A few weeks ago I was searching for topics for the paradigm shift paper. One thought that popped into my head was, “why aren’t there any more good circuses out there?” Long gone are the days of the lion tamers, clowns, and ring leaders. So, due a combination of procrastination and boredom, I decided to investigate. While I could not make a whole research paper about this topic, I was debating on possibly using it for my TED talk. I figured it would be an appropriate topic because TED talks can really be about anything one desires as long as it spreads some sort of idea, like what happened to the circus? My findings are as such:
The word circus comes from the ancient greek word kirkos, meaning circle or ring. Ancient legend has it that the first circuses were staged by the Goddess Circe in honor of Helios, the Sun God. Ancient Roman circuses were housed in large, rectangular, and stone building s that held chariot races, equestrian shows, staged battles (even with animals), and gladiator fights.
From there, the Modern Circus was created in England by Philip Astley in 1768. Astley was the first person to bring trick horse riding, acrobatics, and clowning all under one roof to perform a single, grand show. Shortly after, wild animals like lions and elephants were introduced to the ring and natural phenomenons, such as earthquakes, floods, and volcanic explosions, were realistically replicated for the viewing audience. These types of circuses were help in large, multipurpose buildings.
This type of circus was then brought to America, specifically Philadelphia, in 1793. Circuses quickly became popular around the nation. Due to the United State’s sheer size, however, it was difficult to get everyone to the circus. So, the circus came to them. The inception of the big-top circus tent came in 1825 and idea of the circus train to transport everything came shortly after. These innovations also allowed the first multiple ring circuses to be seen. These multi-ring, “touring circuses” quickly spread all over the world.
Up until World War II, the traveling circus was a major form of spectator entertainment in the US and attracted huge attention in every city it visited. However, after World War II, and the invention of the television, the popularity of the circus drastically declined and many companies went out of business. Animal rights groups had been going after circuses since the 1960s, as well.
Today’s “circuses” are, more or less, one trick shows. These shows place a lot of emphasis on one single aspect that used to be found in the larger circus (juggling, sword-swallowing, firebreathing, stilt-walking, etc.). Most notably, there is Cique de Soleil which, like a lot of today’s popular shows, focuses on acrobatics. Circus animals, due to new laws and bans, are almost entirely a thing of the past.
So, is this topic interesting enough or will you guys become bored? Do you think this could make a good TED talk?
(Information taken from pbs.org and the Circus Historical Society)
Andrew,
While circuses themselves are entertaining, I am curious if there is enough of a (recent) cultural shift to do a TED Talk on. I think our TED Talks should also focus on topics that we care about with some sort of passion. If that’s the case for you, then I think you might make it work. Perhaps you could talk about the decline in circus popularity. Although there are still acrobats, clowns, fire shows, animals, etc., circuses used to capture the interest of entire towns and cities. Everyone would go to the circus when it stopped in town. Today, they are less common and less attended. That said, I wonder if you could find enough research to support a whole TED Talk and have a “so what” component. I wish you luck with whatever you choose!
I think this is a great idea for a TED Talk! There’s a definite paradigm shift there, and if you’re passionate then the audience will not be bored. There are so many different approaches you could take on this shift also- the impact of animal abuse laws and their costs and benefits, or even just the change in youth entertainment. I have a little sister. She has an iTouch, iPhone, and a laptop. She watches crazy dance and acrobatic videos on a daily basis. I doubt she would be as amazed as a child her same age fifty years ago.
This is really cool. I’ve only been to the circus once when I was 5, and had occasionally wondered what happened to them. While I am no way a PETA activist, I believe that the cruelty that is often applied to circus animals provides enough of a reason to stop their usage. Additionally, in the past circus performers where kept in equally deplorable conditions. They truly were a family because they could only depend on one another for support, as most regular people looked down upon them. Their children were often did not get any education due to their frequent moves, thus locking them into a cycle of poverty and destitution. It is sad that circuses in their truest sense have disappeared, however it may be the best thing for society.
I would actually be really interested in hearing about circuses, because we never really hear about them anymore. I’ve actually never been to a circus, and I only know about circuses from old cartoons and Tom Sawyer. Now, “circus” has almost become a negative word, like in “media circus.” But before, the word implied a lot of fun and awesomeness. I’m really excited to see where you will go with this topic!
