Circus Folds Up Tent
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is set to close. With two touring shows the last performances will be May 7 in Providence, Rhode Islan, and May 21 in Uniondale, New York.
The circus, with its exotic animals, flashy costumes and death-defying acrobats, has been a staple of entertainment in the United States since the mid-1800s. Phineas Taylor Barnum made a traveling spectacle of animals and human oddities popular, while the five Ringling brothers performed juggling acts and skits from their home base in Wisconsin. Eventually, they merged and the modern circus was born. The sprawling troupes traveled around America by train, wowing audiences with the sheer scale of entertainment and exotic animals.
By midcentury, the circus was routine, wholesome family entertainment. But as the 20th century went on, kids became less and less enthralled. Movies, television, video games and the internet captured young minds. The circus didn’t have savvy product merchandising tie-ins or Saturday morning cartoons to shore up its image.
This is my not sad face.
David Letterman’s Top 10 Rejected Circus Slogans
10. Catch clown fever
9. Come smell the excitement!
8. Yes! We have middle-aged women in spangled bikinis!
7. Don’t wear shoes you care about
6. The lowest-paid performers on Earth – We pass the savings on to you!
5. Our clowns have all their shots!
4. No shirt. No shoes. No problem!
3. Come see us before the immigration department does!
2. Ever see camels do it?
1. Come have a corndog with the human torso!
What an amazing legacy, though.
https://www.ringling.org/