Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Circus Icon Ringling Bros. Says Goodbye After 146 Years
NBCNews.com ^ | May 21 2017, | Daniella Silva

Posted on 05/22/2017 1:54:04 AM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult

UNIONDALE, New York — Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus folded up its Big Top for the last time on Sunday night in New York, as emotional performers, wistful crowd-goers and ecstatic protesters said farewell to an institution in American live entertainment after nearly a century and a half.

The circus gave the final performance of "The Greatest Show on Earth" to a sold-out crowd at Nassau Coliseum, showing off its death-defying stunts and exotic animals for the last time after 146 years.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: americana; animalrightactivists; animalrights; barnumandbailey; circus; culturewar; feld; finalperformance; greatestshowonearth; newyork; peta; ringling; ringlingbros; theend
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-95 next last
To: Rebelbase

That would have been so cool. IN recent times, they had to come into town under the cover of darkness.


41 posted on 05/22/2017 5:17:00 AM PDT by castlegreyskull
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: Hillarys Gate Cult

Clowns have become a fear factor.


42 posted on 05/22/2017 5:18:00 AM PDT by Biggirl ("One Lord, one faith, one baptism5" - Ephesians 4:5)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: miss marmelstein
ratty and tacky with tired animals and lousy clowns

That is how every single woman describes a date with me.

43 posted on 05/22/2017 5:19:19 AM PDT by Lazamataz (The "news" networks and papers are bitter, dangerous enemies of the American people.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Hillarys Gate Cult

Bmk.


44 posted on 05/22/2017 5:25:54 AM PDT by Carriage Hill ( Poor demoncrats haven't been this mad, since the Republicans took their slaves away.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Biggirl
That's a somewhat different story. It hit the big scene in the 1990s and early 2000s, and it's still something of a novelty for many people.

To give you an indication of just how hard it is to maintain public interest in different forms of entertainment, even an iconic American institution like NASCAR has been in a period of decline since the peak of its popularity in the late 1990s.

45 posted on 05/22/2017 5:41:21 AM PDT by Alberta's Child
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: Hillarys Gate Cult

I’m not an animal rights activist, I just find the circus boring.

My children have no desire to attend one either.

Things change over time.


46 posted on 05/22/2017 5:58:30 AM PDT by mom4melody (,)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lazamataz

Well, they have no taste, Laz.


47 posted on 05/22/2017 6:08:27 AM PDT by miss marmelstein
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: miss marmelstein
Well, they have no taste, Laz.

Maybe. But they sure taste good!


48 posted on 05/22/2017 6:14:08 AM PDT by Lazamataz (The "news" networks and papers are bitter, dangerous enemies of the American people.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: castlegreyskull
They had it outdoors. That must have been cool. How did they set up the trapeze?

That was more than fifty years ago. They had poles and crossbars set up. I mostly remember the elephants and a bunch of clowns piling out of a tiny clown car.

49 posted on 05/22/2017 6:44:27 AM PDT by Will88
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr
who wants to sit in a hot tent sweating various parts of your anatomy off to watch performing animals in the height of the summer?

Ringling hasn't played tents since the 1950's. All recent shows, like the last one Sunday, were in air conditioned hockey arenas.


50 posted on 05/22/2017 7:19:26 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr

We keep getting free tickets to the Shrine Circus here in San Antonio - haven’t taken the kids since they were 8 and 4 respectively, mainly because it’s become sort of lame entertainment.


51 posted on 05/22/2017 7:21:00 AM PDT by jagusafr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Will88

Now if people want to see a seemingly infinite number of people pile out of a vehicle they’ll have to go no further than driving home by a van crash full of illegals. They also give extra added entertainment by disappearing.


52 posted on 05/22/2017 7:23:22 AM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: SMGFan

“Dear Madame Barnum, I resign as clown”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTJujda3Sv0


53 posted on 05/22/2017 7:24:00 AM PDT by dfwgator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Buckeye McFrog

See my post and link above. They returned to tents on a limited basis in 2009.

Also - their advertising did nothing to dispel the image of having to go sit in a hot tent to watch the circus. Nobody wants to do that in Texas (or the rest of the South) for about half the year.


54 posted on 05/22/2017 7:26:41 AM PDT by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: Salman
They should set-up a permanent show in Las Vegas.
55 posted on 05/22/2017 7:26:42 AM PDT by Jolla
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Hillarys Gate Cult; LUV W; All
Ringling Bros. Says Goodbye
It is GONE.
Killed by the animal rights activists


56 posted on 05/22/2017 7:34:38 AM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hillarys Gate Cult

What an ignominious site for the end of The Greatest Show On Earth....the Nassau Mausoleum........(sigh)


57 posted on 05/22/2017 7:45:08 AM PDT by Roccus (When you talk to a politician...ANY politician...always say, "Remember Ceausescu")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: smileyface

I think it’s largely a dead brand and - generally speaking - a dead concept.

I think you could probably streamline the concept into some daredevil type show, but I think the idea of “performing” animals is just not something that works well in 2017.


58 posted on 05/22/2017 8:03:05 AM PDT by WVMnteer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Salman

There is one small traveling circus that only performs in their own tents. I can’t remember the name, but they come through here on occasion.


59 posted on 05/22/2017 8:07:21 AM PDT by fwdude (Democrats have not been this angry since Republicans freed the slaves.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Jolla

They’ve tried variations of the permanent show in the past in Florida - to very little success.

I have three kids under 13. They have never once in their lives mentioned an interest in seeing the circus.

And, frankly, it’s never really occurred to me to take them. I went once as a kid at some point in the 70s. I don’t really remember enjoying it.


60 posted on 05/22/2017 8:09:49 AM PDT by WVMnteer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-95 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson