1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: Hi, everybody, Happy Saturday. I hope you're having a great weekend. 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: If you want to learn something about circus families, you're 3 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:09,399 Speaker 1: in the right place because this is a throwback select 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: episode to July two. Circus families, Believe it or not, 5 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: It's a thing, great, great, rich traditions all over the 6 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 1: world with circus families, fathers and mothers teaching sons and daughters, 7 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 1: aunts and uncles teaching nieces and nephews how to swing 8 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: on trap pieces and climb ropes and dew flips and 9 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: ride motorcycles. Here we go, how circus families work. Welcome 10 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 1: to Stuff you should know, a production of I Heart Radio. Hey, 11 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark, Just Charles 12 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: W Chuck Bryant, and Jerry, Which makes this the Flying 13 00:00:53,080 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: s Y s Cades, Flying Stuff, stuffy In's Stuffino, Oh, 14 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: Steffini's Flying stef Man Boy. See you look at that. 15 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: It took us we seven seconds, maybe even less, to 16 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: come up with the best name in the history of 17 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: podcasting circus teams. Yeah, we'll go back and look at 18 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: the time stamp after this publishism we'll know for sure, 19 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: But I say less than seven seconds. The Flying Stefeni's 20 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: good job man. All right, I guess we can retire. 21 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: We've hit it big, Yeah we have. You can make 22 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: some money being a circus family, I learned. Yeah, I 23 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 1: have no idea about costs. So you will delight me 24 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: because I think everyone, well not everyone. I think some 25 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:35,559 Speaker 1: people when they go to the circus, they're like, what's 26 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 1: that guy make for throwing knives? Oh? I have no 27 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 1: idea what they make. It's just the question I got 28 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: from this research. Gotcha, And I thought you had some 29 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: hard numbers. Uh. No, you're the statman, remember, And I know, 30 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: but people, you know, it's rude to talk about money, 31 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: so people don't share these things these days. That's why 32 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: I'm not saying anything. I'm just telling you the impression 33 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 1: I had. They're always strutting around with goblets full of 34 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: really expensive wine circus families, so you know, yeah, they 35 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: got uh. You know. Every time I think we're all circused, 36 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: out there comes another topic. Well, we have yet to 37 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:15,239 Speaker 1: do how circuses themselves work. We will do that one day, 38 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 1: so we've done all of its component, every last one. 39 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: After that. Well, it does have interesting history, so well 40 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: we will save that then. Yeah. Well, I do want 41 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: to do how circuses working. We should also say I 42 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: don't want anybody to have the impression that by talking 43 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: about circus families we are endorsing circuses in general. I 44 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: have serious issues with some of them, with them for 45 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: the most part, oh, like because of their treatment of animals. Yeah, 46 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: but a lot of them don't use animals at all anymore. Well, 47 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:44,679 Speaker 1: not a lot of them, some of them don't. I 48 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: have no problem with those circuses. Yeah, Like I remember 49 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: the Big Apple Circus. They have a dog thing. Well dogs, 50 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: I mean, we're horse thing, and I think that was it. 51 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 1: And horses love to show off, So I'm okay with 52 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: the Big Apple. Yeah, you wouldn't shoot, you know, but no, no, 53 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: they wouldn't show like an elephant, right right, Which is 54 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 1: funny because apparently an elephant is equal to a family 55 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: circus performer. Oh yeah, I saw that. I should say 56 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 1: circus family performer. Family circus is totally different. Yeah. This 57 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:19,839 Speaker 1: is a little frustrating research because I kept getting lots 58 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: of circular cartoons that weren't funny. You don't think they're funny, Okay, 59 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: they're they're not funny. I think they're charming and heartwarming. Yeah, sure, 60 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: you know, Jeffy wrote on the wall, right, it's not funny, 61 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: but it's cute. Their little hair in the noses and 62 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: the they're cute. U that I have a brief segue here. Initially, Um, 63 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: that reminded me. Was just at max fun Con, uh, 64 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: the the weekend retreat of Jesse Thorn and his podcasting empire. 65 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: Everybody loved you that picture of you and Hodgeman and 66 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: Justin McElroy's kid. Yeah, well baby Charlie. Yeah, very cute. Yeah, 67 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: I think people love babies. Hodgeman, who doesn't even particularly 68 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: like kids, was like, give me that baby. You know, Um, 69 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: husband likes kids, at least he likes his own kids. Um. 70 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: So I was just there. And first of all, let 71 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: me recommend the Super Ego podcast, very funny improv podcast 72 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: featuring Matt Gorley and Paul if Tompkins and Mark McConville 73 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:21,679 Speaker 1: and Jeremy Carter. You could have stopped at Paul if Tompkins. 