Sarah Baartman's remarkable life

The story of Sarah Baartman is an incredibly disgusting while equally amazing story. In Hottentot Venus it is thoroughly explained the horrors that she must have went through due to the dreadful harassment from the hands of the clamoring public. She was harassed sexually and from the standpoint of deviancy in that she was so different from the “norm” and by nature we are both curious of the deviant and afraid of it. She got the treatment that countless others have gotten from being different from the norm, her situation is different in that what made her deviant and a “freak” also made her sought after my white European males to the point where her torture from the public was worse than that suffered by others. Sarah Baartmans story is awful, the pain she suffered was horrid, however the truly remarkable part of it all is how she fought through it never letting it weigh her down; in the end she was incredibly intelligent and made more of her life than many others who if found in the same life would have folded and given up. 

John Plevel

Freaks film ending

The movie “Freaks” portrayed the lives of a group of people usually not featured in film, especially in a positively portrayed way. Throughout the movie we are shown the lives of these “freaks” in a normal setting almost getting to know them as people instead of just defining them by their appearance. Towards the end we saw how the freaks got together in what some would call them showing their true colors when they attacked the others. However as we discussed in class I felt there uniting against Cleopatra was more a sense of community and protection than it was a portrayal of their disfigured fearful way of life. They were protecting the people they cared about like any good human being would, if anything they were portraying the best qualities of human being better than many human beings do.

Response to John's Response to The Righteous in the Film, "Freaks"

This is exactly what I was thinking the entire movie! At first you think the move is about "freaks" in a circus and clearly there were people classified as these characters. However, the real freaks were Cleopatra and Hercules. They saw themselves has something better then the everyone else. They were the stereotypical "normal" beings who treated "freaks" as worthless and stupid. This situation ended up turning against them because they had no one to turn to at the end. They were not apart of the family that was created at the circus. They ostracized themselves and were the ones treated like freaks. It really does show how ignorant a person can be. Its kind of a scary thing to think about. This movie wasn't exaggerating a thing. This film was so well done that it made you actually think. This how you know this movie is a classic.

~Kyle

Response to Brian's "Something good" post

Brian, I'm really glad that you brought up the positive things that can come out of such horrible events and shameful practices that have occurred in our history. It's a lot like what I was trying to say in class on Thursday, that everything had to start somewhere, especially with science and medicine. I was really nervous about how to explain what I was thinking without sounding like I actually agreed with what awful things had happened or offending anyone. You explained it really well.

When it comes to the unknown, fear and ignorance are the main culprits that cause human beings to subject others to things like freak shows and medical experiments. In our effort to better understand the world around us, we sometimes make mistakes in trying to figure out things and people that are extremely different from us. Unfortunately, a lot of what we know today about people with disabilities and people of different ethnicities stem from these mistakes. However, we can't change the past. We can only make an effort to not repeat the same mistakes in the future and treat all human beings with equal respect. We should focus on what we've learned and the good things that have come out of all the bad stuff.

Response to The Righteous in the Film, "Freaks"

I agree with Callie that the end of film showed the integrity of the community.   I in no way felt that the second to last scene portrayed the characters as something to be afraid of.  Fear alone would arise from the notions/bias of the viewer prior to watching it.  I was actually scared towards the beginning by the limbless man squirming on the ground.  I thought I was suddenly watching a zombie flick.  But soon enough I was snapped back to reality that he was alive and not the living dead, and I quickly grew fond of the characters as the story developed.

I thought the film was cleverly and ironically portraying Cleopatra and Hercules as the freaks. They were the deviants being ostracized.   Although most of the show members had physical disabilities/deformations, Cleo and Hercules exhibited a social disability.  This social disability was a self-centeredness that threatened the selflessness of the community.  What hurts one, hurts all. Naturally, the audience typically feels support for the performers who could not change their physical condition over Cleo and Hercules who could change their behavior but desired not to. By saying that they should have adapted their behavior, I am not suggesting they should be simply controlled to fit social norms to be useful to the community, but rather should want to change for social health reasons just like a smoker who refuses to quit despite the devastating effect on themselves and those around them. 

Community is the one thing that most of us are missing a sense of.  And not getting to know one another is sometimes what allows our immediate judgements on descendence, gender, and sexuality to be fantasized over time in our creative minds.

