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The Saltex Brujo
Jun 21, 2012, 12:31:09 PM6/21/12
to
10 Human Freaks of Nature
Kermit the Frog sang that “It ain’t easy being
green.†How about, “It ain’t easy being a
conjoined-twin forced into a humiliating form of
circus-slavery,†or “It ain’t easy having no
limbs.†Being green is the least of these people’s
worries (in fact, it might be nice to be culturally-beloved for a
change). At the turn of the last century, entertainment was a different
species than it is today, having no T.V. nor radio nor action movies;
you had to witness a living miracle in order to be fully entertained,
and circuses provided that very thing. Showcasing hoards of deformed and
mutant varieties of humans â€" that freak-collectors like P.T.
Barnum rounded up and whipped into shape â€" the world marveled at
what it so often sought to sweep under its own carpet. Circus sideshows
might have been a cruel form of psychological abuse for any of the
so-called “freaks†placed under contract (or a kind of
indentured slavery), but some of these individuals also went on to
profit greatly off what no one else would hire. So as you ask yourself,
“Was being a circus freak actually a bad thing?†â€"
given the duality of the situation â€" step right up and ogle at
these 10 freaks of nature:
10The Hilton SistersViolet and Daisy Hilton
Not Paris and Nicky â€" although they are a different sort of freak
â€" these sisters were twins. Conjoined, to be exact. They shared a
common blood and nervous system, which means they truly felt all the
same pain. They were sold as slaves by their impecunious mother to a
midwife, who greedily took advantage of their misfortune; while they
sang, danced, played instruments in circus sideshows, their veritable
slave-owner kept all their earnings and forbade them from socializing.
Eventually a lawyer helped them escape their proverbial shackles and
even reacquire the money they were swindled out of. They went on to do
movies (including 1932’s Freaks) and earned as much as $5000 at
the height of their showbiz careers.
9The Wild Men of Borneo
These “wild men†were actually a twin pair of
mentally-retarded midgets, for which there’d be no hope of
employment if not for those ever-gawking circus-goers providing
seemingly limitless opportunity (at least back in 1852). They were
bought from their mother at the age of 26 by a man named Lyman Warner,
and were taught their routine by P.T. Barnum, an act which included
acrobatics, dancing, speaking in “their native languageâ€
(actually gibberish), and reciting poems in English. Enslaved in the
Warner family for three generations, they kept on performing for almost
fifty years â€" steady occupation, to say the least.
8The Puppet-WomanLucia Zarate
Born as more of a “finger puppet,†at a weight of 8
ounces and a height of 7 inches, Zarate weighed less than a cat as an
adult. She is the smallest recorded human being on Earth, a fact that
had no trouble drawing a big crowd at the circus. When she came to
America â€" she was born in Mexico in 1864 â€" at the age of 12,
she was the highest paid dwarf at the time (at $20/hour). Sadly, she
died at the age of 26 when her train got stopped in the Rocky Mountains
during a snowstorm.
7The Texas GiantJack Earle
Earle had a condition called acromegalic gigantism, the clinical term
for what a circus â€" such as the Ringling Brothers or Barnum and
Bailey â€" would label simply “a giant.†He traveled
with both of the aforementioned for 14 years, longer than his original
one-year contract. He also appeared in movies, like Jack and the
Beanstalk (guess who he played). While it’s not easy for a
“freak†to find normal work, Earle did just that,
showing what he was capable of beyond the exploitation of his
appearance: he was a salesmen for a wine company, eventually becoming
their PR rep, as well as a sculptor, painter, and poet (published in a
1950 book called “Long Shadows†).
6“Le Bossuâ€
Quasimodo is not fictional. Not entirely anyway. Appearing in Victor
Hugo’s ultimate tale about being a victim of pure disposition,
the eponymous Hunchback of Notre Dame may have been inspired by an
actual hunchback who lived in Notre Dame. A British researcher found a
memoir excerpt that told of a “humpbacked stone carverâ€
that worked in a cathedral Hugo was very much involved with. Speculation
is that he must have come across this rather antisocial individual,
given the workers level of involvement on government-commissioned
projects. Nicknamed “Le Bossu,†it’s not hard to
see how this individual could have led to some fanciful speculations in
Hugo’s fertile mind, as this was also about the time he was
penning the novel (c.1831).
5The Mule-Faced WomanGrace McDaniels
Not a pleasant thing to be nicknamed, this women was born with a facial
deformity that rendered her simply unpleasant to look at (what some
might call ugly… or mule-faced). She was actually billed as
“the ugliest woman in the world†as if that were an
achievement worth aspiring to. In spite of her physical appearance, she
was actually a nice person, and was married with child (who
didn’t inherit the deformity, but became a problem drinker and
criminal â€" which is to say, more of a social outcast than her).
4Jo-Jo, the Dog-Faced BoyFedor Jeftichew
This dog-boy actually had a canine-like father as well. The dad, Adrian,
was a bitter drunk, and ran from his village and into the woods one day,
living in the feral manner a stray dog might. He himself faced mockery
and ample shunning, and performed in sideshows to make money (billed as
the son of a bear and a peasant woman). After he conceived a child,
equally as hairy, they toured together until Adrian ended up dying a
drunken death. The boy, however, went on to continue performing
faithfully â€" under P.T. Barnum’s top hat â€" just as a
trained dog might, barking and growling on command. In actuality, he
wasn’t a dog-child, obviously, he had a condition called
hypertrichosis; and more than just barking, he could speak English,
Russian, and German (making him essentially quadrilingual).
3Julia Pastrana
This indigenous Mexican woman’s memory is literally preserved,
as she â€" following her death in 1860 â€" was stuffed and put
on display the very way she had been while alive. Also born with
hypertrichosis, her features were more characteristic of a gorilla than
a dog; her nose and ears were especially large, her face was covered
with hair, and she had a double pair of teeth which pronounced her mouth
as such. She had a husband named Theodor Lent â€" who had originally
purchased her and taught her to be a performer â€" and eventually a
child of the same affliction, who died after three days. She died five
days after that (complications from birth), and her exploitative husband
had both her and the baby mummified and placed in a glass cabinet. Lent
went on to marry another woman with a similar condition, and was later
admitted to a mental hospital.
2SchlitzieSimon Metz
“Pinheads†were an especially big draw in the circus
sideshows, and Schlitzie was one of them. Having a condition called
microcephalus, his cranium was incredibly underdeveloped and sat like a
baby’s head on the shoulders of a grown man. Schlitzie, as far
as his brain was concerned anyway, was three. Nonetheless, he sang and
danced, could count to 10, and starred in the movie Freaks at the
physical age of 40. Also, if you’ve ever read the comic strip
Zippy the Pinhead in the Sunday funnies, you can see where the
inspiration comes from.
1The Human CaterpillarPrince Randian
No, not a Human Centipede; this was a real person, although no less
startling while dressed in that sleeveless sock outfit. Just a head and
a torso, this P.T. Barnum attraction was capable enough as a
quadriplegic that he could light a cigarette with just his mouth â€"
not to mention the fact that he had a wife and kids (none of which
shared his affliction). He shows up in the movie Freaks, and performs
the aforementioned cigarette “trick†â€" although
its hardly a trick when you have no other limbs to rely on.
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Rob / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:48 am
Naming them freaks is a little insensitive..
Reply
The Very Hungry Caterpillar / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:58 am
I agree, I think oddities might have been better phrasing.
Reply
Mon / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:16 am
I think the author used the word ‘freaks’, not to lalign
these people, but to actually stress the plight they’ve been
through. This is a depressing post to end my day in the office.
