Freak vs Human Marvel

Before reading excerpts from Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness and Liberation, by Eli Clare, I did not know much about freak shows besides for what I had seen on television. I never stopped to think about who could be considered a “freak” or why these individuals would want to get involved in freak shows. For these reasons, I was in utter shock after reading Exile and Pride. It exposed what types of individuals were involved in freak shows, and I immediately did not understand how all these people were considered freaks. In my opinion, freak is an outdated term that should not be used anymore, but in this case I am going to use the term in reference to individuals involved in freak shows.

                What I found out is that freaks were determined as a result of racism and ableism. What this means is someone who was not considered a white, able-bodied individual (usually male) was classified as a freak. Clare discusses of one of the freaks named William Johnson, who to me was one of the most shocking cases. William was an African-American man who happened to be cognitively disabled; in the freak shows he was referred to as the “Monkey Man”. As if this was not bad enough, he was dressed as an ape and meant to shock people because of his animalistic characteristics. In addition to William, freak show owners went to Africa and brought back Congolese men and women who wore large piercings in their mouths as part of their culture. In the freak shows these individuals were dressed in primitive clothing and referred to as “Genuine Monster Mouthed Ubangi Savages World’s Most Weird Living Humans from Africa’s Darkest Depths”. This clearly displays that freak shows were based off of racism and ableism in reference to both of the freaks mentioned above. It is true that freak shows were common in the 1800’s and early 1900’s, a time when white, able males held all the power and racism was a commonly accepted viewpoint, but I was shocked to find so many references to “freaks” in our modern society.

                I came across a website (which you can visit here) called Human Marvels which displays these individuals that we may see as atypical or once considered freaks. The website itself is very current; it was updated just a few days before I came across it. The website was very conflicting in how they viewed and referred to these people. The headline when I opened the website said “Freaks, Geeks, and Human Oddities!”, and then in smaller writing just underneath that it said “Some may call them freaks and human oddities, but they are truly human marvels”. By first openly referring to these people as freaks I was disappointed in the fact that our nation has not come very far since the time of freak shows. I think human marvels, although it may not be the best term, is a much kinder term than freak. Had they left out the first headline I think this could be a more acceptable website, referring to these people instead as human marvels and inviting you to observe how unique and special these individuals are.

                Freak shows bring up the basis of Rosemary Garland-Thompson’s book Staring. Garland-Thompson discusses the reasons why we are taught not to stare at others; she cites various books of etiquette which tell the dangers of staring. The whole purpose of a freak show is to stare, particularly to point out the differences between the viewers and the so-called freaks. If we saw those deemed as freaks on the streets in everyday life, instinctively we would resist staring. Staring goes against the way most Americans were raised, being told that certain bodies are not to be looked at and therefore you should always avert your eyes to unfamiliar sites. This makes me wonder when it is appropriate to stare, and why we find it acceptable to stare at freaks in freak shows.

This comic represents how our nation views staring as a problem and how we assume that men only stare at women because they are good-looking.

                Freak shows bring up the concepts of both power and shame related to staring. By making a spectacle of the freaks, and encouraging the audience to stare, gives power to the viewers. On the other hand, it could present the freaks a sense of power in that they have the ability to present their unique characteristics and ask to be observed, or stared at. The problem is that freaks in these shows only can hold power if they choose to. Typically freaks participated in freak shows because there was nothing else for them to do. It was nearly impossible for someone who was mentally or physically disabled to get a job in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, so sometimes freak shows were the only option for those individuals to make money. Other times they were kidnapped or coerced into joining the shows. In these cases, the freaks have no power and by them being exposed on stage the way they are is a way of shaming their differences. I spent a long time looking for an online forum where people who are born with atypical characteristics can post pictures and offer advice to others, but I could not find one. I mostly only saw forums where people posted pictures of human oddities, often ranking them by how “gruesome their deformity”, in hopes that people would stare and be repulsed by the subject, rather than present an opportunity to look without passing judgment.

                Garland-Thompson believes that we should change the way our culture avoids staring, and I must say I find this idea interesting but conflicting. I, like many others, was taught that it is wrong to stare, and I have lived my life thinking that way. Garland-Thompson believes that opening yourself up and asking for people to stare at you gives you power and eliminates the shame that you or the other person would normally feel. This idea makes a lot of sense to me but I cannot really imagine it happening. It is hard to be stared at and not feel self-conscious. As much as I would like to feel comfortable being stared at on a regular basis, it is so engrained in our culture not to stare that it would take years before we could make the change. I also have a difficult time considering the benefits. She claims it is a benefit of power and confidence, but I don’t think this would be the case for a lot of people. Some people will still stare with judgment and I think it would be very difficult to eliminate that in our society. Of course if we could, this country would be a better place for everyone.