March 3, 2026 - 00:01
The way he unpacks the word freak and connects it to the history of the freak show. His argument that people were not “naturally” freaks, but were socially constructed as such through racism, ableism, and capitalism. The showmen, scientists, and audiences all participated in creating this divide between “normal” and “Other.” It made me realize that what we often think of as difference being inherent in someone’s body is actually shaped by systems of power that decide which bodies are acceptable and which are spectacle.
Clare’s comparison between the freak show and modern medical practices like public stripping in hospitals. He argues that even though the freak show declined, voyeurism did not disappear. It shifted into new forms, especially within medical spaces. That really changed how I think about progress. We tend to assume that moving from circus tents to doctors’ offices is automatically more humane, but Clare complicates that idea by showing how control and objectification can still exist, just under a different name.