I was wondering how they were gonna fit a 3-ring circus into John Paul John Arena. They didn’t. I laughed when I saw that a new Facebook group had been created to commemorate just how bad it was: One Ring and One Elephant is NOT the Greatest Show on Earth. But since we got the discounts via Piedmont CASA for only $7 each, I thought it was a great deal, and I was glad to pile up the car with the 6 of us (me, kidlet, los 4 Lopez) and see the infamous Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus in all its glory– but there was no glory. Charlottesville got shafted.
Anyone who knows me knows I love a good protest, so when we drove into the JPJ Arena parking lot and saw the scores of protesters lined up, I slowed to a crawl to read their signs and see what the fuss is about. I love a good protest. Now when I never go to the Ringling Brothers circus again it won’t be just because I paid $35 for a 2 hour nap, but because how they treat their most famous performers is unthinkable, unethical- and if not criminal- incredibly cruel.
It turns out- completely unbeknownst to me- all this time I’ve been supposed to be boycotting animal-exploiting circuses. Who knew? If someone is passing out leaflets I’ll (almost always) take and read, and even if it’s not of interest I won’t litter- I’ll at least recycle the pamphlet before leaving it all over our brand new arena for someone making minimum wage to clean up- like most of the other circus goers did. But this time the information was actually useful.
I’m almost embarrassed to admit it, that the show was so boring that it alone was reason not to support Barnum and Bailey. I thought maybe it was the adult in me being jaded, but the kids were bored senseless too- and I don’t think it’s because of the constant action cartoon and video game world we live in heightening their threshold for level of stimulation necessary to captivate, no, I think it was just boring. The clowns weren’t funny, there was no man in a cannon… ok, the trapeze artist family was fun, and there were these dogs catching frisbees (sp?) that was (surprisingly) entertaining- but the rest was an hour and forty minutes of yawnage. There was only one ring- not three- and by the end of the two hours I was fairly certain that unless my child specifically requests, we will not be patronizing RBBB ever again.
Yes, the show was a bust- but that’s not all. After watching these videos (and especially this one in particular) I was disgusted. I read the printed information with a grain of salt (I mean, it was coming from PETA after all)- but as much as you can put spin on words- photos don’t lie, and videos let you see the truth in context. We’re not talking about occasional prodding or poking, it’s not just the anecdotal crack of the whip. No- it’s life long torture, animals being forced to breed before they are physically- and emotionally- mature enough to do so, families being torn apart at the seems, living creatures spending 11 months on the road- almost every non-working moment confined to a crate– and the most hideous cases of abuse.
I was already headed in that direction- but when I watched in horror as Baby Benjamin- who had been from his mother untimely ripped, not raised with a herd who would’ve taught him to swim, and who- in case of emergency as can occur in the wild- as a herd would’ve been there to rescue him… as I watched that baby drown, and I tried to rectify that with the fact that it was all in the name of entertainment- my mind was made up.
It’s hard to say never- but I will NEVER support a circus that abuses animals in this way ever again. It was the girls’ first trip to see Ringling Brothers- for me, it was my last. One of my favorite sayings is “if you aren’t outraged, you aren’t paying attention”. Well, when it comes to the cruelty to which animals are subjected at circuses like Ringling Brothers, I just hadn’t been paying attention.
The time I spent browsing the PETA site was productive in one other respect- no, I’m not going vegan, but no longer can I buy my beloved POM juice in good conscience. Really though. I’m embarrassed that I never knew what went on behind the scenes. I’m ashamed that I never asked. I’m not a total PETA convert (even after finally seeing the infamous “Supersize Me” documentary last week, neither my child nor I is ready to swear off McDonald’s)- but the circus? No more. When Cirque du Soleil comes to town, I’m down, but Ringling- never ever again.
{ One year ago today: What's in a word. }
