"Greatest Show on Earth" coming to an end

[golden eagle]

After May, the circus won't be coming to town. Sad.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.foxnews.com/us/2017/01/15/ringling-bros-circus-plans-to-shut-down-greatest-show-on-earth-after-146-years.amp.html?client=safari

[Max Rockatansky]

I remember seeing them as a kid at Cobo Hall in downtown Detroit in the 1980s.  I'm honestly not surprised, especially with all the backlash zoos and parks like Sea World are getting these days.

[wanderer2575]

"Try getting a 3- or 4-year-old today to sit for 12 minutes," he said.

That's what's really sad.

[noelbotevera]

"Try getting a 3- or 4-year-old today to sit for 12 minutes," he said.

That's what's really sad.

I've had to sit through movies that are over two hours. Twelve minutes is nothing.

[freebrickproductions]

"Try getting a 3- or 4-year-old today to sit for 12 minutes," he said.

That's what's really sad.

I'm pretty sure trying to get any 3- or 4-year old to sit for 12 minutes has always been a challenge, no matter what time period that child is in.

[GeauxLSU]

Good. Those circus promoters were mean and cruel to those poor tigers and elephants. Circuses and zoos oughta be banned.

[Brandon]

Good. Those circus promoters were mean and cruel to those poor tigers and elephants. Circuses and zoos oughta be banned.

You do realize that zoos tend to do research on how to save threatened and endangered animals, as well as promoting breeding programs to increase their numbers.

[1995hoo]

I remember loving the circus as a little kid. Then I didn't go for years until three or four years ago my wife was given free tickets to see it at Verizon Center. I've never been into animal-rights causes, but seeing the circus as an adult was somehow disturbing because I felt like the elephants and tigers were being demeaned. Something felt wrong about the whole thing. But without the animals, it wouldn't be the circus.

The circus museum at the Ringling Estate in Sarasota is still well worth visiting if you're in the area, though. I kind of wonder whether long-term it will fade into irrelevance because people won't be able to relate to it with the circus gone. That is, obviously I never saw the circus under the "big top" huge tent. I saw it at the Capital Centre or the DC Armory and then many years later that one time at Verizon Center. But having seen it, I can still imagine the idea of the tent and everything that went into setting up and tearing down. If you never see the show, it might be of mild curiosity but of a lot less real interest. (The Ringling mansion is still absolutely worth touring, especially the "behind-the-scenes" tour, so between that and the art museum perhaps the circus museum will survive.)

[SP Cook]

Attendance has been dropping for 10 years, said Juliette Feld, but when the elephants left, there was a "dramatic drop" in ticket sales.

Duh.

This is an old story.  Later generations of bornriches become ashamed of the work that the founders did to make the bornrich.  It happens all the time, whether granddad or great-granddad cut down trees, mined coal, showed lower lifeforms made by God for our use in shows, brewed beer, made liquor, built roads through scenic (but useless) terrain, or whatever.  Seeing it right now, for example, in NASCAR where the 3rd generation has virtually destroyed the sport which involves, shudder, gasoline and danger, and is mostly watched by, shudder, the Deplorables.  Could be happening to the NFL.  BP became ashamed of being in the oil business and declared itself "beyond petroleum".  Some of the Ford heirs really don't like it that the company makes, shudder, automobiles and Bill, who nominally runs the place, really wants to save the planet (which is doing fine without his help, BTW). 

Somebody will come along and start a circus.  People that think elephants have a status equal to man will protest.  They will be ignored, as should all crazies, and hopefully start the cycle all over again. 

If you are not supposed to eat animals, how come they are made out of meat?

[cjk374]

If you are not supposed to eat animals, how come they are made out of meat?

I am a member of P.E.T.A (People Eating Tasty Animals), & I approve this message!   

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I really hate to see this piece of Americana fall after all this time. I hope they have lots of extra space at their museum, for everything they have now needs to be saved to show future generations what they will miss out on. Especially their red & blue train sets...watching them roll by through your town enroute to their next venue.

Only in America.     

[PHLBOS]

"Try getting a 3- or 4-year-old today to sit for 12 minutes," he said.

That's what's really sad.

I've had to sit through movies that are over two hours. Twelve minutes is nothing.

At 3 or 4 years old?

[noelbotevera]

"Try getting a 3- or 4-year-old today to sit for 12 minutes," he said.

That's what's really sad.

I've had to sit through movies that are over two hours. Twelve minutes is nothing.

At 3 or 4 years old?

...No, unfortunately. I only gained tolerance to sit through longer movies until I was at least nine or ten years old.

[PHLBOS]

"Try getting a 3- or 4-year-old today to sit for 12 minutes," he said.

That's what's really sad.

I've had to sit through movies that are over two hours. Twelve minutes is nothing.

At 3 or 4 years old?

...No, unfortunately. I only gained tolerance to sit through longer movies until I was at least nine or ten years old.

Then your previous "Twelve minutes is nothing" statement is not relevant to the context (3-4 year olds) at hand.

[hbelkins]

Good. Those circus promoters were mean and cruel to those poor tigers and elephants. Circuses and zoos oughta be banned.

What happens when tigers are mean to elephants like they were last Monday night?

