Aesthetic Autopsy - Gentleman Geek

[Lenore Lovelace]

The legend of the Geek among Carny folk is far different from the image that is often portrayed by works of fiction.  Take for example HBO’s series Carnivale, in which Henry Scudder held mystical powers and appeared only briefly in his tuxedo that was also seen on a pitch card where the title of this article stems from.  Unfortunately this part of the character was not really developed and so the man in the fancy suit and top hat holding a chicken by its feet remained elusive.  In the 1940s film noir Nightmare Alley, the Geek is an alcoholic whose mental state is less than stable – he performs the act because it is all that he can do, but eventually the bottle takes control.  When the ambitious Stan comes along seeking a job from the boss, jokes are made that he can assume the role left vacant by the booze-loving Pete, and it is during this scene which one of my favorite lines is delivered: You know what a geek is, don’t you?  Katherine Dunn examines a whole other perspective of the true sideshow freak in her beautiful novel Geek Love, and I enjoy the fact that Crystal Lil recalls her time spent as the Geek.

This week's Carny Style fashion guide examines one of the lesser-known sideshow acts, dispelling myths and offering advice on how to embrace the aesthetic without all that messy chicken eating.