Perspective From The Big Top...
I don't have a ton of accessible memories of when I was a young child. One of the fondest memories I can recall, is of me, my little brother and my mom, taking a trip to see the Ringling Brothers Circus at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. My Mother was a single parent and we didn't have a lot of money but I can assure you that the money was well spent; her return on investment cashed out in smiles. In those days, I would imagine that smiles were worth a lot more to her, than the price of admission.
"Animals in Circuses don't perform because they want to; they perform because they're afraid not to."
When I became a parent, I promised myself that I would do whatever it takes to make my kids feel loved. I tell them every single day how I feel about them. There is also a part of me that wants them to experience some of the same things that I did. I want us to have that connection. Or maybe I just want to experience it all over again. It helps me remember...
"Video footage shows Ringling employees aggressively hooking elephants with a sharp, steel tipped bullhook. The use of bullhooks results in pain, suffering, trauma and injuries, including lacerations, bloody puncture wounds, swelling and abscesses."
I took my oldest daughter to the Circus when she was four years old. I think I cried when the lights went down at the start of the show. I never would have thought, that watching my kid devour a cloud of cotton candy, would have such a profound effect on my soul. It did. I still hold onto the taste of her tiny, sugar coated kisses. I've locked them away forever...
"A young lion named Clyde died of apparent heatstroke in a sweltering boxcar on a Ringling train as it crossed the Mojave Desert in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees F."
My youngest daughter is now three and a half. She goes to Pre-School. The other day, she came running over to my wife. She could hardly contain her excitement. Her class was going to the Circus! My wife and I don't love sending her on class field trips. We think she's too little. We worry too much. When we told her that she couldn't go, she cried. My heart sank. I hadn't realized the Circus was in town. I've been so busy. My bad...
"Elephants in Circuses spend most of their time chained by two legs, which only gives them enough space to move 3 feet forward or backward."
That night I went online and grabbed four tickets to the Sunday afternoon show. The Circus was in town and I wanted her to go. It would be her first time. I needed to go too. When I told her that she was going to go after all, she gave me a big hug. Sunday couldn't come fast enough. For both of us...
"Former Ringling employees describe violent beatings and daily abuse of elephants, tigers, horses, camels, zebras and other animals."
The show was amazing. Ringling Brothers never disappoints. It's the Greatest Show On Earth. She didn't say a single word. Her eyes were transfixed on the spectacle. I can't imagine what it must be like for a three year old to see an elephant up close. I watched her the entire time, eating clouds of cotton candy. Patiently, I waited for my tiny, sugar coated kisses. Like my Mom before me, my return on investment was cashed out in smiles...
I also had this waiting for me on my car windshield...
I'm not taking sides.
I'm just offering my perspective from the Big Top...
"Animals in Circuses don't perform because they want to; they perform because they're afraid not to."
When I became a parent, I promised myself that I would do whatever it takes to make my kids feel loved. I tell them every single day how I feel about them. There is also a part of me that wants them to experience some of the same things that I did. I want us to have that connection. Or maybe I just want to experience it all over again. It helps me remember...
"Video footage shows Ringling employees aggressively hooking elephants with a sharp, steel tipped bullhook. The use of bullhooks results in pain, suffering, trauma and injuries, including lacerations, bloody puncture wounds, swelling and abscesses."
I took my oldest daughter to the Circus when she was four years old. I think I cried when the lights went down at the start of the show. I never would have thought, that watching my kid devour a cloud of cotton candy, would have such a profound effect on my soul. It did. I still hold onto the taste of her tiny, sugar coated kisses. I've locked them away forever...
"A young lion named Clyde died of apparent heatstroke in a sweltering boxcar on a Ringling train as it crossed the Mojave Desert in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees F."
My youngest daughter is now three and a half. She goes to Pre-School. The other day, she came running over to my wife. She could hardly contain her excitement. Her class was going to the Circus! My wife and I don't love sending her on class field trips. We think she's too little. We worry too much. When we told her that she couldn't go, she cried. My heart sank. I hadn't realized the Circus was in town. I've been so busy. My bad...
"Elephants in Circuses spend most of their time chained by two legs, which only gives them enough space to move 3 feet forward or backward."
That night I went online and grabbed four tickets to the Sunday afternoon show. The Circus was in town and I wanted her to go. It would be her first time. I needed to go too. When I told her that she was going to go after all, she gave me a big hug. Sunday couldn't come fast enough. For both of us...
