P.T. Barnum may be best known for his work as a showman – helping to bring the circus to the forefront of American entertainment. But, there was definitely a darker side to the man.
On one hand, he held a public autopsy for a woman and essentially cut her up and sold tickets to watch it. On the other, he did a lot to make the circus a more viable form of entertainment for the middle class in the 1800s. Sure, he sewed a monkey to a fish and called it a mermaid. I mean, we don’t know for sure that he was the one doing the stitching, but he sure was trying to make a profit off of that shit he called a mermaid. Then again, he donated a lot of money to children’s hospitals and staunchly fought against slavery.
I just can’t make up my mind about this guy, and I really don’t know if it’s acceptable for me to watch The Greatest Showman or not. That’s the real struggle.
I don’t know – sometimes, I think he was just a piece of shit. Sometimes, I think he was just a businessman. How about this? You listen to the latest episode of Phone It In, on which Rubber Rooster and I relive the history of P.T. Barnum and decide for yourself…
LISTEN to the full, brand new episode of Phone It In here:
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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