Reply
Mon / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:16 am
I think the author used the word ‘freaks’, not to malign
these people, but to actually stress the plight they’ve been
through. This is a depressing post to end my day in the office.
Reply
Mon / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:17 am
I corrected the word while the comment was saving. LOL
Reply
Will Trame / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:49 am
Frank Lentini…†King of the Freaks†….had
a third leg growing out of the base of his spine. Other mentions go out
to Edward Mordrake and Pascal Pinon.
Reply
Missy / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:57 am
Pascal’ s head was a wax fake. He did have a benign cyst on his
head, but his manager paid for that to be removed. Did a good job on the
fake face, though.
Reply
Will Trame / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:04 am
Good call out. You never know with some of these. There’s hardly
any photos of Mordrake (I’ve seen one of Pascal). Tom Waits even
wrote a song about Edward…only he poisoned himself; he
didn’t hang himself from the balcony irons as Waits noted.
Reply
Missy / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:53 am
Very interesting list of very special people. Thanx Ryan Thomas,
fabulous list. For more reading, Leroi’s
“Mutants†is a terrific book and very well written.
Reply
MollykManning / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:55 am
Congratulations!
Reply
bomboozle / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:04 am
wow.. not to sound shallow but people actually married these people?
couldn’t imagine waking up next to mule lady.. gross
Reply
Dutchisgood / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:07 am
I have seen the movie ‘freaks’ many times, it is so
beautiful! The people from the movie who made the biggest shock are not
named in this list. They are Johnny Eck, the man missing half his body
or ‘half boy’. And Minnie Woolsey who was blind,
mentally handicaped, bald, teethless and had a Victor-Seckel syndrome
wich which caused her to have a very short stature, a small head, a
narrow birdlike face with a beak-like nose, large eyes with an
antimongoloid slant, a receding jaw and large ears. She was also called
‘Koo Koo the bird lady’
Reply
cqsteve / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:15 am
This list is like the car crash victim you know you shouldn’t be
staring at, but you just can’t help it. It appeals to the voyeur
in most of us.
Reply
bluesman87 / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:15 am
awesome
Reply
Pauly / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:22 am
Why no one from The Jim Rose Circus? I saw it a decade ago, and it
definitely qualifies.
Reply
1gav / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:36 am
I’m just wondering how you got a hold of my
mother-in-law’s family album….
Reply
Justin / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:49 am
A good list.
I can’t help but feel a mixture of pity and admiration for these
people.
Reply
Neo San Jose / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:02 am
Good list.
Reply
Ni66a / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:13 am
Best list I have ever read.
Reply
Mr F / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:23 am
Interesting list, thanks very much.
Reply
J-Mac / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:33 am
It would still suck to be green though.
Reply
The Incredible Hulk / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:41 am
“Hulk disagreesâ€
Reply
S / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:38 am
First list by Ryan Thomas I actually enjoyed reading, things are looking
up. Good stuff.
Reply
nils / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:50 am
Wonderfull List, Almost like the old days of listverse
Reply
Dave / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:22 am
You People trying to say “freaks†is not a way of
describing these people? Also, other than opinion, the people were
advertised as freak shows, i assume they were aware of this anyway.
Reply
Crabman / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:22 am
‘mentally retarded midgeys’
Not very Pc is it?
Reply
James / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:32 am
No, it’s not. But then who needs everything to P.C all day
everyday? A little crassness is refreshing.
Reply
omg lemonade / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:22 am
what i dont understand is how on earth did some of these find partners
and have kids? normal people have enough trouble as it is, how did
number 1 even have kids? it doesnt look like he has much in order to
reproduce with…
Reply
andy logan / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:41 am
I can certainly understand the allure of circus freak shows. Missing
from this list: the Kentucky Blue Man!
Reply
Lee / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:59 am
V. Suprised that there is no mention of Joesph(John) Merrick â€"
“the elephant man†. Still, other than that an
interesting if uncomfortable list.
Reply
Chuck E Cheese / 21 Jun, 2012 at 05:23 am
Great list, I’d never heard of some of these. But I cant believe
you didnt include the original Siamese Twins, Chang & Eng.
Reply
ni99a / 21 Jun, 2012 at 05:55 am
This is an interesting list but the way it was written was really
insulting.
Its not like they wanted to be born that way.
Your comments are really insensitive, Ryan.
As an inbred myself, i can safely say i know to a certain extent how
they feel.
Being shunned and socially outcast just because you look weird is not
cool.
What happened to “I have a dream that my four little children
will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color
of their skin but by the CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER†?
Although it may be quoted out of context, I think it still relevant.
Out of respect for these people I will not troll in this list.
Reply
NI99ATROLLA / 21 Jun, 2012 at 07:09 am
Give Ryan a break Dude, he didn’t know that one of your parents
was a monkey…
Reply
suggs / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:03 am
LUV IT LUV IT LUV!!!
need more lists lke this. they are fascinating.
and im allowed to say that due to numerous deformaties of my own.
Reply
EternalChimes / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:10 am
Google “Octopus Man†. He’s a notable mention.
I feel really sorry for him and all the other freaks out there. I find
some of them funny and amazing, such as #3 and #1; but I’m
disgusted with others, like the “mule-faced woman†.
Interesting.
Reply
vulnerablebrena / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:23 am
You feel sorry for them, yet use the word “freak†to
discribe them in the same sentence? You feel sorry for them, yet you
think they are funny and disgusting?
Reply
Vincent / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:11 am
For those curious, as I was, Jack Earle was
7′â€"7.5″ at the time of his death.
Reply
zagging / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:40 am
When I saw the author, I was anticipating to do a 10-second scan and
then to move on with my morning.
WRONG.
Nice job Ryan!
Reply
Sbtier / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:58 am
Good list, I have a large board of human oddities on pinterest. A few
notes: Grace McDaniel never married. Elmer’s father was a circus
worker who raped Grace. The Hilton sisters spent the last 8 years of
their lives working at a grocery store in the town where their manager
abandoned them penniless. After not reporting to work, it was discovered
they had died of influenza; one twin lived an estimated two days after
the other had died. It was alluded to but not specified that Lucia died
of hypothermia when the train got stuck.
Reply
Sbtier / 21 Jun, 2012 at 07:07 am
And I also wanted to note that Julia Pastrama’s body is still
unburied, kept at the University of Oslo. Her body is not on display any
more but is purportedly stored in a coffin. From time to time there are
petitions and protests to give her a proper burial.
Reply
Nick / 21 Jun, 2012 at 07:17 am
That guy in #5 is gorgeous! The lady…… inner beauty.
Reply
JC / 21 Jun, 2012 at 07:37 am
I WANT JOJO! I WANT JOJO!
…see Blood for reference…
Reply
blackpuppylover / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:13 am
There was already a list on this site called “Top 10 Sideshow
Freaks†that is much better than this one.
Reply
vulnerablebrena / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:17 am
Ryan, you always manage to find really interesting topics to write
about. But they never live up to how good they could potentially
be…. Here are just a few more tips…
10. Poking fun at Paris and Nicky Hilton really does take away from this
entry. Also, when speaking about how much they eventually made,
it’d be a good idea to show how much $5,000 was back then. When
you say they “made as much as $5,000,†it
doesn’t seem like much to some readers compared to
today’s standards.
9. In my opinion, “mentally retarded midgets†seems a
bit harsh. I think mentally disabled sound more sensitive to their
plight. Also, you end with saying they performed for over 50 years,
which sounds impressive for anyone, mentally disabled or not. But ending
that impressive statement with “steady occupation, to say the
least†seemed a bit unnecessary and insensitive.
