There seems to be a lot of confusion here over nothing. Why is it so hard to believe that someone in another country, across an ocean, on another continent, who's in the same business as you, could possibly go by the same name. Especially something simple like First Name, Sideshow Prop. David Straightjacket. Ben Swords. Frankie Fire. Etc...Its not an insult that you could both have the same name. It doesn't mean that one stole it from the other. Its just a fairly easy to imagine coincidence.

The other confusion if I can help to clear up, I think David thinks that Curator is Sideshowworld, when he to my knowledge isn't.

No need for everyone to be at each others throats.

The thread is about faking sideshow stunts, and has become about faking resumes, and mistaken identities.
If you tell people on stage that you've studied for years with hindu fakirs,
If you take on a stage name that sounds cool and catchy,
If you do cup and balls, blockhead, and balloon swallowing,
Does it really make any difference as long as the audience is entertained?

Hang in there Harley, in just another five years you may be able to get rid of that last one!

Does anyone have a Good source for a Gaffed Straitjacket??...

What type,,,bonza, viking,Deval, ?? Or even hows about a David lol.

I'll have a $1000 I can spend, although I am hoping to get a collapsable also...

Cannons Great Escapes is the place to contact and I believe they are about to disband business so you could get a good deal there. Details would be on the All Tied up Section here.
Second hand very often come up for around $200..

Jim, I have a few extra ones that I could part with. BUT They aren't gaffed. Posey. The real deal. How big of a boy are you? Not starting a fight, just wondering if they would fit ya.

Jim Zajicek
Curator
Big Circus Sideshow
Born: Alpha-Centauri,Oct 31, 1961
Height:5-11 Weight: 180
Bats: Right Throws: Right

Pete leave it to you to make such a funny joke, or was it a joke? Harley is the man but if he can do it with no nails then he is a god! Oh and Jimmy Straightjacket I just registered my name, so for now on when you call ask for Kevin Paintbrush!
yours truly
Kevin Paintbrush

I cant believe this thread is still going... I know it was a while ago, but I didn't mean to imply I was doing a fake SS and trying to play it as real. I ALWAYS play it as a joke. I've been lately starting with some magic and ending with my sideshow. Kinda 2 shows in one kinda thing. The sword swallow is a throw away joke cause I had one. I have respect for the ss and the glass eaters cause they seem a bit too dangerous for me... I'll stick to "safe" fire and shards of glass....

...an interesting experiment. You play with certain social conventions, push the boundaries.

It all comes back to showmanship. Most escape artists I've seen are boring, as are many sideshow performers and magicians. They do tricks, so the underlying content insults the audience with "I know how to do this, and you don't." And their presentations are simply trick after trick after trick.

If you know how to engage the audience, you can take them on an emotional roller-coaster.

The problem with conventions is that people accept them without question. They're habits, which by definition are automatic, often learned from our teachers. A lot of our current performers are stuck in those conventions.

Not too long ago, I saw a tattooed guy using the line about being captured by south sea natives, etc. The story was great when it was first introduced (1844), but now we have mass communications, and everybody knows it's BS. The general level of sophistication has risen. A lot of people know that tribal tatts don't include hearts with "Mom" written in them. Some even know which tatts represent heads taken, within respective cultures. The sad part of the presentation was that it wasn't being played for its schlockiness. THAT might have made it interesting.

Jim, does Mike know about this?????

Since, SWSW is a focal point in this thread...think of all the sword swallowers we know...how many of them stand there with a rack of swords, swallowing one after the other. Is there anybody in the audience who doesn't know the act, before the first sword is halfway down? I doubt it. Why even bother?

I agree with the bore aspect, my own set when doing SS is 1) Bayonet 2) Full length 3) Large Screwdriver, with a host of gags to link the whole episode lasts around four minets. This has worked for me for over twenty years so Im happy about it. Miss Behave also swallows a chair leg, is very female and gets a better reaction than me as she is female.

Like so many aspects of this biz the formalation of what is percieved to be the norm (To be expected) Is in actual fact not so. IE >> Look at how many Sideshow performers consider to have to have tatts, ware over the top makeup and appear as bizzare as they can in order to give the illusion that they are the real!!! deal,,,pathetic,,,now look at Todd Robbins and tell me that his outlook detracts from a sideshow image. Of course not, but that's how stupid some of the followers are,,,sheep,,,without their own presentation.

So yes, I think you have hit on a valid point.

Ken.

On the Midway I prefer the Sideshow Chris or The Todd Robbins look...(see Mr. Tupper in "Toby Tyler") withouta Doubt they are more Family Friendly...in fact I have a policy No tats on Grill, No Bones in Noses,No piercings, No unnatural (example Green) colored Hair, No Steampunk, or punk Garb, and No swearing or off color jokes, and stage names are subject to approval...Not that there is anything wrong with any of that..just that Kids from 1 to 1o1 are allowed, (see Family Friendly) had a few people say that they thought the Sideshow was one place they could be themselves, WRONG!, maybe elsewhere, But not on the BCS...

Hope you get to see the set done on BGT by the Circus of horrors,,,,yep sir and they got a standing O plus through to the next round.
If you close look the artiste you will see the formalation that I am talking about.

To see an individual come up with his / her own worked idea is so refreshing and diverts us away from the what has now become "norm" sideshow look.Diversity in anything is what makes the difference to presentation, to draw Todd as an example again (Sorry to drag on you Todd) His persona works, not only for him but his speckies so that is a success story for sideshow. To have a tribe on multiple stages covered in tatts and heavy make up will clone the expectations of what a sideshow performer should appear like,,,this is wrong and detracts from the impression we should all be aiming at.

Ken.

Todd and Jim, I love and admire you gentlemen dearly and would never in any way disrespect you. In spite of what someone may think of me, I am truly a man of principle and integrity and have better things to do with my life than make such disrespectful posts. I've spent the last 7 years studying this profession and cherish all those that I have had the luxury of working with and meeting. I will do my part in carrying on the tradition of sideshow entertainment.

A Great Man Once Said To Me, "In Order For People To Really Love You, You Have To Have People Who Hate You"!

Best,

Bryce Graves

A number of posts have been deleted here !!! Cant think why as nothing derogatory was written,,,seems sad and odd that this should happen still the memories of them will linger on and put a smile on my face for a long time yet!!

Ken.

Getting back to Harley's point, I half heartedly agree. Since as a sword swallower and a sideshow performer I am always trying to reinvent the same acts, without stealing someone else's spin, but when it really comes down to it there is such a small amount of acts packed neatly into a box that date back hundreds of years. To say, after the first sword everyone knows what is coming next is the same as saying after the first nail inserted into the nasal canal you can only insert different items in different ways, or after the first hat pin, who cares to see a wire thru the mandible. I think you are underestimating the audience by saying you will loose them with a small progression thru the smae act. Most people in the world have never seen a person swallow a sword in person, not to mention a progression of swords.

But I feel that sword swallower's get a bad rap, because like you said, after the first sword you can only step up your game in progression so many times, but this is true with most of the acts. Now, trust me I in no way am trying to inflate my ego, since I will be the first to say that I do a very run of the mill sword act, but beyond the residual shock value it seems to me its more about the presentation than the act at all.

To me sideshow is an art I want to see past on and preserved, but it is also a vehicle to be a performer. I'm not sure where continuing to reinvent the wheel and become more "in your face" extreme will lead us. It just makes me think of the reinvention of burlesque, and look where that's gotten us. But that is a whole 'nuther subject.

Who knows', that may have been exactly what you meant Harley, and your teachings have slipped into my blood stream via telepathy, or not.