~ John

Sometimes good comes from the bad

I really enjoyed our discussion on Thursday involving Hottentot. The class was able to make several points debating whether she was viewed as hypersexualized or desexualized. But one thing that interested me was how an event so long ago has had an effect on today. Today, most of us can look back at how Sarah was displayed and say that it was morally a wrong thing to do. To me, I almost feel like she was a hero that "took one for the team,".. as bad as that sounds.

Like getting a new toy, its something different you love to play with for a week straight. But once you're used to it, it's just another normal toy of yours. During this time period of colonial expansion, it was out of the ordinary to see someone like Sarah it's no wonder she was displayed. But after awhile when seeing those with disabilities became more known, it became more acceptable and normal. Having that phase of "freaks shows" have caused those with disabilities to be more adapted into society today. We can look at other instances including Martin Luther King or Abraham Lincoln. They played a role in giving African Americans more rights. We can look back and say that slavery was wrong but without these men who knows how African Americans would be treated today.

The film Freaks

After watching this film, I couldn't help but think of why it was made in the first place. Was it to portray those with disabilities as normal human beings or as monsters. Throughout the first half we saw a majority of the characters going about their lives doing normal everyday tasks. Some of those scenes included the bearded woman giving birth, the human torso lighting a cigarette, and the Siamese twins having relationships. I thought the scene of the human torso gave me the feeling of autonomy because he could have asked the clown to do it for him. In my opinion, this was the correct way to shoot to movie. However, from the celebration dinner to the stormy night gave me the sense of a scary movie. Even though they were viewed as pleasant before, it was all erased by the closing scene of the freaks crawling in the mud with knives. I can understand why this movie was highly criticized, especially because it was released on the decline of freak shows. Overall, I enjoyed the movie because it introduced me to things I have never seen before.

Blackface Model

I discovered an American Apparel ad online featuring what appears to feature an African-American individual. I feel that this ad seems to be playing off the stereotypes of African Americans, for she is depicted wearing a sort of ethnic headwrap, wearing darker makeup and neon pink lipstick. I almost feel that they are making her appear to be blackface, which they may actually be doing. “Blackface” describes a vehicle of entertainment for white people, where black makeup would be used on every area of a performer’s face, sans the area around his or her mouth and would act unintelligent. Some African American actors would also apply darker makeup and pink lipstick on wider than their actual lips and market themselves as the “real thing.”

The writing in this ad almost serves the purpose that a “freak show” pamphlet would. This ad says, “Sweeter than candy. Better than cake,” across the model’s chest, which seems almost erotic in it’s placement. Furthermore, the ad seems to be selling her in a sense, as a piece of sexual pleasure, rather than the clothing. Also, how American Apparel conspicuously place, “American Apparel is under 10 years of age…” close to the model. When I first glimpsed at the ad I thought they were saying that this model was 10 years of age and then I began reading further and realized that wasn’t the case. I feel that this ad is trying to use sexuality as a way to sell, whether it be to women who want to be “sexy” or to get men to look at their ads. “From Seoul to Shoreditch, New York to the Netherlands…” on the right side of the ad, seems to almost make the suggestion that the model has traveled around from all these places, however, if you continue reading it is about how the clothing is continuing to be worn in these places. Also, the ad states how children and animals are also able to obtain the look, as if to position the model closer to animals and children.

I feel that this ad helps demonstrate how today our stereotypes are still being utilized within today’s society. Although she may not be on exhibition as Sarah Bartmann was, she certainly is on display for the general public to observe. Furthermore, the hypersexualization of the model only further illustrates that use of women’s bodies as a means of profit and as marker of deviancy.

Angela B.

Tosh.0 & The Two-Headed Man

Today I happened to catch Tosh.0’s “Halloween Special” (2011) where he featured some of his “scariest” clips. One of his clips featured a man from China who had two heads. When he revealed the clip the audience responded in a mixture of fear, disgust and laughter, as Daniel Tosh ran through his jokes, one of his jokes including the difficulty the man must have flossing. I felt that this episode revealed how “modern-day freaks” are still viewed as “scary” and depicted as “exotic” and “foreign”. The fact that some of Tosh’s jokes focused on the difficulty of him performing what we perceive to be “normal” everyday functions, demonstrates the thought that “freaks” can not perform “normal” functions which able bodies are capable of. However, this is certainly not the case. Many of the people with abnormalities are able to cope and find other ways to perform everyday functions, whether or not it’s the exact way in which able-bodied individuals perform them. Also, the audience’s reaction to his “scary” clip reveals how still today we love to be able to observe the Other, to have the Other serve as a form of entertainment, and to serve as a marker of deviance so we can be reaffirmed in our normalcy.

