Why Americans Love P. T. Barnum
If Americans love one thing it is a good show. Aside from other things that P. T Barnum may have represented to others—a politician, a performer, a manager, a legislator, to some a scam artist, Americans loved him because Americans love being entertained. It is beyond the scope of this essay to go into depth on that, but there would not be a lack of information to make a strong case for our love of entertainment.
That is exactly what Phineas delivered time after time, with acts that earned him large amounts of money at the time. Names which still persist today like “General Tom Thumb,” “The Greatest Show On Earth” among many others are the descendants of entertainment acts created by P. T. Barnum (Biography.org, 2013).
The Biography Channel depicts Barnum as drumming up “the gullibility of people.” He did have acts that were false, such as alleged the Feejee Mermaid, or George Washington’s nurse who was supposedly 147 years old. These may have seemed like “lies” or “distortions” to some, but Barnum firmly believed that people coming to his show were getting their money’s worth. And the success of his shows, his wild popularity, is enough to attest that people were leaving his shows and museum satisfied.
In popular culture, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, is a clear descendant of Barnum’s shows. His ability to market has been studied by those in sales and promotion, since in many ways he was the father of this art. (Biography.org, 2013). He not only delivered shows that kept people coming back, he got people there in the first place through his marketing and promotion genius.
Works Cited
Biography P.T. Barnum Biography - Facts, Birthday, Life Story - Biography.com . (n.d.). P.T. Barnum biography . Retrieved September 10, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/pt-barnum-9199751?page=2
PT Barnum - Biography on Bio.. (n.d.).Bio: Shows, Video, TV Schedule and More on Bio.. Retrieved September 10, 2013, from http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/pt-barnum.html
