The Popularity of Freak Shows

Freak shows have been a popular form of entertainment for a long time.  It can be said that a reason for this popularity is because of the curiosity of the human race.  Humans have always liked to study things that are out of the normal of every day life.  This is the same even when humans are the test subject.  Therefore, if there are certain things about people that make them different from "us" then we want to look at them and figure out why.  This includes investigating their differences scientifically and through medicine.  There are many different explanations for the various traits that made some of these people freaks such as different diseases, physical and mental disorders and more.  It was necessary for us as humans to make these scientific connections so that we can further differentiate ourselves from the "deviants" of our society with the knowledge of what makes them different from us.  All in all, freak shows allowed you to stare at the societal misfits without it being frowned upon because the freak shows were being used as a source of entertainment.