74 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: Yeah right, Um, but one man improv is like, it's 75 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: not the best he can do it. I bet he could. 76 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 1: He does, I've seen it. So anyway, a long story short, 77 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:31,039 Speaker 1: we were playing this game one night where we were 78 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 1: naming comic strips and the comic strip Mark Trail came up. 79 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: Oh man, you remember that. Well it wasn't even trying 80 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: to be funny. Well, no, it wasn't funny at all, 81 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 1: but it wasn't even like interesting. It was literally like 82 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:46,040 Speaker 1: you know the what a beautiful sunset today? Right, that 83 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 1: was tracing the trail of a hawk in the sky 84 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: like through eight panels. Yeah. I thought it was refreshing 85 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 1: in a little ways, like you just make it all 86 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 1: like through a hilarious spasm of laugh or after like 87 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 1: Funky winker Bean or Hagar the Horrible and you needed 88 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:06,160 Speaker 1: to like chill out, remember that, so you'd like read 89 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: the Mark Trail and then like you go at it 90 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: again and just laugh and laugh and beatle Bailey, which 91 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:15,279 Speaker 1: is great institches and then maybe you come down a 92 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 1: little on Merry Worth or Department at three G Well, 93 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 1: back up on Wizard of It, back down with Brenda Starr. 94 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 1: Yeah that's the way you do it. But Mark Trail, 95 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 1: I don't want to knock it too much because I 96 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:28,720 Speaker 1: believe it like taught kids about nature and conservancy and 97 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: stuff like that. But and how to follow a hawks 98 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 1: trail in this guy didn't belong in the comics section, 99 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: but I don't know. It was a comic strip. Yeah. 100 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: A lot of those comics were like they started out 101 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 1: or a lot of things started out as comics like 102 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: Lone Ranger comic sure, comic strip or comic book m 103 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:50,719 Speaker 1: because some have been both. You know, well the Bolster 104 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: my point. Let's say comic strip. Okay, okay, great, and 105 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 1: it might have actually started out as a radio show. 106 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: And I think about it, Hey, that work. That worked 107 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: out well. I was thinking, how can we kill some 108 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 1: time here before we do circuses? That's how family circus 109 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: tangent so family circuses. Uh. When I first circus families, 110 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 1: when I first started researching, I was like, what a 111 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:17,360 Speaker 1: weird thing to be in a circus family? And then 112 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:19,920 Speaker 1: I thought it might be weird to be in one, 113 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:22,919 Speaker 1: but not weird that there are circus families, because it 114 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 1: makes total sense that it's the family business. Well, that's 115 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 1: how circus is largely started out. Yeah, very familiar. It was, 116 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:34,160 Speaker 1: you know, like you some patriarch of a family would 117 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:36,880 Speaker 1: find out that, hey, I'm I'm kind of good at juggling. 118 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: Why don't I try doing it while I stand on 119 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: the back of a moving horse and they go, Holy cow, 120 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 1: I'm actually doing this. And uh, they'd say, well, let 121 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 1: me see what happens when I tossed my sons in 122 00:06:47,440 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 1: the air instead of juggling you know, batons juggle my sons. Yeah, 123 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: if I set their hair on fire using some sort 124 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 1: of safe flammable material that will burn but not burn 125 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: the sun, say yeah, like have a flame retardant cap. Sure, 126 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:05,919 Speaker 1: that's then all of a sudden, you've got a circus family. 127 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: And like these people would would start out by you know, 128 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: the whole family would get involved in This is a 129 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 1: time when they were much larger families than there are today, 130 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: and they would form their own mini circus and travel around. 