Is the circus culture dying....Do people still go to the circus?

Answer 1

Cirque de Soliel anyone? Of course it is not dead...the Cirque de Soliel has become a multi million dollar operation it helps that they diversified into Las Vegas and have touring shows as well. Now the Ringling Brothers Barnum Bailey type with animals is another story.

Answer 2

Like zoos, state fairs, and other family entertainment, attendence per capita has gone down, but it is far from dying. Back in the late 1800s/early 1900s there simply wasnt much entertainment.
Tv, computers, movies, video games even radio wasnt around then. People had little entertainment other than ice cream socials, church picnics, dancing and playing cards. Of course, there was baseball.
There weren't a lot of public zoos either and the circus was the only chance for a lot of people to see "exotic" animals like lions, tigers and bears Oh, MY and of course, the circus standard Elephants.
A small circus could come in by train and set up for a weekend, give a few shows and be on to the next town.
Nowadays most adults don't attend, unless they have small children. The still see things with wonder and awe.

The same was true for carnivals. The "Carney" traveled all over going south for the winter when it was 2 cold to play the midwest.

Answer 3

I do think it's dying. I haven't heard of a circus being held in a long time. I guess because people travel so much and there's so much entertainment to be had. For instance Las Vegas has circus acts and all sorts of entertainment in their casinos. Also, with TV and computers, people enjoy games and do research, etc. Every once in awhile they have some rides outside of stores but I think the circus has gone the way of vaudeville. If I'm wrong, I apologize to all the circus lovers and performers out there.

Answer 4

It's still quite popular although depleting as Play stations, MP3, players and the PC take over entertainment etc The small countryside ones that tour villages do well, here in my town in the UK we have a once a year Russian state circus and the Chinese circus, they are very popular, on the whole i think people just tune in to the house of commons live to see the clowns (would love to do the custard pie thing there) heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Answer 5

I think it is dying. The circus definately isn't what it used to be. I went with a friend of mine and her little girls to the circus and they didn't have hardly any of the usual stuff- no trapeeze artists or gymnasts- no big cats- no side shows. Needless to say it was very dissapointing especially for how expensive the tickets were.

Answer 6

I agree with something Robbie Coltrane once pointed out, the paradoxical thing about circuses is that you see people doing mind-numbingly boring acts that have actually taken years of training and great skill to master, and you sit there thinking 'what's the point?' Well, I do anyway.
More seriously, I think the animal welfare issue has just about killed off the circus; people rightly consider it cruel to keep non-domesticated animals in that sort of environment, just for entertainment, yet when you take away the Lions and Elephants all you are left with is a couple of guys trying to persuade you that pouring whitewash down their pants is funny, and someone juggling clubs!

Answer 7

My boss just took his little girls to the circus, but after paying $10 apiece for snow cones, he's not likely to do it again. If the circus is dying, it's the fault of the circus.

Answer 8

Due to popular culture, lots of people are very afraid of circus freaks and things like that!

Answer 9

Making animals perform is way outdated, the modern circus is now Cirque de Soliel, no animals in this but a really fantastic show with humans, fab settings and music. Go see it.

Answer 10

LOVE your Avatar!
What was the question again?
Er, Yes, probably it is, and I don't suppose they do, but I haven't been to a circus for about 50 years so I wouldn't know