THE CIRCUS: A SHAMEFUL LOSS
BECOMING of entertainment. We can also thank a changing entertainment model that prefers made-up, digitized stuff to real stuff. And these wonderfully visual, sensory stimulating circus acts were replaced by what? Movies and TV with computer generated creatures and plac- es, computer games, hand-held devices “connecting” us to people in far off plac- es. It’s all fake. And our culture seems to love it. We love to be entertained by fake stuff. We don’t even like to shop in stores anymore, preferring to sit in front of a screen watching beautifully photographed merchandise, and press buttons to purchase. We don’t want to see, feel, hear or smell real things any more. We love our fake so much that we are even beginning to prefer fake news. Just 5 years ago that would have been an inconceivable oxymoron, and today it is a commonly heard phrase. Dogs are real. And for right now, the public loves their dogs—as long as they smell like cologne, wear cute outfits and necklaces, sport stylish pink and purple colored fur, fit in handbags, don’t bark too much and go potty outside on com- mand. It is really a shame that stinkless waste has not yet been designed, though I have seen some clever entrepreneurs who have come up with certain herbal concoctions to make dog waste smell, well, different. And of course there are the ever-popular electronic robot dogs that require neither food nor exercise time, available in an assortment of “breeds” and faux fur types. Also easily disposed of when the owner gets bored with them. I am getting sick just writing about this. I have spoken before about my childhood growing up with college farms across the street. I loved being outdoors, and I loved watching the
T he news is out. Circuses in this country will be pretty much non-existent after May 2017. Declining ticket sales, competition in the entertainment market, and the loss of elephant acts because of animal rights extremism are all contributing factors. Finding talent to perform, however, was not a contrib- uting factor in their demise. Unfortu- nately there will soon be a lot of very talented people with specialized skills who will be out of work. This develop- ment does not bode well for the future of our sport. Whoever thought that the Greatest Show On Earth would one day go bank- rupt? Certainly not me as I watched the circus every year as a kid. The perform- ers, the animals, the costumes, the cot- ton candy, the wonderful Kewpie dolls on strings are written into my memory banks with indelible ink. I went almost every year. Sometimes we even got brave enough to go back stage after the performance to get a close-up glimpse of the animals and their trainers. It was like heaven. Milwaukee even hosted an annual Great Circus Parade when it came to town and people stood 10 deep to watch the horse-drawn car- riages full of exotic animals and circus performers. The Ringling Brothers Cir- cus started in Baraboo, Wisconsin in 1884, and Wisconsinites have always been proud of that bit of our heritage. It was an event like no other—not to be missed. I recall bringing my children to see the Great Circus Parade, so this was only about 30 years ago. Half a life- time. And now it’s gone. We can thank a tidal wave of animal rights ideals for sweeping all contact with wild animals away from our circuses and other forms
farmers and agriculture students feed, clean and work with their animals. I loved the smell of the barns, and never thought about getting dirty. It didn’t bother me when the manure was spread on the fields or the barns were cleaned out after a long South Dakota winter. These memories make my heart sing. We watched people grounded in reality working in harmony with their environ- ment, and tried as much as otherwise urban children could, to be a part of that magic. Even television had not yet become an addiction in my childhood. Nature and animals were our enter- tainment. We were not protected from the wonders of birth—or death. Our parents thought that the more we wit- nessed, the less intimidating life would be. I watched puppies and kittens being born, and I watched my wonder- ful neighbor die of cancer. My parents weren’t wrong. We witnessed first-hand the process of growing animals for food, and learned to love and respect those who made a living caring for our future dinners. We knew where milk and ham- burger came from, and we were taught to be grateful for the work done by farm laborers. My dad insisted that each of us have our own small garden plot, but he never told us what to plant or how to care for the plants. We could ask for his advice, but he didn’t offer his expertise without a request. I remember the first time I tried to grow corn and had only two sickly plants with four tiny ears, while his corn patch fed our 6-person family for an entire summer. After that I grew flowers in my patch. I know where we have come from as a culture, but I don’t much like the trajectory I see in our future. Chil- dren today are entirely screen addict- ed. Their entertainment is all about
92 • S how S ight M agazine , A pril 2017
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