[sparker]

I was taken to the Ringling/B&B circus as a kid (about 9, IIRC).  As a certified train nut, I talked my folks (who were doing this in conjunction with several other family friends with kids) into going the last day they were in town (they set up in the L.A. Coliseum parking lot) so we could follow them over to their nearby staging area along Exhibition Blvd. (which had a Pacific Electric line in the median) and see how the various animals and props were reloaded on the train, which was about 30 or so cars.  To me, the logistics of getting all that stuff around was more interesting than the acts themselves!  (But then, I've always been a bit weird in that respect!).

[triplemultiplex]

This is an old story.  Later generations of bornriches become ashamed of the work that the founders did to make the bornrich.  It happens all the time, whether granddad or great-granddad cut down trees, mined coal, showed lower lifeforms made by God for our use in shows, brewed beer, made liquor, built roads through scenic (but useless) terrain, or whatever.  Seeing it right now, for example, in NASCAR where the 3rd generation has virtually destroyed the sport which involves, shudder, gasoline and danger, and is mostly watched by, shudder, the Deplorables.  Could be happening to the NFL.  BP became ashamed of being in the oil business and declared itself "beyond petroleum".  Some of the Ford heirs really don't like it that the company makes, shudder, automobiles and Bill, who nominally runs the place, really wants to save the planet (which is doing fine without his help, BTW). 

Yes it's such a shame when people develop a conscience.

[formulanone]

This is an old story.  Later generations of bornriches become ashamed of the work that the founders did to make the bornrich.  It happens all the time, whether granddad or great-granddad cut down trees, mined coal...

Or didn't want increased health and safety risks for limited pay, and traded way job instability due to lower demand for...better career paths?

...showed lower lifeforms made by God for our use in shows, brewed beer, made liquor

Seems recent generations have no problems with bacon and beer and liquor.

Seeing it right now, for example, in NASCAR where the 3rd generation has virtually destroyed the sport which involves, shudder, gasoline and danger, and is mostly watched by, shudder, the Deplorables.

Uh, I think it always had a mainstay of fans in the Deep South. The greed from the top of the sport have ruined it, but vested interests in motor racing will typically try to wrest control from newcomers in all facets of the sport, or planishing it all down for TV ratings.

Could be happening to the NFL.

Or some people get tired of the same old game; clearly, people found more things to do in life than sit on a couch for 6-10 hours every weekend, waiting to see if the score will go up by 7-point or 3-point increments in between advertisements for watered-down beer and cell phone plans they already have.

BP became ashamed of being in the oil business and declared itself "beyond petroleum".

Pfft...those silly eggs and various baskets.

Some of the Ford heirs really don't like it that the company makes, shudder, automobiles and Bill, who nominally runs the place, really wants to save the planet (which is doing fine without his help, BTW).

What? Yeah, it sucks being the third-or-fourth biggest world-wide automaker, and a profitable one at that. Not everyone wants to join the family business; some people don't want to suck on the silver spoon forever.

Yes it's such a shame when people develop a conscience.

It sucks when people starting thinking for their own selves instead of group-think.

Or maybe they have no interest in the things their parents and grandparents did. No thing is forever; just because previous generation(s) want ideals, events, and items to be timeless doesn't make it so. It's not some sort of "shame", it's the other side of "reality"...the things you hold dear usually have expiration dates. That some folks don't care about the things that float your boat isn't some sort of weakness, mental illness, nor decline of Western Civilization.

"Try getting a 3- or 4-year-old today to sit for 12 minutes," he said.

That's what's really sad.

Hyperbole. Kids can sit still if they're interested in something. Not everyone likes the same crap.

[ET21]

Besides the historical run, I won't miss it

[Pete from Boston]

RINGLING: Big-top huge circuses have been dying for generations.  Television killed most traditional circuses long before the elephants found friends.  This is a lovely cultural phenomenon born of another era, and long waning.

CIRCUSES:  There are circus performers that nonetheless flourish, generally niche acts.  Acrobatics has become a centerpiece at a level of entertainment far higher than an elephant sticking its trunk up.  I find Cirque du Soleil a bit much, but they pack houses.  Go see Circus Smirkus next time you're in New England in the summer–mind-blowing performances by kids, kept me on the edge of my seat the whole show (and the audience kids had no attention problems). 

NFL:  Here we go.  "Shucks, kids today done gone soft."  No, medicine today done gone researched CTE.  Brain-dying players done gone shot themselves in the chest to preserve dying brains for study.  NFL done gone scrambled to protect its profits from the truth.

[GeauxLSU]

Jr. Seau shot himself in the chest because he wanted his face to be preserved so his momma could see it and not a gaping wound. It had nothing to do with preserving his brain.

[Pete from Boston]

Jr. Seau shot himself in the chest because he wanted his face to be preserved so his momma could see it and not a gaping wound. It had nothing to do with preserving his brain.

Regardless, peripheral to the point.

[CtrlAltDel]

Later generations of bornriches become ashamed of the work that the founders did to make the bornrich.

Are you suggesting that the bornriches should be beholden to the interests of the diedriches because the diedriches bought them off?

[kphoger]

I only gained tolerance to sit through longer movies until I was at least nine or ten years old.

Wow, you had to sit through movies that lasted until you were nine years old?
Or do you mean you no longer possess the tolerance required to sit through a long movie?




In all seriousness, the ability to sit through a long movie depends greatly on the child.  My three sons are an excellent sample.  The eldest has no problem; the middle one gets antsy partway through and often ends up leaving the room to go play; the youngest can't sit still for five seconds unless he's asleep.