Last Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailum Circus

[KMFJD]

Last Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus is tonight, it's being live streamed.

 

[Mayne]

end of an era.

 

[Fritzo]

It's bitter-sweet. When something's always been there, it becomes expected and you miss it when it's gone.

On the other-hand, it's a form of entertainment from another era and it doesn't really have a place in modern society. Truthfully, these types of live shows started to fall off in popularity in the 80's and have been of life-support for the past decade or so.

 

[IronWing]

Is tomorrow's animal shoot open to the public?

A mere, tasteless jest.

 

[Mayne]

Who can say here they actually seen a circus in real life. I did. it was pretty damn cool. I do see why circe du soleil is really popular though.

 

[IronWing]

Who can say here they actually seen a circus in real life. I did. it was pretty damn cool. I do see why circe du soleil is really popular though.

I saw the Shrine Circus a bunch of times as a kid.
I saw Ringling Brothers at least once, maybe twice.
I saw Circus Vargas twice (it had the largest circus tent in world at the time).
I saw a few really small circuses, one of which turned out to be front for Jesus freaks.

Ringling was the dullest of the bunch with multiple parades around the arena which seemed to be designed as fillers.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

It's bitter-sweet. When something's always been there, it becomes expected and you miss it when it's gone.

On the other-hand, it's a form of entertainment from another era and it doesn't really have a place in modern society. Truthfully, these types of live shows started to fall off in popularity in the 80's and have been of life-support for the past decade or so.

I don't want to live on this planet.

 

[KMFJD]

Watched a bit of it and there's a reason they're stopping imo...better than expected but meh

 

[sandorski]

Saw 2 or 3 when I was a kid. Kinda interesting, but I never looked forward to seeing one.

 

[thebestMAX]

Still better than a stoned ride on the Teacups or Peter Pan's Flight at Disneyland, errr, ahh, or so Im told.

 

[SKORPI0]

I've watched them long time ago. It was fun and entertaining. Sad to see it go, but times changes.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

I took my kids to see them about a month ago. Great show.

 

[sdifox]

I was actually at the show. Quite impressed by the talents displayed.

 

[BoomerD]

I saw the Shrine Circus a bunch of times as a kid.
I saw Ringling Brothers at least once, maybe twice.
I saw Circus Vargas twice (it had the largest circus tent in world at the time).
I saw a few really small circuses, one of which turned out to be front for Jesus freaks.

Ringling was the dullest of the bunch with multiple parades around the arena which seemed to be designed as fillers.

Yep. Ringling Brothers really was the Greatest Show on Earth. I saw their circus performances every year or two as a kid...plus the Shrine Circus, Circus Vargas, and several other smaller circuses several times.

I DO agree with Fritzo. their popularity and that of the whole genre has been dying since the 70's or 80's. Part of it is the controversy over the elephants...and other circus animals...and the loss of elephants to the shows...part of it is the internet...and electronic devices...part of it is television in its many forms.
the last time we went to see Ringling Bros. was to take our oldest grandson for his birthday. Must have been...2002 or 2003. Seemed like the whole show was about motorcycles...for almost everything. That was kind of a turn off for me.

 

[Kaido]

end of an era.

Just came in to post exactly that. Mixed feelings tho...it's kind of an American institution, but at the same time, it sounded pretty rough on the animals.