The Greatest Show On Earth!

afterthefact · 03.03.2008, 03:46 PM

So we took our daughter to the Ringling Brothers circus last night. Maybe it's just me, but I remember it being awesome when I was a kid.

I was so bored last night, even at the reduced rate of 7 bucks a ticket I was tempted to demand my money back.They started off with their best talent: showing how much they've sold out. The ringmaster starts off "How much does everybody feel like a snack?!?" All the kids cheer, thinking they are getting free candy, not knowing that a circus like this didn't get big by giving out free stuff. Then he says, "Well then try the marshmellow of our official sponsor, Campfire Marshmellows!," then led the entire croud in a huge chant, one side of the stadium yelling "campfire!" and the otherside yelling "marshmellows!" It was sickening.

Then the rest of the show was a huge dissappointment. I like circuses that are somewhat magical, with a sort of eastern-european feeling. I know this one won't have that of course, but the Chuckie Cheese-esque show that followed was so off course of what a circus should be it wasn't funny. With a James Blunt song coming out of nowhere every now and then, and this theme song of something like "anything is possible, if you can imagine it!" I was ready to puke.

And the worst part of all is, they didn't really do anything. They had a tight rope walker, and the did your typical little acrobat stuff. But other than that, and of course seeing them constantly slap poor animals in the face so they will stand on their hind legs, it was nothing but a big party with confetti and glitter everywhere.

"The Greatest Show On Earth?" Not quite. I'll give it "The Greatest Show In Cincinnati On A Sunday Afternoon," and they better accept it, cause even that is being generous.

Rob Instigator · 03.03.2008, 03:53 PM

I have seen the ringling brothers circus 4-5 times

I had funas akid but it always bothered me that they would be doing three different acts in three different rings at the same time,a nd UI could not focus on just one.

I have seen small one ring circuses that were way way more fun, at state fairs and such.

in houston there is a theatre/performance group called Cirque De So gay

for real.

afterthefact · 03.03.2008, 03:58 PM

Haha, that's funny

I saw a small mexican circus that went around once, and it was awesome, because there were no retraints, like bungee cords or nets or anything. If they fell they would die, and while you of course would never want that, it did make for a better show.

floatingslowly · 03.03.2008, 03:58 PM

it's more fun to beat up on the hippies that stand out front passing out anti-elephant-trainer pamphlets (imo).

Rob Instigator · 03.03.2008, 04:01 PM

true. I love the one ring circuses, where the acrobats have no net, where the tightrope walker has no net and they are almost literally over your heads.
I love those

the ringling bros circus is trying to make it be flash and shit, like video games or some such nonsense.

sorry it sucked. hope yr kid had a good time though.

Disgruntled Youth · 03.03.2008, 06:45 PM

They should have come to an end with their fucking Unicorn!!! Fucking bastard surgically applying a horn on a Pony. I say fuck em....

http://www.sideshowworld.com/interviewOZ-9a.jpg

afterthefact · 03.04.2008, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

true. I love the one ring circuses, where the acrobats have no net, where the tightrope walker has no net and they are almost literally over your heads.
I love those

the ringling bros circus is trying to make it be flash and shit, like video games or some such nonsense.

sorry it sucked. hope yr kid had a good time though.

Yeah, she loved it. And the one good thing is that the clowns didn't really look like clowns. They looked like guys in basketball uniforms with glitter all over them. That may be a bad thing from a circus perspective, but for me who has a healthy fear of clowns, I was cool with it.

WHAT IS THE APPEAL?!?!?!?

afterthefact · 03.04.2008, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Disgruntled Youth

They should have come to an end with their fucking Unicorn!!! Fucking bastard surgically applying a horn on a Pony. I say fuck em....

http://www.sideshowworld.com/interviewOZ-9a.jpg

Maybe, or maybe it was real

In all seriousness though, that is pretty screwed up. Couldn't they just glue it on? That would at least be more humane than surgery.

P.S. How do you know they surgically attached it?

Disgruntled Youth · 03.04.2008, 07:20 PM

Saw the video footage...

pbradley · 03.04.2008, 07:47 PM

The closest thing I've been to a circus was Medeival Times in Anaheim, and that's just badass dudes in armor fighting each other while you dine on roast chicken while hot serving wenches (yes, you can call them that with no complaint) bring you goblets of soda. They also have a cash bar during the show.