Angela B.

Pictures?

We were discussing the debate about whether or not it was alright to view pictures of the Hottentot Venus. I feel that it would be ignorant not to look at pictures of her. Our culture has matured enough that we can look at something like that, and we don't judge it. Whenever I see someone that others might call a freak, I think to myself that they are different than me. But everyone is different. So why would those differences make them a freak, while others do not? The idea of someone being a freak because of a physical difference does not even cross my mind. However, I find it interesting to see how vast the differences between some people can really be. It's truly amazing to see some of the obstacles that people can overcome. Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right. Everything in life comes down to having the will to succeed. The only thing that can stop you is yourself. Those that are blessed with a functional life and don't take advantage of it are the people that I pity.

Sincerity

I found the movie that we watched to be very moving. Probably for a completely different reason than others though. I thought that the clown was a very inspirational character. I have not read every single blog post thus far, but I haven't seen much about him. I thought that his affection that he showed toward everyone was very sincere. He judged them for who they truly were as a person. Whether they were a freak or not, he looked at what was on the inside. He was a friend to all (all that deserved it, anyway). I think sometimes people try so hard to accept others that are different, it almost appears to be offensive. I often start to question if it is genuine, or if they are just doing it so that others will think they are good people. Don't be nice to them because it makes you look good, be nice to them because that's how they deserve to be treated.

The Venus Hottentot

I thought that the class discussion on the Venus Hottentot was great. A lot of people added ideas and insights to the topic.

All of the articles that we were assigned to read on the Hottentot all had one thing in common I noticed. They all focused on the scientists that studied, dissected and classified her body. While this is all important to understanding the way of thinking of the times and crucial to understanding culture, I feel that by focusing on the scientists instead of Sarah Baartman dehumanizes her. It once again makes her the subject of scientific inquiry when we try to figure out why people were so fascinated by her. I know that the personal data on Sarah is very limited, but I feel we can give her back her dignity as a person if we give a little less attention to the men of her time that poked and proded her. I think that Sarah Baartman is just as important as the men who studied her, if not more important.

Erin Pattridge

The Venus Hottentot

While reading the articles about Sara Baartman being known as "The Venus Hottentot," it was very sad because  Sara was kept prisoner by her looks. She was always put on display for people to see. What people did not know was that there was a lot more to her beyond her body. She was very smart and could speak multiple languages. The spectators of the time only saw her for her distinctive large butt and breasts and mysterious genitals. The fact that people would try to look up her skirt while she was on display is awful. She refused to pose naked for private parties and I think that helped her keep some of her dignity. It is said that where she was from made her most interesting. Being a Khoi Khoi woman of South Africa, the English and French had never had contact with that part of the world. They had seen West African women as a result of slavery and had no question about what they were like. Sara Baartman could have been one of a kind or many women could have had a similar silhouette based on the culture that they live in. Like in class, I think she was sexualized by men because of her genitals. They were different so everyone wanted to see, which I am sure was degrading for Sara Baartman who was always trying to cover it up.

Valerie Walden

"Freaks"

While watching the movie "Freaks" in class, he made an interesting story line that displayed the treatment and life of freaks travelling in the circus. I liked the first half where they were all bonding and accepting each other. There was a range of disabilities that would have been considered freaks but they only saw that they were different. The second half of the movie seemed a little more like today, not that they crawl around on the ground in the mud after you, but that people pretend to accept them and right as something goes wrong they snap and resort back to the term "freak." I really liked this movie, it was very eye- opening to what disabled people were treated like in the circus and they faced normal problems like everyone else. I believe the freaks turned on everyone else because they felt insulted and were living up to their expectations. They could be normal people, or they could be the monsters that everyone saw them as.

Valerie Walden

Hottentot

     After doing the readings for Thursday, I was absolutely blown away by what I was reading.  The discussion in class helped clear up the few questions I had but I was still in shock.  The fact that women of the time, especially African American women, had no rights.  I was mostly saddened by her treatment and how she was portrayed.  The statement that stuck with me the most from class was the fact that people could rent her out for her to stand, partially clothed at private parties.  I agree with a statement made in class that she was a sex symbol to men of that time period because of how she was advertised to the public.  Her over sized breasts, bottom and lips made her an odd figure of the time period.  Women of this time period were really not supposed to show skin because it was seen as a sign of disrespect, so the Hottentot image was very sexual.  According to the Sambo myth, Sarah Baartmen was docile and her promiscuous ways made her seem like she was asking to be viewed by men as a commodity of sex.  I disagree with this because the advertisements I found on Google were completely exaggerated.  This topic is very controversial and I feel like as a class we could talk about this for the whole semester.

