Academic History of Freaks

 History of Academic Analysis of Freaks



1.       Douglas Bicklen (1970s) “Pornography of Disability”
a.       Adopted by disability activists to describe the EXPLOITATION of the disabled as freaks.
b.      Advocate for those with communication disorders like autism
2.       Diane Arbus (1970s) “Fur”/”Photographs”
a.       Symbols of isolation and estrangement
b.      Evidence of the futility of survival
3.       Leslie Fiedler (1978) “Freaks: Myths and Images of the Secret Self”
a.       Saw freaks as the OTHER…a mirror image of what we are or might become
b.      Mythic  archetypes
c.       Primordial fear represented
4.       Fredrich Drimmer (1983) “Very Special People”
a.       Saw freaks as courageous people who somehow managed to survive by overcoming life’s many obstacles
5.       Robert Bogden (1988) “Freak Show”
a.       Looks at freaks without MORALIZING. Sees them as developing strategies within the available social and cultural “presentations”
6.       Laurie Block (1998) NPR series "Beyond Affliction: The Disability History Project."
a.       Her four-part radio series looked at the development of the "poster child" in American culture, employment issues and government policy on disability historically, the development of the disability rights movement, and an historical understanding of conception and childbirth as it relates to newborns with disabilities.
b.      The series ran in May1998, and she created an in-depth web site linked to the NPR site, which functions as an on-line museum archive.
7.       Thomson, R. G. (ed.) (1998). “Freakery, Cultural Spectacles of the Extraordinary Body”.
a.       Sees construction of freakdom as part of the larger American eye for spectacles.
b.      Jerry Springer
c.       5 minutes of fame

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