8. This was someone I had never heard about, and was surprised and
intrigued. But I was a bit confused by the ending… if you
planned on telling us about her death, wouldn’t it be better to
give at least a little more detail? Saying she died “when her
train got stopped in the Rocky Mountains during a snow stormâ€
leaves unanswered questions. Did she freeze to death? Or did the train
derail due to the storm? More information would have helped this entry.
5. Again, it’s insensitive to use words such as “mule
faced.†Not making comments such as these would greatly improve
this article.
I don’t know if you realize it, but a lot of the time your
writing comes off as if you were telling a story to your buddy, rather
than a fact-based list/article. Not to be rude, but it would make your
writing better if you take these comments and opinions out. The great
topic ideas are already there. For the most part, the information is
correct. But you put unrelated things, or personal comments that take
away from what you are writing. It seems a bit
“bloggishâ€
Reply
Screecher / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:20 am
“…She is the smallest recorded human being on
Earth†as opposed to the smallest recorded human being on
another planet?
Reply
BryanJ / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:22 am
Nice list. Pretty crazy stuff. I think Lucia Zarate should have been
higher. Her story is amazing. Jack Earle could have been dropped because
he was huge, but at 7 feet 7 inches, isn’t the largest human in
history.
Reply
Black Ninja Cat / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:56 am
Loved this list! Ryan, you’re bringing the old listverse back!
Reply
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POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IS DA DEVIL!
DON'T TAZE MY GRANNY!
BEWARE OF OL' JEEZL PETE.
2012: YEAR OF THE ROBBY.
Kermit the Frog sang that “It ain’t easy being
green.†How about, “It ain’t easy being a
conjoined-twin forced into a humiliating form of
circus-slavery,†or “It ain’t easy having no
limbs.†Being green is the least of these people’s
worries (in fact, it might be nice to be culturally-beloved for a
change). At the turn of the last century, entertainment was a different
species than it is today, having no T.V. nor radio nor action movies;
you had to witness a living miracle in order to be fully entertained,
and circuses provided that very thing. Showcasing hoards of deformed and
mutant varieties of humans â€" that freak-collectors like P.T.
Barnum rounded up and whipped into shape â€" the world marveled at
what it so often sought to sweep under its own carpet. Circus sideshows
might have been a cruel form of psychological abuse for any of the
so-called “freaks†placed under contract (or a kind of
indentured slavery), but some of these individuals also went on to
profit greatly off what no one else would hire. So as you ask yourself,
“Was being a circus freak actually a bad thing?†â€"
given the duality of the situation â€" step right up and ogle at
these 10 freaks of nature:
10The Hilton SistersViolet and Daisy Hilton
Not Paris and Nicky â€" although they are a different sort of freak
â€" these sisters were twins. Conjoined, to be exact. They shared a
common blood and nervous system, which means they truly felt all the
same pain. They were sold as slaves by their impecunious mother to a
midwife, who greedily took advantage of their misfortune; while they
sang, danced, played instruments in circus sideshows, their veritable
slave-owner kept all their earnings and forbade them from socializing.
Eventually a lawyer helped them escape their proverbial shackles and
even reacquire the money they were swindled out of. They went on to do
movies (including 1932’s Freaks) and earned as much as $5000 at
the height of their showbiz careers.
9The Wild Men of Borneo
These “wild men†were actually a twin pair of
mentally-retarded midgets, for which there’d be no hope of
employment if not for those ever-gawking circus-goers providing
seemingly limitless opportunity (at least back in 1852). They were
bought from their mother at the age of 26 by a man named Lyman Warner,
and were taught their routine by P.T. Barnum, an act which included
acrobatics, dancing, speaking in “their native languageâ€
(actually gibberish), and reciting poems in English. Enslaved in the
Warner family for three generations, they kept on performing for almost
fifty years â€" steady occupation, to say the least.
8The Puppet-WomanLucia Zarate
Born as more of a “finger puppet,†at a weight of 8
ounces and a height of 7 inches, Zarate weighed less than a cat as an
adult. She is the smallest recorded human being on Earth, a fact that
had no trouble drawing a big crowd at the circus. When she came to
America â€" she was born in Mexico in 1864 â€" at the age of 12,
she was the highest paid dwarf at the time (at $20/hour). Sadly, she
died at the age of 26 when her train got stopped in the Rocky Mountains
during a snowstorm.
7The Texas GiantJack Earle
Earle had a condition called acromegalic gigantism, the clinical term
for what a circus â€" such as the Ringling Brothers or Barnum and
Bailey â€" would label simply “a giant.†He traveled
with both of the aforementioned for 14 years, longer than his original
one-year contract. He also appeared in movies, like Jack and the
Beanstalk (guess who he played). While it’s not easy for a
“freak†to find normal work, Earle did just that,
showing what he was capable of beyond the exploitation of his
appearance: he was a salesmen for a wine company, eventually becoming
their PR rep, as well as a sculptor, painter, and poet (published in a
1950 book called “Long Shadows†).
6“Le Bossuâ€
Quasimodo is not fictional. Not entirely anyway. Appearing in Victor
Hugo’s ultimate tale about being a victim of pure disposition,
the eponymous Hunchback of Notre Dame may have been inspired by an
actual hunchback who lived in Notre Dame. A British researcher found a
memoir excerpt that told of a “humpbacked stone carverâ€
that worked in a cathedral Hugo was very much involved with. Speculation
is that he must have come across this rather antisocial individual,
given the workers level of involvement on government-commissioned
projects. Nicknamed “Le Bossu,†it’s not hard to
see how this individual could have led to some fanciful speculations in
Hugo’s fertile mind, as this was also about the time he was
penning the novel (c.1831).
5The Mule-Faced WomanGrace McDaniels
Not a pleasant thing to be nicknamed, this women was born with a facial
deformity that rendered her simply unpleasant to look at (what some
might call ugly… or mule-faced). She was actually billed as
“the ugliest woman in the world†as if that were an
achievement worth aspiring to. In spite of her physical appearance, she
was actually a nice person, and was married with child (who
didn’t inherit the deformity, but became a problem drinker and
criminal â€" which is to say, more of a social outcast than her).
4Jo-Jo, the Dog-Faced BoyFedor Jeftichew
This dog-boy actually had a canine-like father as well. The dad, Adrian,
was a bitter drunk, and ran from his village and into the woods one day,
living in the feral manner a stray dog might. He himself faced mockery
and ample shunning, and performed in sideshows to make money (billed as
the son of a bear and a peasant woman). After he conceived a child,
equally as hairy, they toured together until Adrian ended up dying a
drunken death. The boy, however, went on to continue performing
faithfully â€" under P.T. Barnum’s top hat â€" just as a
trained dog might, barking and growling on command. In actuality, he
wasn’t a dog-child, obviously, he had a condition called
hypertrichosis; and more than just barking, he could speak English,
Russian, and German (making him essentially quadrilingual).
3Julia Pastrana
This indigenous Mexican woman’s memory is literally preserved,
as she â€" following her death in 1860 â€" was stuffed and put
on display the very way she had been while alive. Also born with
hypertrichosis, her features were more characteristic of a gorilla than
a dog; her nose and ears were especially large, her face was covered
with hair, and she had a double pair of teeth which pronounced her mouth
as such. She had a husband named Theodor Lent â€" who had originally
purchased her and taught her to be a performer â€" and eventually a
child of the same affliction, who died after three days. She died five
days after that (complications from birth), and her exploitative husband
had both her and the baby mummified and placed in a glass cabinet. Lent
went on to marry another woman with a similar condition, and was later
admitted to a mental hospital.