I actually really enjoyed reading this blog post and I believe that it would be a great topic for your TED talk! Have you ever seen the movie Water for Elephants? It’s about a man joining a major circus as a veterinarian and the eventual dissolution of the circus. I recommend watching it for getting extra insight on this topic. The circus topic is also really original, which is what makes it so fascinating. I’m excited to see your TED talk!!
The circus certainly sounds like an interesting and unorthodox topic for a ted talk. I personally have never been to a circus but I do have a few friends that have been to a Cirque du Soleil show. Until this post, I never really noticed the disappearance of circuses in modern society. I definitely think that this could make for an engaging Ted Talk. However, I think it might be difficult to make the topic seem relevant to the audience. I’m sure there are people that have been to circus shows before but it would still be difficult to make them care about this decline in traveling circuses. However, if you do decide to continue with this as your Ted Talk topic, make sure to focus more on the shift and less on the history of circuses.
Your circus idea is the most unique idea I’ve heard thus far! I would enjoy a TED Talk on the dwindling of circuses. However, I think the topic is broad you should specifically talk about one aspect, such as the bans on circus animals and its effects or how Cirque du Soleil has taken over as the prominent form of entertainment. Since circuses are vivid and exciting forms of entertainment, you should use animations in your TED talk to coincide with the information. Definitely include statistics on the decline of trick shows so we can get a solid picture of this paradigm shift. Good luck with your topic!
The paradigm shift in the prominence of circuses would be a wondrously interesting topic for you to explore. It certainly is a different topic that many might not have thought about, and so it intrigues my interest. Since I was a kid, I have always loved to read about circuses and look at circus photos from the olden days. I always wondered what it would have been like to attend a circus back in the heyday of circuses. I did, however, have a few opportunities during my childhood to attend circus-like events, but they were no where near what circuses once were. It never occurred to me to think about why circuses dissipated, and so if you were to explore that topic and present it to the class, then I would be very intrigued. After hearing our feedback, will you still explore this shift and report about it?
The disappearance of the circus would really make a great TED talk. Do you think any one thing has replaced it, like television, or has the sheer number of diversions of all sorts today simply crowded the circus out? Do you know any circus tricks, like juggling or riding a unicycle, that you could do for the TED talk? Just like in real circuses, a small performance would really capture the audience’s attention, and could be a great visual aid. The circus is still a large part of our culture today, though, and it is often referenced in movies and TV shows. Do you think that the circus might even disappear further from our screens in the future?
I would absolutely LOVE if you talked about the circus! I think the idea of bringing back the circus would be incredible. I wish I could have gone to some circuses in my life. But I’m not too sure how circuses are gonna make their comeback. I think if a circus campaign were to make comeback, people would love it! For a while anyways…. I think the coolness factor would soon wear off. I can see how it would be hot for maybe a year, but after that I’m not sure how interested people would be in it.
I think it’s definitely a different topic. I’ve never been to a circus, but I don’t think I would want to. I don’t like the idea of keeping the animals in captivation, just like zoos. So, if you did make this the topic of your TED talk, you would have to have some pretty convincing evidence to change to minds of people who share my views. What would be your “why”? Do you think circus’s should be brought back? Do you think that traditional circuses were better than what we have today, like cirque du soliel? There has definitely been a shift, so it’s a reasonable TED talk topic. Maybe you could hire someone to bring in a trained tiger for your presentation or something. Or dress up as a clown. Anyway, if you do this, you’ll have to make sure you have enough information to be taken seriously.
I think the topic of the circus is interesting in its self. I have never been to the circus, and I’m not sure if I am in the minority or the majority of people who grew up in the same time period I did. I would love to go because of how cool it’s looked in some movies. Have you ever been to the circus? Was your experience similar to the ones in movies?
It might be cool for you to also look at how magic has changed over the course of time. With the integration of technology, I’m sure a lot has been done to enhance believability in a magic act. Even so, I remember the first day of my freshmen year of high school, a boy who is now one of my closest friends brought in a deck of cards and did tricks for upwards of a hour….and people loved it! Has technology made “simple” tricks boring, or do people still respond positively to them? Is there a greater appreciation for tricks done by hand now that so much can be done on the computer? Looking into this may make your topic a little more debatable and allow you to use the media component better!
