Neil Harris, in his book, "Humbug: The Art of P. Barnum," gives the account of Phineas Taylor Barnum, an American business man whose business ways involved bringing everything onto another level through the art of humbugging. He made individualistic and new republic ideas merge during a time when self-education was at its foundation. Neil Harris gave what P.T. Barnum was doing as "the operational aesthetic, " where people wanted to think outside of the box and figure out how things worked.
P.T Barnum was born on July 5, 1810 in Danbury, Connecticut in a time where "Victimization was a way of life" (Harris 10). Barnum had to find a way to fill the compulsive competitiveness that filled the air during that time. He quickly went from "farm work " to a clerk in a local store where he had to push through hard bargains with his customers, "shrewdness was necessary"" (Harris 11). Learning from an early age that human behavior could be manipulated, he quickly put that to use through the store, where customers attempted to mix their damaged goods with new. Barnum recalled, "The customers cheated us in their fabrics we cheated the customers with our goods. Each party expected to be cheated, if it was possible. Our eyes, and not our ears, had to be our masters. We must believe little that we saw, and less that we heard"" (Harris 13). He was a lucrative businessman with intentions of using his cunning ways in order to succeed. Even though he kept his business tailored to what society wanted, he kept his private life a guarded secret. Barnum said "My private personal affairs I always have kept distinct from business"" (Harris 14). He found a way to give the people what they wanted and to expand their minds to endless possibilities. .
In 1834, Barnum moved his family to New York City where he could fulfill his desires as a showman. Fueled by high ambitions and confidence, Barnum seized the opportunity to entertain through "the Joice Heth affair"" (Harris 20).
Burrows and Wallace's rigid application of the word "race" fails to account for the evolution of P.T. Barnum's subject matter. ... However, Burrows and Wallace emphasize race, "blackness" in particular, as "central to Barnum's formula." ... Rather, "blackness" was synonymous with the grotesque, the latter of which was imperative to Barnum's formula. Barnum's eagerness to distort was by no means limited to race. ...
The 19th century in the United States of America was essential in its history and its social life and entertainment was crucial. The new middle class sparked the rise of consumer culture as well as more democratic forms of entertainment, or popular culture. As printing became cheaper, newspaper pr...
Barnum Phineas Taylor Barnum was possibly the greatest showman of the world. ... Barnum was born in a close knit town of dunsbury Connecticut. His mother was Irena Barnum and his father was Phino Barnum. ... Barnum bought his first curiosity called Joice. ... He finally started his own show when he realized that curiosities were his life. ...
"The Wizard of Oz,"" takes a positive approach toward the change from Agrarian to urban life that was taking place; Baum seems to be telling the country, "It's all good."" ... Oz creates a city in which it appears good can come to all, much in the same way tricksters like P.T. Barnum created a false sense of reality. ... Dorothy undergoes no transformation, even after experiencing the Great City of Oz, demonstrating that people can enjoy the city-life without losing their past. ... Big cities, therefore, should not be something to fear, but rather a new style of life that Americans sho...
An example of how press agentry has been used in the past is the story of P.T Barnum; he was a circus promoter who wanted to gain as much publicity as possible for the circus, his primary goal was to achieve as high an attendance as he could. ... The sole purpose of the publicity stunt is primarily to get attention; this type of practise also dates back to P.T Barnum who announced his circus' arrival by hitching an elephant to a plow beside the train tracks (M.Yudkin, 2000). ... Barnum's "There's a sucker born every minute- quote regarding Press Agentry, Goldman (1949) described...
Broadway has always been identified as the symbol of Manhattan's theatrical life. ... Yet, almost simultaneously, another area in New York was coming into its own in the area of theater life. ... P.T. Barnum had his beginnings on the Bowery, with a cheap dime museum where he showed off an alleged 161-year-old women who he claimed was in fact George Washington's nurse. ... After Barnum moved, other people imitated his idea on Bowery, bringing the circus back to its beginning's . ...
Like his contemporary P.T. Barnum, he deliberately cultivated myths about himself, which added to the stature of his products. ... He knew that, given that his guns were often used in life-and-death situations, quality was essential; even a few stories of guns jamming in action could ruin the product's reputation. ...
The Case of the Speluncean Explorers The most important element to consider in the case of the Speluncean Explorers is that of common sense. ... I would oppose them by saying yes it is a matter of life and death. ... Consider now how we as a society value human life. ... Ten men died in the effort to rescue the Speluncean Explorers. ... Common sense says of course not, our morals and value for human life would not allow it. ...
"Punch-Drunk Love" Film Review Once in a while, there comes an independent film that is a hit with the film festival streak. If it's lucky, it is shown a few "big screens" in major theatres over the United States. For the film, "Punch-Drunk Love," it's on its way up! "Punch-Drunk Love" is ...