2SchlitzieSimon Metz
“Pinheads†were an especially big draw in the circus
sideshows, and Schlitzie was one of them. Having a condition called
microcephalus, his cranium was incredibly underdeveloped and sat like a
baby’s head on the shoulders of a grown man. Schlitzie, as far
as his brain was concerned anyway, was three. Nonetheless, he sang and
danced, could count to 10, and starred in the movie Freaks at the
physical age of 40. Also, if you’ve ever read the comic strip
Zippy the Pinhead in the Sunday funnies, you can see where the
inspiration comes from.
1The Human CaterpillarPrince Randian
No, not a Human Centipede; this was a real person, although no less
startling while dressed in that sleeveless sock outfit. Just a head and
a torso, this P.T. Barnum attraction was capable enough as a
quadriplegic that he could light a cigarette with just his mouth â€"
not to mention the fact that he had a wife and kids (none of which
shared his affliction). He shows up in the movie Freaks, and performs
the aforementioned cigarette “trick†â€" although
its hardly a trick when you have no other limbs to rely on.
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Rob / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:48 am
Naming them freaks is a little insensitive..
Reply
The Very Hungry Caterpillar / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:58 am
I agree, I think oddities might have been better phrasing.
Reply
Mon / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:16 am
I think the author used the word ‘freaks’, not to lalign
these people, but to actually stress the plight they’ve been
through. This is a depressing post to end my day in the office.
Reply
Mon / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:16 am
I think the author used the word ‘freaks’, not to malign
these people, but to actually stress the plight they’ve been
through. This is a depressing post to end my day in the office.
Reply
Mon / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:17 am
I corrected the word while the comment was saving. LOL
Reply
Will Trame / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:49 am
Frank Lentini…†King of the Freaks†….had
a third leg growing out of the base of his spine. Other mentions go out
to Edward Mordrake and Pascal Pinon.
Reply
Missy / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:57 am
Pascal’ s head was a wax fake. He did have a benign cyst on his
head, but his manager paid for that to be removed. Did a good job on the
fake face, though.
Reply
Will Trame / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:04 am
Good call out. You never know with some of these. There’s hardly
any photos of Mordrake (I’ve seen one of Pascal). Tom Waits even
wrote a song about Edward…only he poisoned himself; he
didn’t hang himself from the balcony irons as Waits noted.
Reply
Missy / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:53 am
Very interesting list of very special people. Thanx Ryan Thomas,
fabulous list. For more reading, Leroi’s
“Mutants†is a terrific book and very well written.
Reply
MollykManning / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:55 am
Congratulations!
Reply
bomboozle / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:04 am
wow.. not to sound shallow but people actually married these people?
couldn’t imagine waking up next to mule lady.. gross
Reply
Dutchisgood / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:07 am
I have seen the movie ‘freaks’ many times, it is so
beautiful! The people from the movie who made the biggest shock are not
named in this list. They are Johnny Eck, the man missing half his body
or ‘half boy’. And Minnie Woolsey who was blind,
mentally handicaped, bald, teethless and had a Victor-Seckel syndrome
wich which caused her to have a very short stature, a small head, a
narrow birdlike face with a beak-like nose, large eyes with an
antimongoloid slant, a receding jaw and large ears. She was also called
‘Koo Koo the bird lady’
Reply
cqsteve / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:15 am
This list is like the car crash victim you know you shouldn’t be
staring at, but you just can’t help it. It appeals to the voyeur
in most of us.
Reply
bluesman87 / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:15 am
awesome
Reply
Pauly / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:22 am
Why no one from The Jim Rose Circus? I saw it a decade ago, and it
definitely qualifies.
Reply
1gav / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:36 am
I’m just wondering how you got a hold of my
mother-in-law’s family album….
Reply
Justin / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:49 am
A good list.
I can’t help but feel a mixture of pity and admiration for these
people.
Reply
Neo San Jose / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:02 am
Good list.
Reply
Ni66a / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:13 am
Best list I have ever read.
Reply
Mr F / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:23 am
Interesting list, thanks very much.
Reply
J-Mac / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:33 am
It would still suck to be green though.
Reply
The Incredible Hulk / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:41 am
“Hulk disagreesâ€
Reply
S / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:38 am
First list by Ryan Thomas I actually enjoyed reading, things are looking
up. Good stuff.
Reply
nils / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:50 am
Wonderfull List, Almost like the old days of listverse
Reply
Dave / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:22 am
You People trying to say “freaks†is not a way of
describing these people? Also, other than opinion, the people were
advertised as freak shows, i assume they were aware of this anyway.
Reply
Crabman / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:22 am
‘mentally retarded midgeys’
Not very Pc is it?
Reply
James / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:32 am
No, it’s not. But then who needs everything to P.C all day
everyday? A little crassness is refreshing.
Reply
omg lemonade / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:22 am
what i dont understand is how on earth did some of these find partners
and have kids? normal people have enough trouble as it is, how did
number 1 even have kids? it doesnt look like he has much in order to
reproduce with…
Reply
andy logan / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:41 am
I can certainly understand the allure of circus freak shows. Missing
from this list: the Kentucky Blue Man!
Reply
Lee / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:59 am
V. Suprised that there is no mention of Joesph(John) Merrick â€"
“the elephant man†. Still, other than that an
interesting if uncomfortable list.
Reply
Chuck E Cheese / 21 Jun, 2012 at 05:23 am
Great list, I’d never heard of some of these. But I cant believe
you didnt include the original Siamese Twins, Chang & Eng.
Reply
ni99a / 21 Jun, 2012 at 05:55 am
This is an interesting list but the way it was written was really
insulting.
Its not like they wanted to be born that way.
Your comments are really insensitive, Ryan.
As an inbred myself, i can safely say i know to a certain extent how
they feel.
Being shunned and socially outcast just because you look weird is not
cool.
What happened to “I have a dream that my four little children
will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color
of their skin but by the CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER†?
Although it may be quoted out of context, I think it still relevant.
Out of respect for these people I will not troll in this list.
Reply
NI99ATROLLA / 21 Jun, 2012 at 07:09 am
Give Ryan a break Dude, he didn’t know that one of your parents
was a monkey…
Reply
suggs / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:03 am
LUV IT LUV IT LUV!!!
need more lists lke this. they are fascinating.
and im allowed to say that due to numerous deformaties of my own.
Reply
EternalChimes / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:10 am
Google “Octopus Man†. He’s a notable mention.
I feel really sorry for him and all the other freaks out there. I find
some of them funny and amazing, such as #3 and #1; but I’m
disgusted with others, like the “mule-faced woman†.
Interesting.
Reply
vulnerablebrena / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:23 am
You feel sorry for them, yet use the word “freak†to
discribe them in the same sentence? You feel sorry for them, yet you
think they are funny and disgusting?
Reply
Vincent / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:11 am
For those curious, as I was, Jack Earle was
7′â€"7.5″ at the time of his death.
Reply
zagging / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:40 am
When I saw the author, I was anticipating to do a 10-second scan and
then to move on with my morning.
WRONG.
Nice job Ryan!
Reply
Sbtier / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:58 am
Good list, I have a large board of human oddities on pinterest. A few
notes: Grace McDaniel never married. Elmer’s father was a circus
worker who raped Grace. The Hilton sisters spent the last 8 years of
their lives working at a grocery store in the town where their manager
abandoned them penniless. After not reporting to work, it was discovered
they had died of influenza; one twin lived an estimated two days after
the other had died. It was alluded to but not specified that Lucia died
of hypothermia when the train got stuck.
