manbehindthecurtain

If I’m going to do a few circus-themed posts, I don’t think I could get away without writing about the most popular and well-recognised circus trope of all: the creepy carnival! (Actually, can someone actually explain to me the difference between a carnival and a circus?)

The idea for an evil circus first appeared in Ray Bradbury’s novel Something Wicked This Way Comes. I think, anyway. But even if it’s been around longer, it really was Mister Dark’s creepy carny that kick-started this whole trend, capturing the twisted imaginations of many. I couldn’t count the number of homages there are to it out there. Sadly, I confess that I have not read the book…yet. But believe me, I will. Anything with a circus/carnival theme cannot fail to pique my interest. Also on my list of books to look out for is Nights at the Circus, by Angela Carter. (Not the be confused with Erin Morgestern’s The Night Circus.) I think I may be getting side-tracked a little bit…

However, the thing I am curious about is where did this all come from? Why is it that the circus and evil just go together so perfectly? Well, first of all, there’s the sideshow “freaks”. Not so long ago, society felt there was little wrong with gawking and laughing at those who were disfigured in some way, or who just didn’t fit their standards of beauty. (I’m sure that there are probably many out there who find bearded ladies attractive.) Even while they were mocking them, tho’, these people felt uneasy about them. Just because they looked different, they were considered unnatural, despite being just as human as anyone else. And what if they ever decided to get revenge? Secondly, there’s the clowns. Clowns are scary. (I know. When I was younger, I was culraphobic. Funnily enough, the things that used to terrify me are now things I actually like and enjoy. ) Finally, the circus is just the perfect combination of the outcasts and the elegant, which is also one of the reasons I love it so much. These are the ones mundanes reject, because the normal always fears what it considers to be abnormal, and yet they manage to retain such panache and style. Oh, we’ll perform our fancy tricks for you, travelling around and staying on the sidelines of life…but be warned, if you get too close, we might not be so pleasant.