the same - our fascinating with the freak. Back to the You and Yours homepage The BBC is not responsible for external websites |
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