Reply
Sbtier / 21 Jun, 2012 at 07:07 am
And I also wanted to note that Julia Pastrama’s body is still
unburied, kept at the University of Oslo. Her body is not on display any
more but is purportedly stored in a coffin. From time to time there are
petitions and protests to give her a proper burial.
Reply
Nick / 21 Jun, 2012 at 07:17 am
That guy in #5 is gorgeous! The lady…… inner beauty.
Reply
JC / 21 Jun, 2012 at 07:37 am
I WANT JOJO! I WANT JOJO!
…see Blood for reference…
Reply
blackpuppylover / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:13 am
There was already a list on this site called “Top 10 Sideshow
Freaks†that is much better than this one.
Reply
vulnerablebrena / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:17 am
Ryan, you always manage to find really interesting topics to write
about. But they never live up to how good they could potentially
be…. Here are just a few more tips…
10. Poking fun at Paris and Nicky Hilton really does take away from this
entry. Also, when speaking about how much they eventually made,
it’d be a good idea to show how much $5,000 was back then. When
you say they “made as much as $5,000,†it
doesn’t seem like much to some readers compared to
today’s standards.
9. In my opinion, “mentally retarded midgets†seems a
bit harsh. I think mentally disabled sound more sensitive to their
plight. Also, you end with saying they performed for over 50 years,
which sounds impressive for anyone, mentally disabled or not. But ending
that impressive statement with “steady occupation, to say the
least†seemed a bit unnecessary and insensitive.
8. This was someone I had never heard about, and was surprised and
intrigued. But I was a bit confused by the ending… if you
planned on telling us about her death, wouldn’t it be better to
give at least a little more detail? Saying she died “when her
train got stopped in the Rocky Mountains during a snow stormâ€
leaves unanswered questions. Did she freeze to death? Or did the train
derail due to the storm? More information would have helped this entry.
5. Again, it’s insensitive to use words such as “mule
faced.†Not making comments such as these would greatly improve
this article.
I don’t know if you realize it, but a lot of the time your
writing comes off as if you were telling a story to your buddy, rather
than a fact-based list/article. Not to be rude, but it would make your
writing better if you take these comments and opinions out. The great
topic ideas are already there. For the most part, the information is
correct. But you put unrelated things, or personal comments that take
away from what you are writing. It seems a bit
“bloggishâ€
Reply
Screecher / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:20 am
“…She is the smallest recorded human being on
Earth†as opposed to the smallest recorded human being on
another planet?
Reply
BryanJ / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:22 am
Nice list. Pretty crazy stuff. I think Lucia Zarate should have been
higher. Her story is amazing. Jack Earle could have been dropped because
he was huge, but at 7 feet 7 inches, isn’t the largest human in
history.
Reply
Black Ninja Cat / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:56 am
Loved this list! Ryan, you’re bringing the old listverse back!
Reply
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Jun 21, 2012, 12:47:31 PM6/21/12
to
The Saltex Brujo wrote:
> 10 Human Freaks of Nature
>
> Kermit the Frog sang that â?oIt ainâ?Tt easy being
> 10 Human Freaks of Nature
>
> green.â?ť How about, â?oIt ainâ?Tt easy being a
> conjoined-twin forced into a humiliating form of
> circus-slavery,â?ť or â?oIt ainâ?Tt easy having no
> limbs.â?ť Being green is the least of these peopleâ?Ts
> worries (in fact, it might be nice to be culturally-beloved for a
> change). At the turn of the last century, entertainment was a
> different species than it is today, having no T.V. nor radio nor
> action movies; you had to witness a living miracle in order to be
> fully entertained, and circuses provided that very thing. Showcasing
> hoards of deformed and mutant varieties of humans â?" that
> change). At the turn of the last century, entertainment was a
> different species than it is today, having no T.V. nor radio nor
> action movies; you had to witness a living miracle in order to be
> fully entertained, and circuses provided that very thing. Showcasing
> freak-collectors like P.T.
> Barnum rounded up and whipped into shape â?" the world marveled at
> what it so often sought to sweep under its own carpet. Circus
> sideshows might have been a cruel form of psychological abuse for any
> of the so-called â?ofreaksâ?ť placed under contract (or a kind of
> sideshows might have been a cruel form of psychological abuse for any
> indentured slavery), but some of these individuals also went on to
> profit greatly off what no one else would hire. So as you ask
> yourself, â?oWas being a circus freak actually a bad thing?â?ť â?"
> profit greatly off what no one else would hire. So as you ask
> given the duality of the situation â?" step right up and ogle at
> these 10 freaks of nature:
> 10The Hilton SistersViolet and Daisy Hilton
> Not Paris and Nicky â?" although they are a different sort of freak
> 10The Hilton SistersViolet and Daisy Hilton
> â?" these sisters were twins. Conjoined, to be exact. They shared a
> common blood and nervous system, which means they truly felt all the
> same pain. They were sold as slaves by their impecunious mother to a
> midwife, who greedily took advantage of their misfortune; while they
> sang, danced, played instruments in circus sideshows, their veritable
> slave-owner kept all their earnings and forbade them from socializing.
> Eventually a lawyer helped them escape their proverbial shackles and
> even reacquire the money they were swindled out of. They went on to do
> movies (including 1932â?Ts Freaks) and earned as much as $5000 at
> same pain. They were sold as slaves by their impecunious mother to a
> midwife, who greedily took advantage of their misfortune; while they
> sang, danced, played instruments in circus sideshows, their veritable
> slave-owner kept all their earnings and forbade them from socializing.
> Eventually a lawyer helped them escape their proverbial shackles and
> even reacquire the money they were swindled out of. They went on to do
> the height of their showbiz careers.
> 9The Wild Men of Borneo
> These â?owild menâ?ť were actually a twin pair of
> 9The Wild Men of Borneo
> mentally-retarded midgets, for which thereâ?Td be no hope of
> employment if not for those ever-gawking circus-goers providing
> seemingly limitless opportunity (at least back in 1852). They were
> bought from their mother at the age of 26 by a man named Lyman Warner,
> and were taught their routine by P.T. Barnum, an act which included
> acrobatics, dancing, speaking in â?otheir native languageâ?ť
> seemingly limitless opportunity (at least back in 1852). They were
> bought from their mother at the age of 26 by a man named Lyman Warner,
> and were taught their routine by P.T. Barnum, an act which included
> (actually gibberish), and reciting poems in English. Enslaved in the
> Warner family for three generations, they kept on performing for
> almost fifty years â?" steady occupation, to say the least.
> Warner family for three generations, they kept on performing for
> 8The Puppet-WomanLucia Zarate
> Born as more of a â?ofinger puppet,â?ť at a weight of 8
> ounces and a height of 7 inches, Zarate weighed less than a cat as an
> adult. She is the smallest recorded human being on Earth, a fact that
> had no trouble drawing a big crowd at the circus. When she came to
> America â?" she was born in Mexico in 1864 â?" at the age of 12,
> adult. She is the smallest recorded human being on Earth, a fact that
> had no trouble drawing a big crowd at the circus. When she came to
> she was the highest paid dwarf at the time (at $20/hour). Sadly, she
> died at the age of 26 when her train got stopped in the Rocky
> Mountains during a snowstorm.
> 7The Texas GiantJack Earle
> Earle had a condition called acromegalic gigantism, the clinical term
> for what a circus â?" such as the Ringling Brothers or Barnum and
> died at the age of 26 when her train got stopped in the Rocky
> Mountains during a snowstorm.