Leslie Walter

The Strange Story of Julia Pastrana

Today I decided to do the reading for this coming Tuesday. One of the readings is titled, The Strange Story of Julia Pastrana. Julia's story reminded me a lot of Sarah Bartmann's story. Though Julia suffered from a medical condition, and Sarah Bartmann's physical traits were not a disorder, both women were put on display for others to view how deviant they were. One thing I couldn't help but realize was both women were taking advantage of by men. In my opinion, both these men pretended to care about the well being of these women, but in reality only wanted to use them for some sort of profit. One thing that was different about Julia Pastrana's story was that she was not put on display for medical purposes. It wasn't until she passed away that doctors realized that she had a condition called hypertrichosis lanuginosa congenita. However, like Bartmann, after Julia's death for years people kept her preserved body, and put her and her baby on display. These women had no rights because the men that took them from their homes controlled every aspect of their life. Even after they were dead. Though both articles stated that these women were perfectly happy with the lives they had, I don't believe that is true.

Shawna Racino

Sara Baartman's Double Identity

 In Boetsch and Blanchard's article, The Hottentot Venus: Birth of a 'Freak' (1815), they say that Sara had a "double identity founded both on femininity and savagery." I would say that this is true, but at the same time that they aren't separate traits. Her big butt and elongated labia would be the obvious feminine traits but they would also be savage traits according to the people of her time. Those differences she had from white European women made her savage or deviant. The men who were in charge of her played those traits up. They said that her butt had magical powers and that her elongated labia made her have a higher sex drive. They oversexualized all her differences from European women and made her an exotic figure.

In doing all that they obviously were degrading Sara to nothing more than a prop that needed to be studied. She was a way for people to define their own race and selves as "normal." A way for them to justify the treatment of other races and colonialism. She was used to define what a deviant is, what traits one had that classified them as such.

The Righteous in the Film, "Freaks"

Never seeing it before, I found the film “Freaks” from Tod Browning to be an excellent movie. Being a TCM-er, I have never seen this film and felt that the casting of actual people such as the “Human Torso”, made the film connect a lot more and put accented more on the idea. Aside from others who have posted about the film, I felt there to be some sense of community amongst the performers even before the wedding scene. We see the woman who took care of the smaller ones and took them out to the forest to play during the day. Even though a few of the men had laughed at her in spending her time with them, she never cared. There was seriously no shame taken with Phroso or Venus in conversing with the “freaks” with the sameness as they would with others. This brings me to what I saw with this film is that most of the people in this small circus community, had a sense of righteousness regardless of the nasty terrible schemes of Cleopatra and Hercules, which is noticed much more toward the end of the film.

Another aspect of the film that we had time to talk about was the “humanization” of the “freaks” and how they lived their lives through the movie. From many examples derived from the film, one could be the conversation about relationships between Frieda and Venus. The fact that they were both in the conversation talking about Frieda’s worries about Hans, it was conversation that I didn’t expect to see that early on in the film. While looking around for some clips, I came across these pieces of commentary on the “Freaks” film. I’m not too fond with what one of them described the “Half Man”, Johnny Eck, as “very articulate”. Other than that, it’s interesting to learn more about his life. I found a clip from the same film about Prince Randian who played the “Living Torso”. Both had long amazing careers in sideshows.  PS: Apparently, there is a Johnny Eck Museum? The website is pretty unclear about parts of their collections, but it was interesting to look at.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN71bF5DTck&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAnYooGVwto&feature=related

Callie Jayne Montalvo 

Exhibition of Dead Bodies

            This article reminded me of a paper I wrote in high school. The paper was about profiting off the dead. I used several examples including: Sean Puffy Combs profiting off Christopher Wallace’s death. We all can remember that when Notorious B.I.G. died, Puff Daddy came out with the hit I’ll Be Missing You. We also know what an enormous hit it was, and the kind of money that it generated, especially considering the fact that at that time “CD Singles” were still popular. I can imagine that Mr. Wallace would have approved of the song and wanted his friend to make money off of the hit. Of course this is a horrible example and if I were to write about profiteering off the deceased today I would offer better ones. Nonetheless it correlates roughly with the article The Strange Story of Julia Pastrana. Her wicked husband directly profited off his deceased wife by publicly displaying her mummified remains. Even after Lent (Julia’s husband) passed, her body was passed around to multiple impresarios. In the end Julia found some solace after a Norwegian Government committee declared her remains are to be used for scientific inquiry only. 

