Freak shows aren’t very popular in today’s PC world, but there was a time in the not too distant past when we could all feel a little better about ourselves via self-comparison with the aberrant members of society. That kind of vicarious pleasure can still be had, albeit in a diminished, plasticized way, with these Lil’ Sideshow action figures (the action is pretty much kept to a minimum, so maybe just calling them figures will do). Frog girl and Lobster boy are here for your pleasure and enjoyment, but even the manufacturer seems to question the concept. Why, indeed?
Ditto Bertha, the bearded lady who also happens to be grotesquely overweight, but refuses to be billed as such. Truth is, studies show most kids relate to her more than they do Barbie, but she still gets a (big fat) why?
Yet there’s no reason to question the strong man, no why? on his platform background. He’s a member of the show, & collects his paycheck like all the rest of ‘em, but he certainly does not consider himself a freak, so be careful what you say when he’s within earshot. (His barbells are removable, so if you have any objects in your house with similar dimensions, the strong man can appear to hold them aloft, which is mighty compelling.)
Instead of why, my question for the strong man is: does he have an extra set of mini-arms that spring from his biceps and hoist their own set of barbells, or is he standing in front of a strangely-angled mirror?
