The circus?

Question

When I was little the cirus seemed so much better than now. Has it really changed or did we just expect a lot less as kids?

Answer 1

Back then, the clowns were funny. Now they are frigging scary...

Circe du Soleil is pretty good, though.

Answer 2

It's your view of circus that has changed.
As a circus performer myself, I go and watch touring circus shows in my town, and I can appreciate the skill, the hours of practice, and the showmanship ( however cheesy that may be ). But I think the clowns are a total waste of space. Yea, they cover the set changes/rigging time, but they're just plain tiresome, a lot of the time skill-free, and never funny ( to me ).
Then I had a revelation, I took my daughter ( then 4 ) to a show I'd already seen, one in which I thought the clowns were particularly bad ( they also had some random costume characters on for no particular reason at all ). My daughter loved the clowns, giggled at everything they did.. ( And liked the random skins too.. )
So you have to realise that this is family entertainment, and primarily aimed at the kids in the audience. There's "danger" ( inverted commas intentional ), spectacle, and some things that you didn't know could be done for the adults ( oh yea, and girls in skimpy costumes and sequins ), but mostly it's not aimed at them.

Catch "Cirque Eloize" if you ever get the chance, they do a show for adults ( no, not an "adult show" ), the skill level is astounding, and they're dead nice folk obviously enjoying their work. ( I don't like Soleil that much, I think their shows are way too glossy and impersonal, might just as well buy the dvd as go see them live. Eloize are still gritty and real enough to engage with their audience. )

Answer 3

I don't think we expected less, I think everything was new and amazing. I have not been to a REAL circus in a long time so I can;t really tell you for sure if I think it went down hill, but I can tell you that I was once taken to see Cirque De Sole as a kid and was dissapointed that there were no elephants or lions, now those shows blow me away. Maybe it is all perspective!

Answer 4

R u going to the same circus? They can be quite different from each other. Certainly we are more impressed by the magic of the circus the first time we experience it.

Answer 5

We were just more impressed and amazed with things when we were younger. We've experienced so much more that it doesn't seem quite as good these days.

Answer 6

I don't like circus using animals to perform, so I don't quite like circuses.