Schlitzie : The Human Freak Show

By Ana Benton

During the time when the mass media such as television wasn't available to everyone, sideshows were incredibly popular all over the United States. It was a form of a circus that included various attractions, and the most intriguing one was called a freak show. Freak shows did introduce the strange humans such as giants, midgets, bearded ladies, etc. These performers would draw a large number of audience who would be mesmerized by there "atypical beings", and freak shows were an important part of the pop culture in that period of history. But the access to the television wasn't the only thing that contributed to the decline of the interest in the sideshows. As a matter of fact, many visitors started changing their minds regarding the human oddities and they didn't see it as a form of harmless fun. The majority of people who visited the sideshows were simply intrigued by the aesthetics, others were not super polite. So-called freaks simply weren't attractive anymore, visitors started to question the morality behind it, and the downfall of the sideshows began. Schlitzie was one of the performers who managed to cement himself as a part of the movie industry and he became a very famous character that was known throughout the United States, as well as the world. It was all thanks to the controversial movie called Freaks. His life wasn't a happy one but he did make the best of his situation. He didn't allow his disabilities to stop him from having a fulfilled life. While little is known about his beginnings, he became a sort of a celebrity and one of the most iconic characters in the old Hollywood movies.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1979987114
• ISBN13: 9781979987110
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 5.2" x 8.0"