logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2022
48m 40s

Selects: How Freak Shows Worked

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

Not too long ago, people would pay money to gawk and stare at a performer with a physical disformity. They were called freak shows and they began in large part thanks to P.T. Barnum, whose circus we still enjoy today. Sounds awful, but some of these performers became rich folks as a result. Exploitive? You decide, after taking in this classic episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
Short Stuff: Pies
<p>We&rsquo;ve done episodes on cake, cookies and, at long last, pie. Belly up to your pod player and prepare to crave some pie!</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p> 
17m 30s
Nov 25
Rice is Nice
<p>Rice may be the most eaten food on the planet, accounting for 50% of the caloric intake of Asian countries and 25% worldwide. Learn all about this edible cereal crop today.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information. ... Show More
47m 13s
Nov 22
Selects: Rockettes: Still Kicking After All These Years
<p>Tune in to this classic episode to learn all about the legendary NYC Rockettes, who actually got their start in Missouri.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p> 
45m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2022
Introducing: This Job is History
Where the oddest jobs from the past meet a comedian from the present… and it’s awkward! On this weekly show, Chris Parnell (SNL, Rick and Morty) welcomes guests who have held some of human history’s most unexpected and downright bizarre jobs: funeral clowns, garden hermits, VHS c ... Show More
1m 26s
Apr 2023
SYMHC Classics: Crash at Crush
This 2017 episode covers a window from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, people in the United States were watching train wrecks for fun. These staged spectacles would draw thousands and thousands of paying onlookers, but why exactly were they so popular?See omnystudio.com/listen ... Show More
28m 42s
Nov 2022
SYMHC Classics: P.T. Barnum
This 2012 episode from prior hosts Sarah and Deblina covers P.T. Barnum the circus man, museum entrepreneur, and freak show runner. Barnum attracted people to his American Museum through shrewd advertising, and he wasn't afraid of a hoax.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in ... Show More
19m 16s
Sep 2022
Wait, How Do I Know It's Funny? A Rollicking History of Laugh Tracks
<p>We've all heard them. You're watching or hearing a show, a character says something, and -- boom! -- an invisible choir of audience members loses their minds in riotous laughter, awws, or applause. But how did where does this come from? In today's episode, we're learning how t ... Show More
47m 38s
Apr 2022
Body Brokers
<p>Have you ever known someone who donated their body to science? On paper, it's an extraordinarily noble act. Yet in the US, this form of donation is chock-full of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. In this episode, the guys dive headlong into the tragic, often disgusting realit ... Show More
53m 47s
Aug 2011
Female Freaks: Sideshows, Circuses and Stripteases
<p>P.T. Barnum popularized freak shows in the U.S. The most popular freaks were those with disabilities who could perform everyday tasks. Tune in to learn more about the relationship between female freaks, beauty pageant contestants and striptease dancers.</p><p> </p> Learn more ... Show More
22m 50s