> 7The Texas GiantJack Earle
> Earle had a condition called acromegalic gigantism, the clinical term
> Bailey â?" would label simply â?oa giant.â?ť He traveled
> with both of the aforementioned for 14 years, longer than his original
> one-year contract. He also appeared in movies, like Jack and the
> Beanstalk (guess who he played). While itâ?Ts not easy for a
> one-year contract. He also appeared in movies, like Jack and the
> â?ofreakâ?ť to find normal work, Earle did just that,
> showing what he was capable of beyond the exploitation of his
> appearance: he was a salesmen for a wine company, eventually becoming
> their PR rep, as well as a sculptor, painter, and poet (published in a
> 1950 book called â?oLong Shadowsâ?ť).
> appearance: he was a salesmen for a wine company, eventually becoming
> their PR rep, as well as a sculptor, painter, and poet (published in a
> 6â?oLe Bossuâ?ť
> Quasimodo is not fictional. Not entirely anyway. Appearing in Victor
> Hugoâ?Ts ultimate tale about being a victim of pure disposition,
> the eponymous Hunchback of Notre Dame may have been inspired by an
> actual hunchback who lived in Notre Dame. A British researcher found a
> memoir excerpt that told of a â?ohumpbacked stone carverâ?ť
> actual hunchback who lived in Notre Dame. A British researcher found a
> that worked in a cathedral Hugo was very much involved with.
> Speculation is that he must have come across this rather antisocial
> individual, given the workers level of involvement on
> government-commissioned projects. Nicknamed â?oLe Bossu,â?ť itâ?Ts
> Speculation is that he must have come across this rather antisocial
> individual, given the workers level of involvement on
> not hard to
> see how this individual could have led to some fanciful speculations
> in Hugoâ?Ts fertile mind, as this was also about the time he was
> see how this individual could have led to some fanciful speculations
> penning the novel (c.1831).
> 5The Mule-Faced WomanGrace McDaniels
> Not a pleasant thing to be nicknamed, this women was born with a
> facial deformity that rendered her simply unpleasant to look at (what
> some might call uglyâ?¦ or mule-faced). She was actually billed as
> 5The Mule-Faced WomanGrace McDaniels
> Not a pleasant thing to be nicknamed, this women was born with a
> facial deformity that rendered her simply unpleasant to look at (what
> â?othe ugliest woman in the worldâ?ť as if that were an
> achievement worth aspiring to. In spite of her physical appearance,
> she was actually a nice person, and was married with child (who
> didnâ?Tt inherit the deformity, but became a problem drinker and
> she was actually a nice person, and was married with child (who
> criminal â?" which is to say, more of a social outcast than her).
> 4Jo-Jo, the Dog-Faced BoyFedor Jeftichew
> This dog-boy actually had a canine-like father as well. The dad,
> Adrian, was a bitter drunk, and ran from his village and into the
> woods one day, living in the feral manner a stray dog might. He
> himself faced mockery and ample shunning, and performed in sideshows
> to make money (billed as the son of a bear and a peasant woman).
> After he conceived a child, equally as hairy, they toured together
> until Adrian ended up dying a drunken death. The boy, however, went
> on to continue performing faithfully â?" under P.T. Barnumâ?Ts top
> This dog-boy actually had a canine-like father as well. The dad,
> Adrian, was a bitter drunk, and ran from his village and into the
> woods one day, living in the feral manner a stray dog might. He
> himself faced mockery and ample shunning, and performed in sideshows
> to make money (billed as the son of a bear and a peasant woman).
> After he conceived a child, equally as hairy, they toured together
> until Adrian ended up dying a drunken death. The boy, however, went
> hat â?" just as a
> trained dog might, barking and growling on command. In actuality, he
> wasnâ?Tt a dog-child, obviously, he had a condition called
> hypertrichosis; and more than just barking, he could speak English,
> Russian, and German (making him essentially quadrilingual).
> 3Julia Pastrana
> This indigenous Mexican womanâ?Ts memory is literally preserved,
> Russian, and German (making him essentially quadrilingual).
> 3Julia Pastrana
> as she â?" following her death in 1860 â?" was stuffed and put
> on display the very way she had been while alive. Also born with
> hypertrichosis, her features were more characteristic of a gorilla
> than a dog; her nose and ears were especially large, her face was
> covered with hair, and she had a double pair of teeth which
> pronounced her mouth as such. She had a husband named Theodor Lent
> â?" who had originally purchased her and taught her to be a performer
> hypertrichosis, her features were more characteristic of a gorilla
> than a dog; her nose and ears were especially large, her face was
> covered with hair, and she had a double pair of teeth which
> pronounced her mouth as such. She had a husband named Theodor Lent
> â?" and eventually a child of the same affliction, who died after
> three days. She died five days after that (complications from birth),
> and her exploitative husband had both her and the baby mummified and
> placed in a glass cabinet. Lent went on to marry another woman with a
> similar condition, and was later admitted to a mental hospital.
> 2SchlitzieSimon Metz
> â?oPinheadsâ?ť were an especially big draw in the circus
> and her exploitative husband had both her and the baby mummified and
> placed in a glass cabinet. Lent went on to marry another woman with a
> similar condition, and was later admitted to a mental hospital.
> 2SchlitzieSimon Metz
> sideshows, and Schlitzie was one of them. Having a condition called
> microcephalus, his cranium was incredibly underdeveloped and sat like
> a babyâ?Ts head on the shoulders of a grown man. Schlitzie, as far
> microcephalus, his cranium was incredibly underdeveloped and sat like
> as his brain was concerned anyway, was three. Nonetheless, he sang and
> danced, could count to 10, and starred in the movie Freaks at the
> physical age of 40. Also, if youâ?Tve ever read the comic strip
> danced, could count to 10, and starred in the movie Freaks at the
> Zippy the Pinhead in the Sunday funnies, you can see where the
> inspiration comes from.
> 1The Human CaterpillarPrince Randian
> No, not a Human Centipede; this was a real person, although no less
> startling while dressed in that sleeveless sock outfit. Just a head
> and a torso, this P.T. Barnum attraction was capable enough as a
> quadriplegic that he could light a cigarette with just his mouth â?"
> inspiration comes from.
> 1The Human CaterpillarPrince Randian
> No, not a Human Centipede; this was a real person, although no less
> startling while dressed in that sleeveless sock outfit. Just a head
> and a torso, this P.T. Barnum attraction was capable enough as a
> not to mention the fact that he had a wife and kids (none of which
> shared his affliction). He shows up in the movie Freaks, and performs
> the aforementioned cigarette â?otrickâ?ť â?" although
> shared his affliction). He shows up in the movie Freaks, and performs
> its hardly a trick when you have no other limbs to rely on.
> Like this list? Share it with friends, or :
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>
> Rob / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:48 am
> Naming them freaks is a little insensitive..
> Reply
> The Very Hungry Caterpillar / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:58 am
> I agree, I think oddities might have been better phrasing.
> Reply
> Mon / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:16 am
> I think the author used the word â?~freaksâ?T, not to lalign
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> Rob / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:48 am
> Naming them freaks is a little insensitive..
> Reply
> The Very Hungry Caterpillar / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:58 am
> I agree, I think oddities might have been better phrasing.
> Reply
> Mon / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:16 am
> these people, but to actually stress the plight theyâ?Tve been
> through. This is a depressing post to end my day in the office.
> Reply
> Mon / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:16 am
> I think the author used the word â?~freaksâ?T, not to malign
> Reply
> Mon / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:16 am
> these people, but to actually stress the plight theyâ?Tve been
> through. This is a depressing post to end my day in the office.