            Today, many countries still have not made it illegal—Including the U.S.—to exhibit dead bodies. One exception is France, first the U.S.'s current stance:

 Assembly Bill 1519 (2007)  would make California the first state to prohibit the commercial profit and public display of human bodies or remains, unless exhibitors provide documented informed consent of the deceased or next-of-kin.[23] This bill was vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. (“Body Worlds” from Wikipedia)

 On Tuesday 21 April 2009, a French judge ruled concerning the Paris exhibition of "Our Body: The Universe Within", that exhibiting dead bodies for profit was a "violation of the respect owed to them". "Under the law, the proper place for corpses is in the cemetery.” (“Body Worlds” from Wikipedia)

         I am not a religious person, more spiritual if anything. However, I feel that displaying the remains of someone, publicly and for profit, is a highly disgraceful act. I do think that with prior living consent, a stiff can be used for scientific study. And of course an individual should be allowed to dictate what organs (if any) they would like to donate after death. I realize my above statements are very straightforward, and if I had more room and time for the discussion I would get into particularities like taxidermy, traveling ancient Egyptian mummy expeditions and the proposed Californian Bill 1519, in particular the consent aspect. We could also discuss Obama making the decision to dump Osama’s body into the ocean not only so it couldn’t be revered by terrorists, but so it would not be a spectacle to draw in western viewers for their own pleasure (whatever that may be). Anyways, I think profiting off the dead is wrong in any shape and form. In the case of Notorious BIG or even now Michael Jackson, the money from their songs should be donated not make some greedy filthy producer and his entourage wealthier.

Domalski, Josh

Freaks the movie

When I watch black and white films I usually fall asleep. I don't really know why, but it just happens. However, "Freaks" directed by Tod Browning, did not make me want to fall asleep. This film actually scared me more then most modern horror do. The movie was fine until after the wedding scene. That's when it started to really hit the horror climax. It really had some scary aspects that make an audience member jump. It was great at increasing the suspense until the end.
Another thing I realized was the fact that As an audience member you started to look past the qualities that made some of theses characters freaks and just see a normal person. I'm sure this isn't how most felt, but I certainly felt this way. I wanted Hanz to be with Cleopatra and have a "beauty and the beast" type of moment. This being said, you realize who was really the beauty and who was the beast. Cleopatra was a beast in her own way and in the end became what she truly feared. This movie just made me realize how much these traveling circuses were home for this people. They created a family with people who are closely related to them. Its the same thing we do now. You feel most comfortable when you are with a group that wont judge you or treat you different. I would love a group of friends who will always have my back. (Minus switch blades and guns...)


~Kyle Landers

Hottentot Venus

The articles that we read for class today dealt with Sarah Bartmann and how she was viewed during that time period. The first two articles described the way she was protrayed and also described her life as a show case. The chapter in the book dealt more about how she was used for science. All of these articles are relevant to today's world because it is kind of how women are still protrayed today. Today different body shapes are more accepted but at the same time when a women looks completly different for example if she has a bigger butt than normal then people are more likely to notice and to want to stare at it. It also relates to today's world because just like the Hottentot women today are still sexualized  and kind of put on display for people to look at. Bartmann during that time I would say was being sexualized because her body was something that was not of the norm and I would say that it is the same today. Also I would say that this kind of set a standard for women today because it was seen as unique and exotic. Today women now have plastic surgery and implants to kind of change their bodies so look exptic to men. The way that Bartmann in the past was described also kind relates to how we view black females today. For example as we said in class we see black women in music videos with barely any clothes on with huge breats and butts and this shows how that image of Bartmann is still used today.

Hottentot-RIP

After reading about Saartjie Baartmen I don’t know if I was more saddened by her story or angrier about what happened to her. I was in shock by the way they treated her while she was alive but more appalled about how they treated her in death. Before reading the chapter in Medical Apartheid I never thought about what they would do to a “freak” after they died. Knowing now that B.T. Barnum and other entertainers would make money selling tickets to an autopsy is crazy (George Washington’s wet nurse). I guess it could be argued that  B.T.B. and others owned the “freaks” so they can do anything they want to them but, I guess after a person dies no matter you consider them an animal  that you own  or not they bodies should not be tampered with or put on show for other peoples amusement.

