I took my youngest to see a travelling circus last week. It was, for the most part, a great kids' circus. Lots of acrobatics, no animals, and an utterly ridiculous clown who didn't feel the need to go in for any sexist jokes but rather focused on the old routines of dropping plates and throwing popcorn on people. Yes, I've seen that a million times before but it's still funny. More importantly, kids love it and circuses really are for kids. This wasn't the best circus I've ever been too but small loved it and that's what counts the most for me; although, to be fair, I quite enjoyed it too.
There were, however, two twitch-inducing acts. The first was an acrobatic act involving 3 Black men. They were fucking brilliant and the one who limboed basically bent backwards was incredible. I felt my usual spell of jealousy of people who are that athletic and flexible. I am neither. But, they were dressed in "African" prints and were doing "African" dances. Now, I have no idea of their ethnic origins since I didn't speak to them but I really do find it sad when I see incredible Black artists reduced to using stereotypical [but usually wrong] constructions of "Africa" in order to entertain white audiences. They were a great act but the reductive "othering" of it was uncomfortable to view.
The other was an act featuring a young woman in a very "sexualised" outfit performing what was basically a pole dance without the pole [since she was standing on a large disco ball rather than the pole]. Now, this is was an acrobatic circus. Most of the women were in tight or revealing clothes but weren't dressed as pole dancers. This particular act involved lots of standing on her head and doing the splits whilst stroking herself. She was an incredible athlete so the stroking was nothing more than an attempt to pander to the pornographied sections of society who can't go to an event with their children without having their cocks virtually stroked. What was a real piss-off was the climax involved this athlete [and she was an athlete] standing on her head, facing backwards and shooting an arrow at a dartboard. Now, I'm dyspraxic and couldn't shoot an arrow in a straight line whilst standing upright and facing the right way so the whole shooting whilst standing on your head and facing the wrong direction was pretty fucking amazing. It didn't need to be "sexed up". It's just so disgraceful and depressing that a circus aimed at kids feels they need to add a routine like this in order to appeal to the pornographied masses.
What happened to just being able to take our kids to the circus, pay obscene amounts of money for popcorn to watch real clowns and real athletes perform amazing acts without the need to make lions jump through hoops which are on fire or have women trussed up like sex toys?
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