The real freaks of American Horror Story 4

Since the beginning of the fourth season of American Horror Story, the word "Freak Show" began to appear here and there in the speeches of all the addicted. The curious thing is that before the boom of the television series, the real freaks were set aside for decades in that dark of the brain where you collect the information of interest, yes, but not to the point to be thorough or discussed. 

But ... how, exactly, they know what they are, and above all, what they have been, the freak shows? 

Speaking of "freak show" we mean performances of biological rarities very much in vogue in the United States from the nineteenth century until the first half of the twentieth century. Men and women with genetic malformations were the reason why large groups of curious spectators were willing to pay. Their end coincided with the hope of being able to turn pale, stand open-mouthed in front of the diversity of others, and, consequently, to get out reassured by its normality. The deformity became then, especially during the 1800s, the subject of fun and almost morbid interest as well as a great way for different companies, including the most famous ones of PT Barnum and counterparty T. Norman, to generate profit. Towards the end of the century, the initial enthusiasm for this kind of spectacle faded more and more until the prohibition of staging. Et voila, here is yet another confirmation of what can sometimes be controversial, questionable and sick American culture. 

Definitely think about everything else that does not awaken an obsessive and obsessive interest in those aspects that most of the times there are hidden and denied. Same curiosity that must be born in the creators of AHS 4 for the choice of the characters in the new series, based largely on freak really existed.

Here are some: 

# 1 The character of Jimmy Darling is inspired by Fred Wilson, called "The Lobster Boy", was born in Massachusetts in 1866. 

# 2 Annie Jones, "The Bearded Woman", is none other than Ethel Darling. The beard of Annie began to tick when she was only five years.

# 3 Millie-Christine, the Siamese twins who inspired the character of Dr. Beth, were sold by their parents to a circus owner for $ 1,000.

# 4 Pip and Flip appeared in Tod Browning film "Freaks", dated 1932, from which AHS Freak Show takes several cues. An example is found in the character of Pepper.

# 5 Lucia Zarate, who was born in 1890 in San Carlos in Mexico, incredibly reminiscent of the character of Ma Petite.

# 6 Legless Suzy is inspired by Eli Bowen, the legless man, a true star of the freak show at Coney Island until his death, at age 79.

# 7 Minnie Woolsey lived in a mental hospital most of his life, until a showman not discovered it and made ​​it the star of his show of freaks. The similarity with Meep speaks for itself.

# 8 Blanche Dumas, the woman with three legs taken for entertainment in a Parisian court in 1800, is the starting point for the creation of sinister character that appears in the acronym.