ElCid Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus is closing down after May. Their two tours will end then. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) won the Best Picture oscar in 1953. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeem Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 That's surprising news because the circus recently named Kristen Michelle Wilson its first female ringmaster in 146 years. The CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley had a story about her on Thursday. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ringling-brothers-woman-ringmaster-first-kristen-michelle-wilson/ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tikisoo Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 I was very saddened to hear about this. Nothing "real" is novel anymore, kids get their thrills from a hand held electronic device. I understand we lost the wonderful BIG APPLE CIRCUS last year too. My favorite circus was always the ROYAL HANNAFORD CIRCUS, which I think is still going. At least the acrobatic performance circus is live & well with Circ de Soliel & others of their ilk. We attended a smaller circus a few years ago and it was enthralling, even to our jaded teen. But there is something awful about losing THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH and all it contained. I've caught the Barnum & Bailey circus train several times as it rumbled through our town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 That's surprising news because the circus recently named Kristen Michelle Wilson its first female ringmaster in 146 years. The CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley had a story about her on Thursday. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ringling-brothers-woman-ringmaster-first-kristen-michelle-wilson/ Yeah, I saw that item. Tough break for that girl. Hope she lands on her feet. Sepiatone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dargo Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 Yeah, I saw that item. Tough break for that girl. Hope she lands on her feet. Sepiatone Well, if she doesn't, she'll at least have plenty of cushioning to help break her fall. (...especially if she falls forward) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGGGerald Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 Apparently, one major reason is people being upset at the way the animals are treated. The training, transportation etc... Its such an unnatural environment for them. Zoos and Sea World are also affected by this change in public opinion. I think they are getting out before the fall. Rather than stay till the bitter end. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElCid Posted January 16, 2017 Author Share Posted January 16, 2017 The James E. Strait Carnival comes to my area every year. Perhaps carnivals will replace the circuses? Maybe the carnivals can incorporate the human circus acts into their shows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGGGerald Posted January 16, 2017 Share Posted January 16, 2017 Those who started cirque du soleil probably saw this coming. That might be the future, allow the humans to do all the tricks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyCronin Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 The audiences want to see the animal acts. Ticket sales fell precipitously after Ringling dropped the use of elephants. Unemployed people don't matter much to PETA. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 The audiences want to see the animal acts. Ticket sales fell precipitously after Ringling dropped the use of elephants. Unemployed people don't matter much to PETA. Did the government force Ringling to drop the use of elephants or other animal acts? If Ringling decided on their own (like Sea World did), then the reason is as Gerald said; a change in public opinion. I.e. Ticket sales would have dropped if they retained the acts OR if they got rid of them (because there are enough folks on each side to impact sales). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tikisoo Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I was lucky enough to see the Ringling/Barnum/Bailey elephants in 2013. The train stopped at the NY State Fairgrounds, since the train tracks run right through it. (I posted the pics, but can't locate them now) They let the animals out of the train & walked them around the grounds. The elephants got a refreshing hosing down while the horses & ponies milled around in the soft dirt arenas. The train cars that housed the animals were mucked out, hosed & replenished with clean fresh shavings. Then the animals were loaded back in and they rolled away! Everyone knows you can't make an animal do anything it doesn't want to do, those animals enjoyed performing. No one who works with animals (esp big dangerous ones) dislikes working with them. These animals were treated just fine. Although I know there is abhorrent animal cruelty out there, it doesn't occur in professional situations. The problem is animal rights people giving animals human qualities: ie the animal is "ashamed" or "humiliated" into performing. Tell that to my horse, who will do just about any dance or trick for an apple. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 My daughter, a rabid animal lover, also thinks PETA goes a bit too far. She was once talking to a friend of hers, also an animal lover, but who also voiced a disgust with once going to the zoo as a kid and seeing bears housed in large cages. after about 10 minutes of her indignant diatribe, my daughter told her, "Look at it this way....would you rather see the WHOLE bear in a CAGE? Or just it's HIDE laying in front of a fireplace?" A reasonable mind would fathom that it's much better that an elephant marching around inside a bigtop, or having acrobats riding atop them is FAR better than their legs from the knee down being used as someone's umbrella stand. There are MUCH worse fates for them and other animals and that are currently occurring than being in a circus. Incidentally, my daughter, also a big fan of the Alistair Sim SCROOGE, took advantage of that to put the aforementioned friend in her place. The girl was also railing