Another tidbit I found interesting was how people marveled and Saartjie Baartmen figure. How many people found her backside a feature that  was grossest and something to stare at. This is interesting because just the other day I was watching one of those Hollywood entrainment shows and there was a whole story about women  injecting themselves with chemicals to make their backsides look bigger to imitate the celebrates because they think it is sexy, beautiful and not Freakish . How Times Have Changed.

http://www.insideedition.com/news/7623/inside-edition-investigates-illegal-back-room-butt-enhancements.aspx

-Sarah Fiorella

Blog for 2-9-12

Was France subject to a movement comparable to our “Graves Repatriation Act”? I had not heard of their being such a movement in Europe. Was Law of 6 March 2002, their response to this pressure? Is this the reason that Saartjie Bartman’s remains were repatriated to South Africa?  Did Law 6 of March 2002 cause any of the other African’s remains to be returned to the place in Africa from which they were taken?

Joyce Abbott

Freaks?

In viewing the movie “Freaks” by director Tod Browning the thing that stood out to me was the way the movie was sectioned.  Before the “wedding” scene the audience views the “freaks” as “freaks” because they are in the normal person’s world.  We see the “freaks” against the backdrop of “normal” people so the audience can see the great differences between the “freaks” and the “normal” people. However, after the wedding sense we being seeing the freaks as more than just defined by their physical ability and we look at them as a community. The “freaks” in the move seemed to have a small community where they all understood each other and protected each other. Much like the freak shows that we have been talking about in class these “freaks” seemed to have found a family of equals; they all accepted each other for who they were because they knew that the world would not.  In my interpretation I believe that Tod Browning was not trying to show us the conventional “freak”, but trying to paint a picture that the freaks were really Cleopatra and Hercules. They were the two characters in the movie that seemed to stand out among a community of people. I believe that when defining the word “freak” you have to look at the context of the situation and the surroundings. If the color of my skin was hot pink and so was everyone else would I be labeled a freak?
-Sarah F. 

Hottentot

This is not the first time I have ever read about Sarah Bartmann. The first time I have ever read about her was last year in Jeff's Race and Ethnicity class. When I read about the story or Sarah, I was completely blown away, and angry. I was angry about they way people treated her but also angry that I had never heard about her before! I would like to think that I am a pretty well educated person, but not once have I ever heard of Sarah Bartmann or the Venus Hottentot. How come I wasn't learning about this in my history classes? Even though I already knew the story about Sarah, reading Anne Fausto-Sterlings article gave me an entirely different perspective of Sarah's story. And yet, after I was done reading it I was still angry. I believe that every one should be informed about the horrific things that happened to Sarah Bartmann, so that society will no not to engage in this sort of behavior again. In my opinion, science and medicine is treating the LBGTQ community similar to the way Cuvier and doctors treated Sarah. They are looking for biological explanations to explain their "deviant" behavior. If people knew more about the story of Sarah, it could possibly prevent medicine from always looking for an explanation to anything that isn't "normal". My rant is finished.

Shawna Racino

Movie "Freaks"

So, this movie has been on my "to watch" list for a really long time. However, it wasn't what i expected it to be. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the movie, but I was kind of hoping that we'd get to know some of the "freaks" a little bit more. I know they were real circus performers in the movie, but the storyline, I assume, was fairly fictional. I'm not sure if I liked this. I really wanted some of the people to talk more candidly about what it was like to be born the way they were and how they liked being in the circus.

That being said, I thought the story did a great job at humanizing the characters. There were times when I actually forgot that some of the characters were circus freaks. My favorite character was Frida. She was so beautiful! She dressed so well and had such poise and demanded respect just by the way she carried herself. I felt so awful for her when Hans fell in love with Cleopatra and left her. Although, the way Hans fell so hard for Cleo and was so torn for a while between she and Frida really made him seem like a man. He was so honest and willing to do anything to gain Cleo's affection. The group of people who were particularly small and had odd-shaped heads (microcephaly?) also stole my heart! They were so precious and innocent, like little children. I really liked how Madame Tetrallini traveled with them and took care of them like they were her own children, as she did with all of the disabled performers. I really got the sense that these people made their circus into a real family, as odd and dysfunctional as it could be sometimes. I think it shows how a strong sense of community and love and respect for each other can help them get through anything.

