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Summary

The article "Five Bad Things About the End of the Circus" laments the closure of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and its broader cultural impact.

Abstract

The closure of the iconic Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus has led to several unforeseen consequences. With its 146-year history, the circus's end means unemployment for performers, including clowns in Florida, and the loss of a traditional escape for disaffected youths who can no longer dream of joining the circus. The idiom "circus" as a metaphor for chaotic joy may lose its relevance, and audiences will miss spectacles like tigers leaping through flames. The author also humorously mourns the diminished chances of dating exotic performers, such as trapeze artists or human cannonballs, reflecting on the loss of unique life experiences that the circus represented.

Opinions

  • The author suggests that the closure of the circus could lead to negative outcomes, such as an increase in homeless, underemployed clowns in Florida.
  • There is a concern that without the circus as an option, troubled teens might turn to less savory alternatives like carnivals, which are seen as more dangerous and less wholesome than the circus.
  • The author believes that common language will be affected, as the metaphorical use of "circus" to describe chaos will become less understood.
  • A sense of nostalgia and loss is expressed over the disappearance of unique circus acts, such as tiger performances, which may not be seen again.
  • The author humorously bemoans the loss of romantic possibilities with circus performers, indicating a personal attachment to the exotic and adventurous lifestyle the circus symbolized.

Five Bad Things About the End of the Circus

That dude is now out of work and living in an abandoned mall near you.

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey folded up its tent.

Here are some of the unforeseen consequences of the circus being shuttered.

  1. Somewhere in Florida there are a bunch of out-of-work clowns. Wait, let me try that again; “somewhere in Florida there are a bunch of out-of-work clowns that are not ‘Juggalos’.” Clowns can’t go home. Clowns, in case you didn’t know, aren’t born. They just show up after falling off a turnip truck. Homeless, underemployed clowns… in Florida. It can’t turn out well.
  2. You can’t run away and join the circus anymore. What is a disaffected teen to do without the psychological relief valve of contemplate joining the circus? What option will they have? The answer is a bad one: The carnival. Without the circus, kids will have to run away and join a carnival. What’s the difference between a carnival and the circus? A lot. If you screw up in the circus, you end up permanently disfigured because your arm was mauled by a tiger. If you screw up in the carnival, you end up with meth habit, a manslaughter conviction, and 5–10 years in a federal penitentiary.
  3. Using the term “circus” as a synonym for happy bedlam will stop making sense. Someone will ask you, “how was the Cub Scout meeting?” and you will say, “What a circus!” and they will look at you like you have two heads. I’m not sure where we turn. Maybe you say, “what a trampoline park!”, or “what a dog run!” Any suggestions would be helpful.
  4. You’re never going to get to see a tiger jump through a circle of flame again. I’m not sure why you would want to see that, but I’ve seen it. If you haven’t yet, you never will. I have also seen an elephant balance on a giant ball and a bear do a hand-stand on a bongo board while balancing on a platform held up by a stick. The bear was in the Moscow circus, and you might be able to still see that because in a country where you can still beat your wife, I think you can still terrorize a bear into balancing on a bongo board.
  5. My chances of dating a trapeze artist, a sword swallower, or a human cannonball just went through the floor. As you get older you realize that there are a lot of things that you thought you would do in life that you will never do. I’m never going to live in Africa. I’m not going to learn how to speak Mandarin. I’m never going to own a cow, or make my own eclairs, or learn to knit, or clean my sock drawer, or send my brother a birthday card… etc., etc…. you get the idea. But some dreams die harder than others, and, to be honest, the dream was not just to date a trapeze artist OR a sword swallower OR a human cannonball, but to date all three at the same time, and then fill the landing pool with pudding, put on the sparkly outfit, release the bear… and… maybe I should stop.
Dreck
Circus
Humor
Funny
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