sideshow

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In North America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival, fair, or other such attraction. They historically featured human oddity exhibits (so-called “freak shows”), preserved specimens (real or fabricated, such as the Fiji Mermaid), live animal acts, burlesque or strip shows, actually or ostensibly dangerous stunts, or stunts that appear painful like human blockhead. Most modern sideshows feature fewer to no animal acts, and have a greater focus on trainable feats or consensual body modification rather than exhibiting people with congenital disabilities, either due to changing public opinion or local laws prohibiting the exhibition of disabled people or animals. Trainable acts associated with sideshows include sword swallowing, fire breathing and manipulation, magic and visual illusions, human blockhead, knife throwing, lying on a bed of nails, contortion, and may also include an overlap with circus acts such as juggling, aerial hoop/silk/chains acrobatics, and motorcycle stunts like the Globe of Death. Whether such an act is considered “sideshow” or “circus” depends on how the show itself is billed, or advertised, to potential viewers.