A New Type of Freak

I originally conceived this discussion in response to another post on freaks. However, I realized my response was reaching the length of a post, and decided to expand on it here instead.

Both articles assigned on freaks primarily discussed freaks in a physical sense; people born with abnormalities, people who suffered disfiguring accidents, and even people who faked their "talent". Bogdan focuses on freak shows, an American institution that springs to mind immediately when someone mentions freaks. Garland-Thompson focused on the transformation of freaks from something to be gaped at in awe to a medical problem that deserved pity. She ends her article by saying that freak shows have grown completely out of style in modern society, relegated to the lowest, most base form of entertainment. While I'd never even considered if freak shows were still around, I quickly realized I'd never seen one advertised. So what happened to all the freaks?

When faced with the question of "Who is considered a freak in modern (American) society" I had to think for a minute or two. People with physical deformities were indeed not truly considered freaks anymore. Abnormal maybe, but as I said above they are treated more as medical cases. So who do Americans exclude and look down upon for a specific characteristic?

Eventually an article came to mind, one that I had read just a days before. In it, the lives of a house full of sex offenders were detailed. These people are completely shunned by society, forced to live in very specific, limited areas. They have limited job opportunities and face persecution on a daily basis. They are in various stages of recovery and normalization, but they all share one common characteristic: they want another shot. They want to be accepted by society and forgiven. They want to recover.

However, they are considered freaks by society. This is understandable, with the past crimes they have committed and media sensationalization of sex crimes. Their actions are unquestionably wrong and deserved to be punished. Their actions are often a result of faulty wiring, a mental deficiency or abnormality. Some do not want to recover and deserve to be locked away. However, some like the ones detailed in the article, realize this mental deficiency and recognize they need to work to control it and conform to societal standards. They aren't freaks, as society deems them, they are merely mentally ill. To completely recover, they need the support and trust of their communities to allow them to live normal lives. However, under present conditions this is a difficult feat to achieve.

Do you consider sex offenders to be freaks or mere criminals? Would you allow and trust a sex offender to live near you and your family? What other sect of people would you consider to be freaks today?

-Robert Ward