"Former Ringling employees describe violent beatings and daily abuse of elephants, tigers, horses, camels, zebras and other animals."
The show was amazing. Ringling Brothers never disappoints. It's the Greatest Show On Earth. She didn't say a single word. Her eyes were transfixed on the spectacle. I can't imagine what it must be like for a three year old to see an elephant up close. I watched her the entire time, eating clouds of cotton candy. Patiently, I waited for my tiny, sugar coated kisses. Like my Mom before me, my return on investment was cashed out in smiles...
I also had this waiting for me on my car windshield...
I'm not taking sides.
I'm just offering my perspective from the Big Top...
Are your lack of memories from childhood a result of dropping some wicked acid in your teens or just repressing some bad memories? Or are you just forgetful???
ReplyDeleteWow, man, this is a tough one. Outstanding in making me think, that's for freaking sure. I'm vehemently against R Bros for the animal abuse, but the joy on the face of your own kid? What's more important than that? I'll be wrestling with this one all night. SO well done.
ReplyDeleteWow. I'm confused and sad and happy. I think that's a good thing. I'm not sure yet. Awesome post, though. That's for sure.
ReplyDeleteIt's like smoking pot then watching Requium For A Dream. Buzz kill.
ReplyDeleteIt strikes me as very human... and thus selfish, self indulgent and idiotic... that you don't care about the animals that your child was watching. Just because she was happy. Really, she was probably mostly happy to see the animals (that's why I liked the circus as a child) how would she feel if you told her that the lions and elephants she loved were tortured and neglected? Let alone that you PAID them to torture and neglect those animals...
ReplyDeleteI personally hate the circus and hated it as a kid. I remember wondering why wild animals were doing tricks and why the clowns had to paint on their smiles, thinking they were covering up something else. I guess the clowns were sad about animal abuse too. No circus for mt family, and they know it. We talk about why, and my sons, ages 6 and 4, are on board. There are a lot more fun things we can do that make my sons faces beam with joy.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant, simply brilliant. There is something oddly creepy about the circus and (even as a child) I sensed the creepiness. I knew those elephants weren't happy about their lot in life.
ReplyDeleteDude.
ReplyDeleteI have vivid memories of going to the Ringling Bros Circus when I was a child. And I have gone so far as to get the free tickets online for my kids... But have not had the heart to take them.
Knowing my kids, all I'd have to do is explain to my kids what goes on behind the curtains and they wouldn't want to anyway. We don't smack or spank kids to get them to behave in our house, and they know it is certainly not ok to do that to an animal either.
I think my kids would be more likely to tuck those articles into windshield wipers than to take joy in seeing the performance if they knew.
And yet? It's still the Greatest Show on Earth...
*sigh*
I understand. As a kid I was wowed by the circus, and I do have that same desire to have my kid be "into" the same things I was as a kid. But since learning how truly awful of lives circus animals lead, I can't sustain that wonder, and my son, as a true animal lover, would probably hate me for letting him enjoy it once he found out. But I get it. Sugar-coated kisses and smiles trump just about anything.
ReplyDeleteMaybe there's some other activity that you will share that will nurture their wonder even more deeply, and lead to more sticky affection.
And yes. Brilliantly presented.
I think my kids would be more likely to tuck those articles into windshield wipers than to take joy in seeing the performance if they knew.
ReplyDeleteYour kids would be instant friends with my son.
It seems to me that before you went, you were ignorant. Then you found that on your windshield so now you're not.
ReplyDeletePerpetuating the circus is wrong. There's really no defending it.
So now if you go to the circus, you can do so in the full knowledge that you're wrong. But who gives a shit? Guilt is for pussies who don't like cotton candy.
This is why I like Cirque du Soleil so much - all the fun of the circus (well, most of it anyway) without all the debate. I tend to err on the side of not wanting to risk that the animals are mis-treated, so don't go to the circus anymore. But I am sitting her from the perspective of not having children, so I don't have the kind of pressure on me that parents do to allow their children to enjoy the same activities as their friends.
ReplyDeleteTo look at it all another way ... I am sure that at some point in history people (maybe not kids, but you get the point) smiled while watching the animals die at the Coliseum, but that doesn't make it right.
