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Under the Big Top: Circus Families Are Creepy, Awesome

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bowleserised
01/27/09

In reply to Under the Big Top: Circus Families Are Creepy, Awesome
The time difference beats me again, but I read a brilliant memoir about an Englishwoman who ran away with the circus, and now has her own travelling gig. Josser by Nell Stroud. Really great book.
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LaComtesse
01/26/09

In reply to Under the Big Top: Circus Families Are Creepy, Awesome
The idea of a circus family was rather ruined for me by "Water For Elephants." I friggen hated that book.
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RaisedOnWhiskey
01/27/09

I loved the book and all of its sappiness. I listened to the audible, so that may have helped. It was great storytelling.
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LaComtesse
01/27/09

@BuyMoreMakeup: My blog actually has all my thoughts on the book, but, as you can see, I'm pretty ruthless when it comes to books.

[lacomtesseii.livejournal.com]

Though, to be fair, I also have a section of books that are awesome.
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CherriSpryte
01/26/09

In reply to Under the Big Top: Circus Families Are Creepy, Awesome
There's a song by World / Inferno Friendship Society called "So Long to the Circus". Its now stuck in my head. Thanks, Jezzies!
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penguins268
01/26/09

In reply to Under the Big Top: Circus Families Are Creepy, Awesome
I'm so jealous of people's connections to the circus! I've always been fascinated with circus-life, behind-the-scenes. Excluding Water for Elephants and that one episode of CSI: NY, I haven't seen/read much with it. Any suggestions?
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Bgirl_Hamster
01/26/09

@penguins268: I loved Water for Elephants! I scrolled through all the comments to see if anyone else would mention it! Alas, I was rewarded with your comment-currently the last one on the thread.
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MadamVi
01/26/09

In reply to Under the Big Top: Circus Families Are Creepy, Awesome
Heeeee!
I love le cirque. Truth time: I'm an aerialist. I work on trapeeze, rope (spanish web) and Tissue. It is super rewarding and those are some great great people there. The kind of ...erm...emotions that one goes through during training kind of bond you for life.
Falling, twisting, bruising, smacking of two heads...ect. After a while you have this weird, almost painful bond. You both know the effort it takes, you both understand 'tingly hands', rope burns and what time of the month you just WILL NOT do a front balence (it hurts the uterus pre period)

And while I'm not in a travelling circus, it is what I've been working for. Here's hoping.
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CherriSpryte
01/26/09

@MadamVi: Me and my cubicle job and inflexible body envy the life you've chosen. I wish you all the best. :)
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boxspelunker
01/26/09

@MadamVi: I AM SO JEALOUS. YOU ARE AWESOME.
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MargaretFalcon
01/26/09

In reply to Under the Big Top: Circus Families Are Creepy, Awesome
I have a friend who's father was a clown with Cirque du Soleil. She spent her childhood traveling with the show and took class with the children performers. She also trained with them, which led her to be freakishly flexible by the time I met her in highschool. She went to circus school (yes, there is such thing) in montreal majoring in Aerial hoop and minoring in Contortion. She now tours with a different Cirque du Soleil show. I envy her lifestyle, its glamorous and passionate.
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Lymed
01/26/09

@MargaretFalcon: If you want to feel less envy, she will probably have a lot of physical pain when she retires, and may even have a lot of pain now. It's beautiful to watch, but the human body is not meant to take that kind of stress.
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boxspelunker
01/26/09

@MargaretFalcon: I also am envious. Cirque is so beautiful and amazing. I have always wanted to do something like that, but alas! I am a regular person, not a super-talented performer person :(
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cirocco
01/27/09

@Lymed: To bolster what you said, my friend who is an aerialist says that the hoop is the most painful apparatus there is. Tissu and sling are the kindest. With the hoop or trapeze, she ends up covered in bruises just from the pressure of the bar against her skin--the athleticism required for circus work has left her with little body fat, making matters worse. It's a very painful livelihood.
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Dauphine
01/26/09

In reply to Under the Big Top: Circus Families Are Creepy, Awesome
Hey, great timing given last week's episode of Bones had a circus.

