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Thursday night, I had the privilege of attending The Greatest Show on Earth. My 11-year old son and I traveled into the big city of Atlanta, along with some friends, and watched the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey circus.
If you are unfamiliar with this circus, you are missing the BIG TOP in all its glory. Feld Entertainment promises The Greatest Show on Earth, and they don't fail in delivering that promise!
With Feld Entertainment now in the hands of Mr. Feld's two daughters, the circus has taken on some new angles, including putting today's technology to use in creative and fun ways! They have certainly kept the circus tradition alive and pushed it to a new fold.
My son and I loved all the different parts of the circus--from the clowns' antics (especially the obligatory VW bug full of never-ending clowns) dressed as different Superheroes to the tightrope walkers to the motorcycle acts! The daredevil stunts were a big hit!
These motorcycle drivers put not 1, not 2, but 7 motorcycles into that not-very-big steel ball you see there! It was incredible!
As for me, I especially loved the Body Benders segment. These women (and a few men) were mind-blowing showing what they can do with their bodies! Makes you feel old just watching them!
...and as usual, the circus has it's fair share of animal talent and entertainment, though not as much in years past. I guess that's a good thing, and since I am writing this review from an unbiased and fair point of view, I feel I need to write about this...
As the circus pulled into Atlanta, the news media quickly pointed out that Peta had landed. Yes, they had landed, and they landed themselves right in front of the main doors going into the arena. It was a much smaller crowd than I thought would be there, but they had video.
If any of you know me, you know I am a staunch animal welfare advocate. I had actually stopped going to the circus many years ago, based on these videos and allegations. Sometimes, it's hard to tell if Peta is being dramatic or if the circus is protecting themselves, so for me and my pocketbook, I decided it was best to err on the side of caution and the animals.
I figured times had changed and so had Ringling Bros., and because I wanted my youngest to see the clowns, the motorcycles, and the allure of the BIG TOP, I decided to try the circus one more time.
However, Peta's presence right outside the doors immediately brought all my old fears back to the surface. It's easy to walk past people with opinions. It's not so easy to walk past people with videos and proof.
Sadly enough, I was not able to shield my son from the protesters, their signs, and most importantly, their video proof. Being a family with many, many pets and knowing how I feel about animals, he almost couldn't go in.
He was began to ask questions, and his eyes were full of both sadness and shock. "Mom, do they really do those things to the animals?" "Why are we going in?" "How do you know they don't do those things?" "Are you sure they aren't telling the truth?"
Wow...talk about a moment. Crossing a picket line with your child. Not fun.
If you are planning on going to the circus while it is in town, prepare yourself and your child for these protesters and their videos. It can be daunting for some.
While this blog post is supposed to be a review of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, it is not a biased one and one that will not lean one way or the other.
Let me say that the CIRCUS itself is very good. The PEOPLE in the show are extremely talented and well trained. The food, the fun, and the atmosphere are all very good and over the top. It is everything it should be. Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey lives up to the legends who started the circus way before any of us were born. In that respect, it is worth every penny of your money and your time to go and see it.
However, I would be remiss and not true to myself if I did not post about the alleged treatment of their animals. (I won't take the time to delve into details. A quick Peta Ringling Bros. Google search will bring up everything you need to know.)
If you are brave enough, you may click on the play button below to see a brief video showing Ringling's alleged treatment of their beloved elephants--the animals so many of us pay good money to see perform.
Please note this video contains explicit language and some moments that may be hard to watch. I believe it is a few years old, and we can only hope things have changed since then.
I hate doing blog posts like these, but I have to be fair to both sides and how my family experienced the circus this week. Since I am in neither Peta's shoes nor Ringling Bros.', I can only speak for how my own family saw things.
It's your money. Choose to spend it how you wish. The circus is a great value for a family night out full of fun and entertainment, but if Feld Entertainment is really abusing their animal "entertainers," is this how you want your money being spent?
You make the decision.
UPDATE: Please note that I was contacted, via twitter, by Nicole Feld after expressing my opinion. Her reply was that Ringling Bros. does love and care for all of their animals, and you may visit their Elephant Care website to get more information.
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