I'm not sure what to say. Your post leaves me both happy at your memories and the smile on your sweet babies face but sad for the animals. Either way, it was a fanatically visual post and I think you were brave to put it out there. I've taken my kids to the circus numerous times with the exact same memories in the back of my head. My parents couldn't afford it, but I clearly remember the smiles on their faces as they watched me enjoy it...much as I hope my children will remember mine. Bittersweet.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're kids enjoyed the circus. I'm sad the animals are abused. I'm conflicted. Great post.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Jason.
ReplyDeleteAlthough how anyone can go to the circus is beyond me and not because of the way the animals are treated (who knew? uh, well many people but not me) but because of all those scary-ass clowns.
Dude, I have the very same struggle. I am sure you don't know my backstoru, but life with my dad was bleak. The circus was one of the VERY VERY VERY few bright spots of my childhood. I know of some of the issues with circuses, although not blatantly thrown at me as that flyer, and to be honest, I thought they had cleaned up their act, so we went last year. Same thing. Declan was out of his mind enthralled. It's damn tough.
ReplyDeleteThank you for another great post. I understand how you are torn between wanting to bring enjoyment to your children and wanting to end the abuse to the elephants. It is a sad and depressing situation that won't get any better until the laws are changed and circuses and other places that deal with elephants stop abusing them.
ReplyDeleteI love your daughter's expression and your description of taking her and your older daughter to the circus. I have been aware for a long time of the abusive practices of circuses on elephants and other animals. We are members of the Elephant Sanctuary which is an organization that literally rescues elephants who have been abused and places them in a safe and restful place where they can get the care they need among other elephants. Elephants are probably one of the most intelligent animals and they are also the gentlest usually. Of course, we have all seen those movies when the elephants stampeded and destroyed the jungle, etc. But it is so sad to see how some of these elephants have been treated. Yet the circuses still continue to do it. Elephants need a champion. If you are not aware of The Elephant Sanctuary here is the website:
http://www.elephants.com/
Forget the animals, somebody needs to start torturing the clowns. Those creeps are freaky.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the thought provoking post. I also have children who are now grown; and I remember sharing my childhood memories with them. This is one of the joys of parenting. One of the other great joys of parenting is in realizing what amazing people you have helped to shape. My children are now two of the most compassionate, smart, giving, wonderful people and I am constantly overwhelmed by them.
ReplyDeleteThere are farm sanctuaries all over the county where you could take your children to recreate your childhood memory, bring joy to your child's face, and do your part to help create a kind and compassionate adult. The thing that you remember is the love of your mother that this trip represented and this is the memory that you should pass on.
Thank you Sir Knucklehead for making me laugh right before I was about to cry over those animals.
ReplyDeleteThis was an extremely thought provoking post.
The thing is . . . I just wish you could've held off on disseminating this information until after I had gotten the chance to take my little ones to the circus. Just once. At least you had your chance to go guilt free. Dammit. Obviously, I'm not blaming you, just venting. Sorry. This will be on my mind all day and then some.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely tough. I, too, was the child of a single parent with very limited financial resources, and the circus was a fond memory for me as well. I think back then we were all under the delusion that the circus was one big happy family (treatment of Dumbo's mother notwithstanding), where the animals were coddled and caressed. We know better ... See Morenow. My vote is with Gina for the Big Apple Circus, which does not (ab)use exotic animals. I've got a dear, dear friend who was a lawyer for the animal rights group that rescued elephants from the circus, and she effectively turned me off to the whole thing. I hope to turn the circus into a lesson for Gemma that everything is not what it seems. The glitz, the apparent happiness and the apparent joy of the performance all hide a lot of misery - human and animal alike.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post, and though I'm not a parent, I can understand the conflict. My parents never took me or my brother to the circus when I was younger and I definitely don't feel as though I was missing out on anything. As another poster mentioned earlier, there were just so many other fun things we did as a family so it never really factored in to the equation. Knowing what I know now, I'm happy my parents never took us and I vow never to bring my own children to a RB&B circus show. There are so many other family-friendly events you can take your children to where animals aren't abused. Cirque du Soleil is just one that comes to mind and "Wintuk" is a show your children might also enjoy. Best part--animal free :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great thought-provoking post.
www.mypixieblog.com
I love how among all these thoughtful comments, there's that one about abusing the creepy clowns. You have some great readers at your blog!
ReplyDeleteWhy are they hitting those elephants and why the hell don't the elephants squash those jerks?