As long as there are no clowns in the circus, I will be fine. Or if the circus is part of a Neil Gaiman work.
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Lymed
01/26/09

@Dauphine: I hate clown hands. Those things are scary and could crush my little hands.
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AnalogTelevision
01/26/09

In reply to Under the Big Top: Circus Families Are Creepy, Awesome
Does anyone remember the show on The Disney Channel when they were doing reality tv about the kids in the circus? It might have been called 'Totally Circus'? I could watch that for hours. It was totally the dream of kids running away to the circus.
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brendastarlet is on it
01/26/09

@AnalogTelevision: there was a Disney movie in the 1960s called Toby Tyler, or 10 Weeks With the Circus. It ran regularly when there was The Wonderful World of Disney.
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WashingMyHair
01/26/09

In reply to Under the Big Top: Circus Families Are Creepy, Awesome
I would never want to be involved with anything related to circuses because of the way their animals are treated.

However, my fathers relatives were apparently famous trapeze and tightrope artists. Sadly, I didn't inherited any of their awesome balancing skills.
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Lazy Line Painter Jane
01/27/09

@WashingMyHair: I think that the animals in the big circuses are very well treated because they're very closely monitored by animal rights groups.
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WashingMyHair
01/27/09

@Lazy Line Painter Jane: That's not true, there is lots of evidence that the even the Barnum has a history of animal mistreatment and abouse.
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schlegs84
01/26/09

In reply to Under the Big Top: Circus Families Are Creepy, Awesome
My great-grandmother was a diving girl around 1910... she quit to go into nursing. I wish she was still around. My dad said she had some killer stories.
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Ipomoea
01/26/09

@schlegs84: I lost count of how many times I've seen Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken. That's so awesome!
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JLady
01/26/09

@Ipomoea:: I was in love with Al when I was a kid (totes still am, really). Oh that movie is so good. Now I want to rent it!
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thesciencegirl wields the truth like a mighty axe.
01/26/09

@Ipomoea:: I LOVE that film. It's been an obsession since childhood. I am going to marry Al; he just doesn't know it yet.
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Jessi Ramsey
01/26/09

In reply to Under the Big Top: Circus Families Are Creepy, Awesome
The one time I went to see Barnum and Bailey, one of the walkers of the tightrope fell off. Scarred me for life.
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BabyJane
01/26/09

@Jessi Ramsey: Yikes! I can imagine that seeing something like that would stay with you.
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sarahxo
01/26/09

@Jessi Ramsey: He lived though, right?

Right?!
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Jessi Ramsey
01/26/09

@sarahxo: Yeah. When he fell the clowns came out to dance and try to distract us but everyone was looking at the fallen tightrope walker. They put him on a stretcher and took him away.
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rednrowdy
01/26/09

In reply to Under the Big Top: Circus Families Are Creepy, Awesome
a friend of a friend went through clown college with ringling brothers. he still gets random acrobat/clown work on cruises, and the money is goooood.
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J.D.Regent
01/26/09

In reply to Under the Big Top: Circus Families Are Creepy, Awesome
Sister Dorothy: what order is supporting you in your carnie ministry?
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sarah.of.a.lesser.god (aka Mrs. BrutallyHonestHobbit)
01/26/09

@J.D.Regent: The Sisters of St. Thomas Thumb.
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Ipomoea
01/26/09

@sarah.of.a.lesser.god (now with more ovumlord!): You owe my college a new monitor!
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misspell
01/26/09

In reply to Under the Big Top: Circus Families Are Creepy, Awesome
My love for the circus begins and ends with Geek Love.
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SouthernSatine
01/27/09

@misspell: That is seriously all I can think of when circus families are mentioned. Wow. Now I want to go re-read it. Just awesome.
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galaxina
01/27/09

@misspell: Me too! What a seriously disturbing and excellent book. I can't recommend it to everyone (not all my friends are as warped as I am), but I knew someone here on Jezebel would mention it before I would!
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misspell
01/27/09

@galaxina: I worked at a little bookstore for several years and I had to really assess someone's character before recommending this one for sure. Luckily I was in San Francisco, so lots of people fit the profile.
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sarah.of.a.lesser.god (aka Mrs. BrutallyHonestHobbit)
01/26/09

In reply to Under the Big Top: Circus Families Are Creepy, Awesome
They tried hiring a circus moyel, but he had to be fired when he got drunk and tried to circumcise the bearded lady.
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