against the "welfare state" and said once, "They outa do away with this FOOD STAMP nonsense. Maybe if those lazy poor folks get HUNGRY enough, they'll get off their azzes and find WORK!" To which Jenni retorted, "And if they like to die, let them DO so and reduce the surplus population, eh?" Sepiatone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Movie Collector OH Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 I was lucky enough to see the Ringling/Barnum/Bailey elephants in 2013. The train stopped at the NY State Fairgrounds, since the train tracks run right through it. (I posted the pics, but can't locate them now) They let the animals out of the train & walked them around the grounds. The elephants got a refreshing hosing down while the horses & ponies milled around in the soft dirt arenas. The train cars that housed the animals were mucked out, hosed & replenished with clean fresh shavings. Then the animals were loaded back in and they rolled away! Everyone knows you can't make an animal do anything it doesn't want to do, those animals enjoyed performing. No one who works with animals (esp big dangerous ones) dislikes working with them. These animals were treated just fine. Although I know there is abhorrent animal cruelty out there, it doesn't occur in professional situations. The problem is animal rights people giving animals human qualities: ie the animal is "ashamed" or "humiliated" into performing. Tell that to my horse, who will do just about any dance or trick for an apple. Thanks for being able to post a sane and rational answer. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownGoesFrazier Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 The James E. Strait Carnival comes to my area every year. Perhaps carnivals will replace the circuses? Maybe the carnivals can incorporate the human circus acts into their shows? The Strait Carnival used to come once a year to a vacant lot a half a block from my home. This stopped about 1960. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElCid Posted January 17, 2017 Author Share Posted January 17, 2017 I was lucky enough to see the Ringling/Barnum/Bailey elephants in 2013. The train stopped at the NY State Fairgrounds, since the train tracks run right through it. (I posted the pics, but can't locate them now) They let the animals out of the train & walked them around the grounds. The elephants got a refreshing hosing down while the horses & ponies milled around in the soft dirt arenas. The train cars that housed the animals were mucked out, hosed & replenished with clean fresh shavings. Then the animals were loaded back in and they rolled away! Everyone knows you can't make an animal do anything it doesn't want to do, those animals enjoyed performing. No one who works with animals (esp big dangerous ones) dislikes working with them. These animals were treated just fine. Although I know there is abhorrent animal cruelty out there, it doesn't occur in professional situations. The problem is animal rights people giving animals human qualities: ie the animal is "ashamed" or "humiliated" into performing. Tell that to my horse, who will do just about any dance or trick for an apple. What people do to race horses and dogs is far worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario500 Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Well, if she doesn't, she'll at least have plenty of cushioning to help break her fall. (...especially if she falls forward) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tikisoo Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 What people do to race horses and dogs is far worse. Not always. Many people who are "into" racing, do so because they love the animals. Of course, there's always bad apples. I once owned a former track horse that was raced until he was 10 years old-unheard of! But he loved to run & did well so they kept him going. He was the sweetest personable old boy who loved retirement. He had no issues or vices from mistreatment. Any abused animal shows typical signs of mistrust of people like fear and worse, aggression. Our barn is full of former racing horses and they are big babies. I'd actually describe them as "pampered divas" personality wise. And therein lies the problem-you can't lump everything into one group when you're talking about anything. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dargo Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 What people do to race horses and dogs is far worse. Not always. Many people who are "into" racing, do so because they love the animals. Of course, there's always bad apples. I once owned a former track horse that was raced until he was 10 years old-unheard of! But he loved to run & did well so they kept him going. He was the sweetest personable old boy who loved retirement. He had no issues or vices from mistreatment. Any abused animal shows typical signs of mistrust of people like fear and worse, aggression. Our barn is full of former racing horses and they are big babies. I'd actually describe them as "pampered divas" personality wise. And therein lies the problem-you can't lump everything into one group when you're talking about anything. So true, Tiki. Yep, another example of this sort'a thing can be seen way too often when it comes to canines and some of the people who own particular breeds. I know a number of people who have or have had Pit Bulls, and their dogs are just big ol' lovable babies. And THEN of course on the OTHER hand you have all those freakin' macho ****head morons out there who raise their Pit Bulls to be aggressive and dangerous. (...and if it were up to ME, should be court ordered to be "fixed"...and I'm talkin' about the freakin' PEOPLE like that, NOT the poor dogs!!!) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spence Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 But still, very sad & typical of this era,tc They shoulda' just attempted to treat the animals better 1st & foremost. went to the circus down here about a decade ago & it just wasn't the same thing anymore It turned so generic, artificial & such. Even the cotton candy was over $8 bucks1 & not really even any sawdust anymore either PHONY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts