A few hours before I watched Half Ton Mum on More 4 last night, I’d been reading a fascinating article on the British Library website about the history of ‘freak’ shows, and therefore, unavoidably, when I’d watched this documentary, I couldn’t help but make comparisons.

Here’s an extract from the article I’d been reading…

“Exhibitions of live human curiosities had appeared in travelling fairs, circuses and taverns in England since the 1600s. These included so-called giants, dwarves, fat people, the very thin, conjoined twins and even people from exotic climes.

“Freak shows were a particularly popular form of entertainment during the Victorian period, when people from all classes flocked to gawp at these unusual examples of human life.”

The only difference between us and our Victorian ancestors then is that we don’t have to go out to see ‘freaks’, they’re conveniently beamed directly into our living rooms. Read more & comment »