A 'Freak' In Music

When I started reading The Hottentot Venus, I realized I had come across this type of character before in music.  For my senior recital on piano, I finished with a piece by a not-so-well-known composer Thomas Wiggins.

"Blind Tom" was born a slave in the American Civil War Era.  Because of his blindness, he was sold at auction as a joke trophy and couldn't work, so was allowed to stay in the new owner's house where he was exposed to classical piano music.

It turns out, Tom was an autistic savant with prodigious skills far exceeding Mozart. He eventually memorized a reported 7000 pieces.  He toured America and Europe, advertized as a "freak".  His owner and later guardians profited from his performances and it is believed that much of what he wrote was credited to other composers of the time (although to add to the confusion, Tom published under different pseudonyms or allowed his scribes/teachers to publish under their name.)  

It seems authority does not discriminate different disciplines.

~ John

The fallen hero and heroine

Did maiming Cleopatra and Hercules portray the “freaks” as nothing but? I do not think so. I thought it was an example of “Carney Justice.” I think we have to remember the setting. Back in the 1930’s many groups or individuals took justice (both negatively and positively) into their own hands. Consider the KKK, and Gangs in major cities. The statement “kill one of ours, kill one of yours” was to be taken literally one hundred years ago.

           We also have to remember how the circus hands or “non-freaks” treated Hans and the rest of his ilk. The “naturals” not only humiliated the “freaks” behind their backs, but also out in the open. In addition, they attempted to kill Hans in order to inherit his fortune. So, considering the context and the foul acts committed, did it not warrant retaliation?

             Again as one of our classmates mentioned, after defiling Cleopatra and Hercules the "freaks" were not confined to the hideous life of a carney. Instead of behind bars or displayed miserably in a deteriorating Carnival, they were lavishly adorned. Hans lived in a mansion, and his ex-wife was seen wearing a fur coat with a fox pelt wrapped around her. You also see the Clown and Hercules’ ex-girlfriend dressed fancifully. To me it was a story of good vs. evil. You would think the Greek hero and Egyptian Queen—as their titles suggest—would be portrayed as supreme beings. Surprisingly, they are portrayed as the oppressors and the deviant ones. It was the “freaks” who took a stand and it was them who came out on top.

Domalski

Freak Show Movie

I was not expecting the movie to be in a story form, but more of a documentary. So I was a bit surprised when Jeff told us there was a story line. I was more interested in how the different acts of that circus interacted and treated each other. I'm sure that the movie wasn't far from the truth in how the "big people" treated the "freaks" and the "abnormal". It was really intriguing to see how the "freaks" handled certain situations. To me, it seemed that they "accepted their lot in life" and the treatment they received from others until a life or safety was threatened. The way they banded together in the end, I did not see as cruel or inhumane. I saw it as a way of survival. That's how I interpreted the director's purposes. By showing that there were also times that the "freaks" needed to protect themselves and acted on instinct and honor, shows them in a humane way.

Erin Pattridge

Thoughts on the film "Freaks"

I was instantly more interested in the film, "Freaks", when Jeff said that Browning had cast actual freaks in it.I feel like that if he hadn't it wouldn't have resonated with me as much as it did, and I would guess with everyone else who has seen it. The use of actual freaks makes the message come across more clearly. All that the characters went through in the film, I am guessing they had actually gone through in their real lives. Their emotions were authentic and probably drawn from personal experiences, which I think really sells the message of the movie. 

The fact that the beginning of the movie shows their everyday lives shows to the audience that they are just like the "normal" people. If Browning hadn't cast someone like the "Human Torso", I think it would have been much harder to show that the "them" is just like the "us". I think think that people who have a disability or are different from them usually do the same things they do, just in a different way. While the film showed that the freaks were just like everyone else in their everyday lives, it also showed how they viewed themselves as a separate community within the circus. They party together, try to warn Hans about Cleopatra, and then band together to help Hans with the Cleopatra situation. 

I also agree with what Ashley said at the end of her post. When someone is continually treated a certain way of told they are something or not something, they begin to believe it. Or it they don't truly believe it to their core, they sort of give up and decide "Why not? That's how everyone sees me, so why not just do that". Someone brought up the end of the movie where all the freaks band together to go after Hercules and Cleopatra as an example of that. They have continually called us animals and filthy, so why not show them what they seem to think we are.