ReplyDeleteWhy can't they put on a circus and treat the animals humanely?
ReplyDeleteWhy are they hitting those elephants and why the hell don't the elephants squash those jerks?
ReplyDeleteBecause they break their spirits. Assholes. Sad.
Why can't they put on a circus and treat the animals humanely?
For any such thing, we'd have to adjust what we consider "performing." The things elephants/lions/tigers/etc. do? Not natural at all.
Still, I do understand the passing-on-what-you-enjoyed impulse, like I said. I remember a friend of mine talking about how cockfighting was an integral part of his childhood. I couldn't be more horrified, but still, I understood.
It's probably dumb, but do any of your kids watch the show Avatar: The Last Airbender? One of the later episodes features Appa (the giant, six-legged flying bison, which I guess won't make much sense if you haven't seen the show) gets captured and mistreated in exactly these types of ways. After seeing even a fictional account and haranguing everyone who knew anything into telling him about real-life circuses, my son's all about "people-only" circuses. He's practically upset at me in retrospect that I went to one as a kid.
great post! we all had so much fun and then u see something like this. perhaps this was our last visit with the big top! soon our girls will be old enough to understand that it's wrong to treat animals this way...
ReplyDeleteYUV!
Great way to show both sides of it man. I know I dont give a shit about the circus anymore, but the kids love it. We have taken the kids numerous times and also have taken them to the rodeo. When do you explain all of it to them? What age? I guess for now I let them enjoy it and handle all the other stuff later.
ReplyDeleteI am glad your daughter had a great first time and you got to share it with her
Wow. Conflicted. Parental joy. Cotton Candy coma. Performing animals. Abusive trainers. Life is complex. Great post.
ReplyDeleteWe took our kids to see Ringling Bros. last month, and while they enjoyed a lot of the show, the biggest cruelty was the running time: over 2 hours. Our 6- and 3-year-olds were fidgeting and flopping on us at the 90-minute mark. Ringling could easily drop a couple of acts (contortionists? yawn) and make it a trimmer show that doesn't put a tax on young kids' attention spans.
ReplyDeleteOverall, though, still a fun family outing. Especially when the one elephant lied down, took a dump, then sat up and flattened his own turds. I think that got a bigger reaction from the crowd than any of the high-flying antics.
Thanks for posting the video man!
ReplyDeleteI'm soooooo happy you remembered the time we went to the circus. I couldn't wait to take the both of you.
ReplyDeleteIt was a special treat for you,your brother and me. You not only devoured the cotton candy, but you enjoyed the little flashlight that they sold there. The light was twirled around and around...being in the audience, able to flash the light, was heaven to you and Michael.
But, I, too, had no idea what goes on behind the scenes of the circus until I read Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. If you can find the time to read it, do so. I've got the book if you're interested.
I'm so glad you can do all that you do with your kids. These memories are priceless!
Do I get to feel less guilty because it was my in-laws who took my son to the Nassau Colliseum show a few weeks ago? I honestly (naively) thought that the animal abuse was in the past. My son is 10 and next year I will be happy to explain to him why he is not going to the circus. And I will not miss the $23 cotton candy/hat combo that apparently both you and his grandparents got suckered into buying. The things we won't do to see them smile.
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
We've gone to the circus, only once. And I was fully aware of the animal abuse. And I was very conflicted about taking my kids, but I did it anyway, because I too wanted them to have the experience. Not sure what I think of myself for doing it, but there you go.
ReplyDeleteNext time, take the girls to a MMA Event. Oh wait, you would have to do that in NJ, since its banned in NYS. When I tell Mrs. Red Haired Friend that "Cruelty to Animal Week" is in town at the Colliseum she gets mad at me. But it is true. Look at what that White Tiger in Vegas did to Sigried or was it Roy? Animals were meant to roam the wild (and of course be used for leather furniture-- hey, a guy has to make a living...).
ReplyDeleteWow. What a great, and conflicted, post.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we ever went to an animal-circus as kids, but the town fair did have an elephant ride--kids climb up, walk down the parkway a ways, then back. Cool experience--I hope those guys/gals weren't mistreated. ;p
great post! we all had so much fun and then u see something like this. perhaps this was our last visit with the big top! soon our girls will be old enough to understand that it's wrong to treat animals this way... well done. Great site. Thanks a lot
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