When I was a boy sideshows were becoming a thing of the past because of what might be termed an evolving collective conscientiousness. They were actually made illegal in some locales in spite of protests from the performers themselves who enjoyed the work, made a good living and in fact would simply have no where else to turn for employment- in any case, the public started deeming them distasteful in the 1970s and they rapidly began disappearing.
At our annual carnival called The Wise County Old Settlers Reunion in Decatur Texas the promoters had an exhibit promising some types of freaks in a tent. There were hand painted oddities of all types outside including a fat lady eating an enormous piece of cake, beside the painting was a chair with a sign saying,"Sorry Lucille is on her break". The girl watching the tent was unusually clean and pretty for the carnies-probably the promoters daughter? The exhibit would have had someone trusted regardless, as you payed cash to get in separate from the bracelet or tickets you bought for the rides.
When I went inside instead of two headed people and three breasted women there were some old photographs of medical oddities pinned to bulletin boards and pig and human fetus's in jars (called pickled punks in carnie slang) with signs beside them saying "Possible alien baby recovered near Roswell NM" or "Deformed baby born to drug addict". I must have said something to indicate my disappointment that caused the girl to look over her shoulder at me to see what I was doing so I decided to have some fun with the situation.
Every time I came to a new part of the lame exhibit I'd exclaim something in my best shocked and horrified voice like, "Oh my God!" or "That's horrible, I think I'm going to be sick!" and made gagging sounds, she would turn around looking so puzzled and in fact when I got around to a part where she couldn't see me and there was an old medical textbook picture of a hydro cephalic baby pinned on the wall I said, "That poor baby!" and started making sobbing noises.
She got up then and looking very nervous came back to where I was at. I just smiled at her and walked out the door.
I wonder if she ever thinks of that goofy kid from Decatur Texas?
At our annual carnival called The Wise County Old Settlers Reunion in Decatur Texas the promoters had an exhibit promising some types of freaks in a tent. There were hand painted oddities of all types outside including a fat lady eating an enormous piece of cake, beside the painting was a chair with a sign saying,"Sorry Lucille is on her break". The girl watching the tent was unusually clean and pretty for the carnies-probably the promoters daughter? The exhibit would have had someone trusted regardless, as you payed cash to get in separate from the bracelet or tickets you bought for the rides.
When I went inside instead of two headed people and three breasted women there were some old photographs of medical oddities pinned to bulletin boards and pig and human fetus's in jars (called pickled punks in carnie slang) with signs beside them saying "Possible alien baby recovered near Roswell NM" or "Deformed baby born to drug addict". I must have said something to indicate my disappointment that caused the girl to look over her shoulder at me to see what I was doing so I decided to have some fun with the situation.
Every time I came to a new part of the lame exhibit I'd exclaim something in my best shocked and horrified voice like, "Oh my God!" or "That's horrible, I think I'm going to be sick!" and made gagging sounds, she would turn around looking so puzzled and in fact when I got around to a part where she couldn't see me and there was an old medical textbook picture of a hydro cephalic baby pinned on the wall I said, "That poor baby!" and started making sobbing noises.
She got up then and looking very nervous came back to where I was at. I just smiled at her and walked out the door.
I wonder if she ever thinks of that goofy kid from Decatur Texas?
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