> Reply
> Mon / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:17 am
> I corrected the word while the comment was saving. LOL
> Reply
> Will Trame / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:49 am
> Frank Lentini��King of the Freaks��.had
> Reply
> Mon / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:17 am
> I corrected the word while the comment was saving. LOL
> Reply
> Will Trame / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:49 am
> a third leg growing out of the base of his spine. Other mentions go
> out to Edward Mordrake and Pascal Pinon.
> Reply
> Missy / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:57 am
> Pascalâ?T s head was a wax fake. He did have a benign cyst on his
> out to Edward Mordrake and Pascal Pinon.
> Reply
> Missy / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:57 am
> head, but his manager paid for that to be removed. Did a good job on
> the fake face, though.
> Reply
> Will Trame / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:04 am
> Good call out. You never know with some of these. Thereâ?Ts hardly
> the fake face, though.
> Reply
> Will Trame / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:04 am
> any photos of Mordrake (Iâ?Tve seen one of Pascal). Tom Waits even
> wrote a song about Edwardâ?¦only he poisoned himself; he
> didnâ?Tt hang himself from the balcony irons as Waits noted.
> Reply
> Missy / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:53 am
> Very interesting list of very special people. Thanx Ryan Thomas,
> fabulous list. For more reading, Leroiâ?Ts
> Missy / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:53 am
> Very interesting list of very special people. Thanx Ryan Thomas,
> â?oMutantsâ?ť is a terrific book and very well written.
> Reply
> MollykManning / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:55 am
> Congratulations!
> Reply
> bomboozle / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:04 am
> wow.. not to sound shallow but people actually married these people?
> couldnâ?Tt imagine waking up next to mule lady.. gross
> MollykManning / 21 Jun, 2012 at 01:55 am
> Congratulations!
> Reply
> bomboozle / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:04 am
> wow.. not to sound shallow but people actually married these people?
> Reply
> Dutchisgood / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:07 am
> I have seen the movie â?~freaksâ?T many times, it is so
> Dutchisgood / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:07 am
> beautiful! The people from the movie who made the biggest shock are
> not named in this list. They are Johnny Eck, the man missing half his
> body or â?~half boyâ?T. And Minnie Woolsey who was blind,
> not named in this list. They are Johnny Eck, the man missing half his
> mentally handicaped, bald, teethless and had a Victor-Seckel syndrome
> wich which caused her to have a very short stature, a small head, a
> narrow birdlike face with a beak-like nose, large eyes with an
> antimongoloid slant, a receding jaw and large ears. She was also
> called â?~Koo Koo the bird ladyâ?T
> wich which caused her to have a very short stature, a small head, a
> narrow birdlike face with a beak-like nose, large eyes with an
> antimongoloid slant, a receding jaw and large ears. She was also
> Reply
> cqsteve / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:15 am
> This list is like the car crash victim you know you shouldnâ?Tt be
> cqsteve / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:15 am
> staring at, but you just canâ?Tt help it. It appeals to the voyeur
> in most of us.
> Reply
> bluesman87 / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:15 am
> awesome
> Reply
> Pauly / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:22 am
> Why no one from The Jim Rose Circus? I saw it a decade ago, and it
> definitely qualifies.
> Reply
> 1gav / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:36 am
> Iâ?Tm just wondering how you got a hold of my
> Reply
> bluesman87 / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:15 am
> awesome
> Reply
> Pauly / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:22 am
> Why no one from The Jim Rose Circus? I saw it a decade ago, and it
> definitely qualifies.
> Reply
> 1gav / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:36 am
> mother-in-lawâ?Ts family albumâ?¦.
> Reply
> Justin / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:49 am
> A good list.
> I canâ?Tt help but feel a mixture of pity and admiration for these
> Justin / 21 Jun, 2012 at 02:49 am
> A good list.
> people.
> Reply
> Neo San Jose / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:02 am
> Good list.
> Reply
> Ni66a / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:13 am
> Best list I have ever read.
> Reply
> Mr F / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:23 am
> Interesting list, thanks very much.
> Reply
> J-Mac / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:33 am
> It would still suck to be green though.
> Reply
> The Incredible Hulk / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:41 am
> â?oHulk disagreesâ?ť
> Reply
> Neo San Jose / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:02 am
> Good list.
> Reply
> Ni66a / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:13 am
> Best list I have ever read.
> Reply
> Mr F / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:23 am
> Interesting list, thanks very much.
> Reply
> J-Mac / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:33 am
> It would still suck to be green though.
> Reply
> The Incredible Hulk / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:41 am
> Reply
> S / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:38 am
> First list by Ryan Thomas I actually enjoyed reading, things are
> looking up. Good stuff.
> Reply
> nils / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:50 am
> Wonderfull List, Almost like the old days of listverse
> Reply
> Dave / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:22 am
> You People trying to say â?ofreaksâ?ť is not a way of
> S / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:38 am
> First list by Ryan Thomas I actually enjoyed reading, things are
> looking up. Good stuff.
> Reply
> nils / 21 Jun, 2012 at 03:50 am
> Wonderfull List, Almost like the old days of listverse
> Reply
> Dave / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:22 am
> describing these people? Also, other than opinion, the people were
> advertised as freak shows, i assume they were aware of this anyway.
> Reply
> Crabman / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:22 am
> â?~mentally retarded midgeysâ?T
> advertised as freak shows, i assume they were aware of this anyway.
> Reply
> Crabman / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:22 am
> Not very Pc is it?
> Reply
> James / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:32 am
> No, itâ?Ts not. But then who needs everything to P.C all day
> Reply
> James / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:32 am
> everyday? A little crassness is refreshing.
> Reply
> omg lemonade / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:22 am
> what i dont understand is how on earth did some of these find partners
> and have kids? normal people have enough trouble as it is, how did
> number 1 even have kids? it doesnt look like he has much in order to
> reproduce withâ?¦
> Reply
> omg lemonade / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:22 am
> what i dont understand is how on earth did some of these find partners
> and have kids? normal people have enough trouble as it is, how did
> number 1 even have kids? it doesnt look like he has much in order to
> Reply
> andy logan / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:41 am
> I can certainly understand the allure of circus freak shows. Missing
> from this list: the Kentucky Blue Man!
> Reply
> Lee / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:59 am
> V. Suprised that there is no mention of Joesph(John) Merrick â?"
> andy logan / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:41 am
> I can certainly understand the allure of circus freak shows. Missing
> from this list: the Kentucky Blue Man!
> Reply
> Lee / 21 Jun, 2012 at 04:59 am
> â?othe elephant manâ?ť. Still, other than that an
> interesting if uncomfortable list.
> Reply
> Chuck E Cheese / 21 Jun, 2012 at 05:23 am
> Great list, Iâ?Td never heard of some of these. But I cant believe
> Reply
> Chuck E Cheese / 21 Jun, 2012 at 05:23 am
> you didnt include the original Siamese Twins, Chang & Eng.
> Reply
> ni99a / 21 Jun, 2012 at 05:55 am
> This is an interesting list but the way it was written was really
> insulting.
> Its not like they wanted to be born that way.
> Your comments are really insensitive, Ryan.
> As an inbred myself, i can safely say i know to a certain extent how
> they feel.
> Being shunned and socially outcast just because you look weird is not
> cool.
> What happened to â?oI have a dream that my four little children
> Reply
> ni99a / 21 Jun, 2012 at 05:55 am
> This is an interesting list but the way it was written was really
> insulting.
> Its not like they wanted to be born that way.
> Your comments are really insensitive, Ryan.
> As an inbred myself, i can safely say i know to a certain extent how
> they feel.
> Being shunned and socially outcast just because you look weird is not
> cool.