I find this topic to be very interesting, especially because it is something people do not often think about. Growing up, I loved going to the circus, especially Cirque du Soleil. I was pretty lucky having had the opportunity to attend several of the shows, but I never become bored. I admired the talent displayed by the people in the show. In my French class, we recently learned about the differences between American circuses and Canadian circuses. Cirque du Soleil started near Quebec City and represents a Canadian Circus. American circuses contain more animals. I cannot help but believe that if the people that worked in the circus industry had treated animals humanely, this would not be such a dying industry. Do you have any faith in the revitalization of the circus? I hope you are still considering this as your topic for your TED Talk because I am looking forward to hearing more about it.
I like this idea for a TED talk because it is unique and not something most people think about. I would just advise that you make the talk applicable to everyone so they have a vested interest in what you are saying. You should pursue this topic if this is what you are passionate about because thats what makes a TED talk successful.
The circus era does seem to be a thing of the past sadly, as most of the shows you mention do not embody the traditional circus themes. I remember going as a kid, but many thing I had seen in books weren’t there. It’s sad to know such a quintessential American tradition is virtually disappearing and kids of today will never get to experience a true circus. Do you think we will ever see a comeback of the circus? Or would today’s kids be bored with a traditional circus as they are used to technology and video games being their primary entertainment?
Personally, I think this could be an interesting topic for a TED talk; however, you would need to make it applicable to people’s lives. Why should we care that circuses have disappeared? How is this affecting our lives? I think you could run through the brief history of the disappearance of circuses and maybe even include a personal anecdote. I know that when I was younger I expected circuses to be grand and magical like they appeared in books and movies, but they never quite met my expectations. Over the years, people found their entertainment in other ways , so circuses became less impressive. It;s also evident that the poor treatment of animals in the past led to the decline in circuses. But, do you think we should try to revive circuses as part of our entertainment? Overall, if you can make this topic relatable, it is very unique and would make for a great TED talk.
This is definitely a funny topic to discuss, Andrew. However, I’m not sure there’s much of a shift here. I went to a circus a couple of years ago, and there are still many different tricks and stunts. I’m not sure they are one trick shows. There may be less circuses that are worth noting, however, that is probably due to differing forms of entertainment, as a whole. Circuses are an interesting topic, though, so it could be a cool TED talk if you elaborate on the controversial aspects, like animal rights. By the way (so I can gauge your perspective), have you ever been to the circus? If so, what were your thoughts versus the research you did?
I actually found this post very interesting. I had never been a big fan of the circus, mainly because I’ve heard horrible stories about how they treat the animals. I did find your history very interesting though. I took four years of Latin, so I’m a big mythology nerd. I love hearing the origins of words and events that stem from Greek and Roman mythology, so that was my favorite part of the post. I never really thought about how circuses are now rare. What made you think of circuses? They rarely ever cross my mind. I think that you’re right about the technology though. Most people think to go to a movie when they’re bored, not a circus. I bet that maintaining and moving a circus is also very expensive and takes a lot of time. What other reasons do you think that circuses aren’t around anymore. I would love to hear a TED talk about this!
The disappearance of the circus would make for a very entertaining TED Talk. I think you should go for it because there are so many cool visuals you could potentially incorporate. You could play circus music and have videos and pictures of old circuses. How did you ever think of this topic? It is awesome; I think the class would be very interested in your talk. Do you think society’s attitudes towards original circuses have changed? Did we once think they were cool and now just think they are creepy because of how they are portrayed in horror movies? This would not be a boring topic and I look forward to your TED Talk.
In all seriousness, I would be very happy if you use the circus for a TED talk. I am sure most of the topics I will be listening to will be very different from that, and a change of pace would be nice. It would also be a good way to stand out in the teacher’s mind. So if you feel like doing it, go for it!
I remember as a little kid I always wanted to go to a circus, but there was really never any like the ones I saw on tv and in movies. Like you said, the circus is all about acrobatics now and lions, tigers, and elephants are officially extinct from the circus. I think it quite a shame because the circus always seemed like a fun and exciting event to attend. I wish I was able to attend a circus before they practically disappeared. I think this would be a great topic for a TED talk. Do you think the original circus will ever resurface? What do you think the circus would give back to society?
I think this is a very interesting topic and can make for a very interesting TED talk! I love Cirque du Soliel and I think the reason it’s popular is because people are amazed that average humans can do these things with their bodies. I also think, however, that the original “circus” was probably extremely entertaining. Seeing animals do tricks and people work with such wild animals as lions and (my favorite animal!) elephants would have been so cool! I know that it’s not allowed anymore by law, but do you think there are ways they could do this stuff humanely and possibly bring circuses back?