Place was even more badass when they had the wizard dude do pyro tricks at the begining but I think they stopped that.

03.03.2008, 03:46 PM	#1
afterthefact invito al cielo Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 3,886	So we took our daughter to the Ringling Brothers circus last night. Maybe it's just me, but I remember it being awesome when I was a kid. I was so bored last night, even at the reduced rate of 7 bucks a ticket I was tempted to demand my money back.They started off with their best talent: showing how much they've sold out. The ringmaster starts off "How much does everybody feel like a snack?!?" All the kids cheer, thinking they are getting free candy, not knowing that a circus like this didn't get big by giving out free stuff. Then he says, "Well then try the marshmellow of our official sponsor, Campfire Marshmellows!," then led the entire croud in a huge chant, one side of the stadium yelling "campfire!" and the otherside yelling "marshmellows!" It was sickening. Then the rest of the show was a huge dissappointment. I like circuses that are somewhat magical, with a sort of eastern-european feeling. I know this one won't have that of course, but the Chuckie Cheese-esque show that followed was so off course of what a circus should be it wasn't funny. With a James Blunt song coming out of nowhere every now and then, and this theme song of something like "anything is possible, if you can imagine it!" I was ready to puke. And the worst part of all is, they didn't really do anything. They had a tight rope walker, and the did your typical little acrobat stuff. But other than that, and of course seeing them constantly slap poor animals in the face so they will stand on their hind legs, it was nothing but a big party with confetti and glitter everywhere. "The Greatest Show On Earth?" Not quite. I'll give it "The Greatest Show In Cincinnati On A Sunday Afternoon," and they better accept it, cause even that is being generous.
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03.03.2008, 03:53 PM	#2
Rob Instigator invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: In the land of the Instigator Posts: 27,930	I have seen the ringling brothers circus 4-5 times I had funas akid but it always bothered me that they would be doing three different acts in three different rings at the same time,a nd UI could not focus on just one. I have seen small one ring circuses that were way way more fun, at state fairs and such. in houston there is a theatre/performance group called Cirque De So gay for real. __________________ RXTT's Intellectual Journey - my new blog where I talk about all the books I read.
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03.03.2008, 03:58 PM	#3
afterthefact invito al cielo Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 3,886	Haha, that's funny I saw a small mexican circus that went around once, and it was awesome, because there were no retraints, like bungee cords or nets or anything. If they fell they would die, and while you of course would never want that, it did make for a better show.
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03.03.2008, 03:58 PM	#4
floatingslowly invito al cielo Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 21,165	it's more fun to beat up on the hippies that stand out front passing out anti-elephant-trainer pamphlets (imo).
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03.03.2008, 04:01 PM	#5
Rob Instigator invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: In the land of the Instigator Posts: 27,930	true. I love the one ring circuses, where the acrobats have no net, where the tightrope walker has no net and they are almost literally over your heads. I love those the ringling bros circus is trying to make it be flash and shit, like video games or some such nonsense. sorry it sucked. hope yr kid had a good time though. __________________ RXTT's Intellectual Journey - my new blog where I talk about all the books I read.
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03.03.2008, 06:45 PM	#6
Disgruntled Youth the end of the ugly Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: I'm sitting right beside you Posts: 839	They should have come to an end with their fucking Unicorn!!! Fucking bastard surgically applying a horn on a Pony. I say fuck em.... http://www.sideshowworld.com/interviewOZ-9a.jpg __________________ Duppy know a who fi Frighten "Drink Guinness & live, Hate Guinness & die" Lee "Scratch" Perry
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03.04.2008, 07:20 PM	#9
Disgruntled Youth the end of the ugly Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: I'm sitting right beside you Posts: 839	Saw the video footage... __________________ Duppy know a who fi Frighten "Drink Guinness & live, Hate Guinness & die" Lee "Scratch" Perry
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03.04.2008, 07:47 PM	#10
pbradley invito al cielo Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: SoKo Posts: 10,621	The closest thing I've been to a circus was Medeival Times in Anaheim, and that's just badass dudes in armor fighting each other while you dine on roast chicken while hot serving wenches (yes, you can call them that with no complaint) bring you goblets of soda. They also have a cash bar during the show. Place was even more badass when they had the wizard dude do pyro tricks at the begining but I think they stopped that.
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