One of the biggest dilemmas we come across when talking about the placement of "freak" in society is the position of the "freak" within the confines of the showcase. The freak-show is in part, successful because it co-opts, and allows for members of a marginalized group to be in favor of their own exploitation. This being because "freaks" (typically being people born with disabilities) find not only monetary opportunity in the showcase, but they also can find a sense of placement, community, refuge, and comfort. Members of the freak-show would typically have no real place within society to exist without being harassed, ridiculed, or even potentially being violently attacked.
While I don't believe ethically in support of showcasing "freaks," I do recognize that members of such an entourage do not really have a place within our society. This to me is the real heartbreak of the freak-show. Not that they shouldn't be showcased but that they have no real other viable options for living a traditional, relatively harassment free life.
Today we do preach tolerance more than we ever have before, and we've made strides in caring for individuals who don't fit our perfect image of normalcy. However, the reality still is that most "freaks" are members of a small minority on the outskirts of society. This minority is at often times still degraded, abused, and ridiculed. And while we have been relatively successful in a policy of tolerance and integration with these minority groups, we still socially discriminate, dominate, and belittle "freaks."
Jayson Castillo
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