> will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the
> color of their skin but by the CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTERâ?ť?
> Although it may be quoted out of context, I think it still relevant.
> Out of respect for these people I will not troll in this list.
> Reply
> NI99ATROLLA / 21 Jun, 2012 at 07:09 am
> Give Ryan a break Dude, he didnâ?Tt know that one of your parents
> Out of respect for these people I will not troll in this list.
> Reply
> NI99ATROLLA / 21 Jun, 2012 at 07:09 am
> was a monkeyâ?¦
> Reply
> suggs / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:03 am
> LUV IT LUV IT LUV!!!
> need more lists lke this. they are fascinating.
> and im allowed to say that due to numerous deformaties of my own.
> Reply
> EternalChimes / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:10 am
> Google â?oOctopus Manâ?ť. Heâ?Ts a notable mention.
> suggs / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:03 am
> LUV IT LUV IT LUV!!!
> need more lists lke this. they are fascinating.
> and im allowed to say that due to numerous deformaties of my own.
> Reply
> EternalChimes / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:10 am
> I feel really sorry for him and all the other freaks out there. I find
> some of them funny and amazing, such as #3 and #1; but Iâ?Tm
> disgusted with others, like the â?omule-faced womanâ?ť.
> Interesting.
> Reply
> vulnerablebrena / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:23 am
> You feel sorry for them, yet use the word â?ofreakâ?ť to
> Reply
> vulnerablebrena / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:23 am
> discribe them in the same sentence? You feel sorry for them, yet you
> think they are funny and disgusting?
> Reply
> Vincent / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:11 am
> For those curious, as I was, Jack Earle was
> 7â?˛â?"7.5â?ł at the time of his death.
> think they are funny and disgusting?
> Reply
> Vincent / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:11 am
> For those curious, as I was, Jack Earle was
> Reply
> zagging / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:40 am
> When I saw the author, I was anticipating to do a 10-second scan and
> then to move on with my morning.
> WRONG.
> Nice job Ryan!
> Reply
> Sbtier / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:58 am
> Good list, I have a large board of human oddities on pinterest. A few
> notes: Grace McDaniel never married. Elmerâ?Ts father was a circus
> zagging / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:40 am
> When I saw the author, I was anticipating to do a 10-second scan and
> then to move on with my morning.
> WRONG.
> Nice job Ryan!
> Reply
> Sbtier / 21 Jun, 2012 at 06:58 am
> Good list, I have a large board of human oddities on pinterest. A few
> worker who raped Grace. The Hilton sisters spent the last 8 years of
> their lives working at a grocery store in the town where their manager
> abandoned them penniless. After not reporting to work, it was
> discovered they had died of influenza; one twin lived an estimated
> two days after the other had died. It was alluded to but not
> specified that Lucia died of hypothermia when the train got stuck.
> Reply
> Sbtier / 21 Jun, 2012 at 07:07 am
> And I also wanted to note that Julia Pastramaâ?Ts body is still
> their lives working at a grocery store in the town where their manager
> abandoned them penniless. After not reporting to work, it was
> discovered they had died of influenza; one twin lived an estimated
> two days after the other had died. It was alluded to but not
> specified that Lucia died of hypothermia when the train got stuck.
> Reply
> Sbtier / 21 Jun, 2012 at 07:07 am
> unburied, kept at the University of Oslo. Her body is not on display
> any more but is purportedly stored in a coffin. From time to time
> there are petitions and protests to give her a proper burial.
> Reply
> Nick / 21 Jun, 2012 at 07:17 am
> That guy in #5 is gorgeous! The lady�� inner beauty.
> any more but is purportedly stored in a coffin. From time to time
> there are petitions and protests to give her a proper burial.
> Reply
> Nick / 21 Jun, 2012 at 07:17 am
> Reply
> JC / 21 Jun, 2012 at 07:37 am
> I WANT JOJO! I WANT JOJO!
> â?¦see Blood for referenceâ?¦
> JC / 21 Jun, 2012 at 07:37 am
> I WANT JOJO! I WANT JOJO!
> Reply
> blackpuppylover / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:13 am
> There was already a list on this site called â?oTop 10 Sideshow
> blackpuppylover / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:13 am
> Freaksâ?ť that is much better than this one.
> Reply
> vulnerablebrena / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:17 am
> Ryan, you always manage to find really interesting topics to write
> about. But they never live up to how good they could potentially
> beâ?¦. Here are just a few more tipsâ?¦
> vulnerablebrena / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:17 am
> Ryan, you always manage to find really interesting topics to write
> about. But they never live up to how good they could potentially
> 10. Poking fun at Paris and Nicky Hilton really does take away from
> this entry. Also, when speaking about how much they eventually made,
> itâ?Td be a good idea to show how much $5,000 was back then. When
> this entry. Also, when speaking about how much they eventually made,
> you say they â?omade as much as $5,000,â?ť it
> doesnâ?Tt seem like much to some readers compared to
> todayâ?Ts standards.
> 9. In my opinion, â?omentally retarded midgetsâ?ť seems a
> bit harsh. I think mentally disabled sound more sensitive to their
> plight. Also, you end with saying they performed for over 50 years,
> which sounds impressive for anyone, mentally disabled or not. But
> ending that impressive statement with â?osteady occupation, to say the
> plight. Also, you end with saying they performed for over 50 years,
> which sounds impressive for anyone, mentally disabled or not. But
> leastâ?ť seemed a bit unnecessary and insensitive.
> 8. This was someone I had never heard about, and was surprised and
> intrigued. But I was a bit confused by the endingâ?¦ if you
> planned on telling us about her death, wouldnâ?Tt it be better to
> give at least a little more detail? Saying she died â?owhen her
> train got stopped in the Rocky Mountains during a snow stormâ?ť
> leaves unanswered questions. Did she freeze to death? Or did the train
> derail due to the storm? More information would have helped this
> entry.
> 5. Again, itâ?Ts insensitive to use words such as â?omule
> derail due to the storm? More information would have helped this
> entry.
> faced.â?ť Not making comments such as these would greatly improve
> this article.
> I donâ?Tt know if you realize it, but a lot of the time your
> writing comes off as if you were telling a story to your buddy, rather
> than a fact-based list/article. Not to be rude, but it would make your
> writing better if you take these comments and opinions out. The great
> topic ideas are already there. For the most part, the information is
> correct. But you put unrelated things, or personal comments that take
> away from what you are writing. It seems a bit
> â?obloggishâ?ť
> than a fact-based list/article. Not to be rude, but it would make your
> writing better if you take these comments and opinions out. The great
> topic ideas are already there. For the most part, the information is
> correct. But you put unrelated things, or personal comments that take
> away from what you are writing. It seems a bit
> Reply
> Screecher / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:20 am
> â?oâ?¦She is the smallest recorded human being on
> Screecher / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:20 am
> Earthâ?ť as opposed to the smallest recorded human being on
> another planet?
> Reply
> BryanJ / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:22 am
> Nice list. Pretty crazy stuff. I think Lucia Zarate should have been
> higher. Her story is amazing. Jack Earle could have been dropped
> because he was huge, but at 7 feet 7 inches, isnâ?Tt the largest
> Reply
> BryanJ / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:22 am
> Nice list. Pretty crazy stuff. I think Lucia Zarate should have been
> higher. Her story is amazing. Jack Earle could have been dropped
> human in history.
> Reply
> Black Ninja Cat / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:56 am
> Loved this list! Ryan, youâ?Tre bringing the old listverse back!
> Reply
> Black Ninja Cat / 21 Jun, 2012 at 08:56 am
> Reply
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