Week Two Blog on "Freaks"

The movie "Freaks" shown in class really was a eye opener to how freak shows were run.  During the beginning of class when we were talking about  who was cast in the movie, I was very shocked that the director hired actual people in freak shows rather than actors.  This made the movie more realistic than planned.  When viewing the movie, it was very hard to understand and follow.  The sub plots involved in the regular plot were hard to sort out into my head.  The love and marriage between Hans and Cleopatra reminded of the story Jeff told us about the couple that "fell in love" so he could sell his wife's body to science.  This movie reminded me of the readings on Venus Hottentot as well.  I find it very interesting how people with disabilities had no choices and everything was decided for them.  In today's world, this would have been extremely frowned upon.  I am interested in this Thursday's discussion on these topics because they are highly controversial.

Leslie Walter

P.T. Barnum: PR Pioneer & “The Ultimate Showman”

I noticed Phineas T. Barnum (commonly referred to as P.T. Barnum) has been popping up a lot in our readings. Being a Public Relations major, I recognize his name from my Communication courses – he was an early pioneer in the PR field. He was the master of what historians call the pseudoevent – a planned happening that occurs with the intention of being reported.

Barnum made a public relations event out of the marriage of two midgets. He was also instrumental in the success of Jenny Lind, the “Swedish Nightingale.” Lind was famous in Europe, but Americans were unaware of her beautiful voice until Barnum took her on a national tour and made her a pop icon prior to the Civil War. He managed to get full houses on opening nights in each community by donating part of proceeds to charity. Barnum also gave free tickets to celebrities in the hope that they would attend his events.

- Josh Steffen

week two about freaks

The movie that we watched today dealt witha different way of looking at freaks. It showed how even within the "freak" world there are freaks among the freaks and how the ones who seemed normal in the circus didn't want to be like the other people that they considered freaks. It also shows how people are afraid of freaks just like the world today is scared of people who seem different from the norm. The film also showed that the circus was like its own little community where they all looked out for eachother. This would relate to today's world because we form little groups of people who have more in common with ourselves and we stick up for eachother and to other people we may seem like freaks just because we may be different from them. Another part of the movie that also relates to today's world was at the end of the movie how the freaks started to act how the "normal" people in the circus treated them during the whole movie. This is relevant to today's world because if you treat someone one way because they are different they will eventually live up to how you treat them because they are so used to being treated that way.

"We accept her! We accept her! One of us! One of us! Gooble-gobble, gooble-gobble!"

I found Tod Browning’s Freaks to be a really interesting film, and it is going in my movie collection. The first half consists of the characters and their day to day life. We see them eating, drinking, doing laundry, basking in the birth of a child, and even an armless and legless man lighting and smoking a cigarette (somebody said this was really powerful, and I definitely agree). Perhaps their daily routine is not the most exciting thing to watch, but it demonstrates that "they" are deep down no different from "us.”
On the other hand, the Freaks do think of themselves as being different and are subject to isolation from the world – as a disabled person I would be lying if I said I’ve never felt this way, it is something I’ve dealt with my entire life. The "normal" people and the Freaks themselves constantly reinforce this “separation” throughout the film. There are a lot of references to animals, sometimes as insults to a particular character. For instance, Hans is called a bug or an ape. At the wedding party, the "We accept you, one of us" chant also shows how they are a distinct group of people.

- Josh Steffen

Singing Freaks

I decided to look up "freaks modern day" in Google. I found some very strange things, but I discovered this from one of my favorite musicals, Side show. Side Show is a musical about Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins, who make a change from being a circus act to becoming famous stage performers in the 1930s. The show is about their struggle staying together and how they want to go their seperate ways. Its a very heartbreaking show and really captivates audiences. I honestly feel that people in similiar situations have this problem. We all want to live and create our own lives and futures, but imagine trying to live your life with someone who is attached to you. We have the technology to do this , but back then was a little difficult. I highly recommend looking this show up and reading more about it. This is a beautiful song from the show. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tStUnyvr8gQ

~Kyle Landers

The Hottentot Venus

If the Europeans found this woman such a “curious animal” why was she baptized?  It is my understanding that the Catholic Church does not believe that animals have souls.  If this is true of their beliefs, why did the Bishop of Chester agree to her being baptized? 

According to what I have learned in my African/American studies classes, a baptized person being a fellow Christian could not be enslaved it was only acceptable to enslave a heathen.  Saartjie Baartman, according to the article, was owned by Alexander Dunlop thus a slave. 

Joyce Abbott

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.