131 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: And as circuses became more and more established and entrenched 132 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: and divided among some very big names. Um, they started 133 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: basically freelancing for these things. Like they go on a 134 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: tour or a couple of tours would be you know, 135 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: with a large circus for a couple of years, and 136 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 1: then they go off and get on another tour or 137 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 1: something like that. But um, they would form these family 138 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 1: acts and that's how circuses originally got started. Yeah, and um, 139 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: apparently it's it just the more you look at it, 140 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: the more it makes sense. You know, they're on the 141 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: road a lot um and if you want to spend 142 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: time with your family, get your family and the family business, 143 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: because then mom and dad aren't on the road doing 144 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: their equestrian act. They're bringing the kids along and teaching them, 145 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 1: and all of a sudden they're the writing uh steffins, 146 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 1: and there's spending time together and it's uh, you know. 147 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: I read a few interviews with people in circus families, 148 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 1: and apparently if you were not from a circus family, uh, 149 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 1: this quote from Big Apple Circus guest director Steve Smith said, 150 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 1: for those us, those of us who didn't grow up 151 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: in the circus, there's always a feeling as if we're 152 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: on the outside looking in on what they call quote 153 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 1: being circus. Yeah, Like if you're born into a circus 154 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 1: family and you're in the circus, you have automatic prestige, 155 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:37,560 Speaker 1: you're part of a dynasty, and that's being circus. Yeah. 156 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: It's like real police. If you're a fan of the Wire, 157 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: Sure there's cops and there's real police. Yeah, but like 158 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:47,440 Speaker 1: if you were born into being police, which a lot 159 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:51,719 Speaker 1: of cops are also another family tradition job. Yes, I 160 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: don't know if a little podcasters are going to come along. 161 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 1: We were not at that point yet where like there's 162 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:01,719 Speaker 1: been a generation you know it. But yeah, maybe a 163 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:05,320 Speaker 1: little Charlie McElroy will be a podcast maybe. Um And 164 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: then they call uh they say marrying inside the circus 165 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 1: also makes a lot of sense because where you're gonna 166 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 1: meet people, but probably fellow performers, other circus families. So 167 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: these are not towners if you're not like, uh, I 168 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 1: like you and I are towners. Yeah, a k A 169 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 1: slack jawed yokels. Yeah you know, sure, how are you look? 170 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: Well that thing on fire and jump through it. Yeah. 171 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: There's a there's a pretty neat article on pbs UM 172 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:35,720 Speaker 1: called being Circus Life in the Family Business about being 173 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: born into a circus family. It seems like a pretty 174 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 1: cool life. I mean, you know, they go to school 175 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: on the road, and I think it's like one big 176 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:46,560 Speaker 1: family because they say, you know, if you're in a 177 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 1: trap ees act, you can't be mad at your dad 178 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: who is catching you in the trap ez act tonight. 179 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 1: So I think you gotta like, yeah, well, you know, 180 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,760 Speaker 1: you can't go into performance, a dangerous performance like the 181 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:02,960 Speaker 1: globe of death, harboring any animosity towards your siblings. So 182 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:04,840 Speaker 1: you gotta work this stuff out. You know, they're they're 183 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:07,559 Speaker 1: tight en it people, right, And it seems like the 184 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 1: custom is that once you are done performing as a 185 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:15,720 Speaker 1: member of a circus family, there's a non performing job 186 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 1: for you, ready and waiting in the circus elsewhere, like 187 00:10:19,679 --> 00:10:22,200 Speaker 1: an administration or something like that. I thought you were 188 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: gonna say, break a deal, face the wheel, longstanding tradition 189 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 1: in the circus. I know, welcome to Bartertown. Um. I 190 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 1: watched that not too long ago. I told you I 191 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: think I watched the whole mad Max trilogy. Yeah, the 192 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:41,559 Speaker 1: quadrilogy now well yeah, I think it's still trilogy plus one. 193 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: Like Durham is our plus one on the Northeast tour. Yep, 194 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:52,080 Speaker 1: lousy people of Durham. Get it together, Durham. Um, all right, 195 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:54,200 Speaker 1: So you want to talk about some of these famous families, 196 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: you know, you marry into it, you're born into it, 197 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:58,560 Speaker 1: and then before you know, and it seems like they 198 00:10:58,559 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 1: always have a lot of kids too, Yeah, like seven children, 199 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 1: because you need seven to complete a pyramids exactly? Is that? Why? 200 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: Probably if you think you need help um, you know, 201 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: tending to the farm. Imagine having like a circus act. 202 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 1: That's good point. And some circus families also kind of expand, 203 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: especially once they form a troop, they'll expand the family 204 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 1: act to include non family members. Where they're they're members 205 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:27,839 Speaker 1: of the troops, they're not members of the family. But 206 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,600 Speaker 1: for for any outsider, they're like, oh, there's like three 207 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: dads here. Yeah. But they take the traditional blood oath 208 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:37,920 Speaker 1: I think, sure, you know, and cut themselves with an 209 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: elephant tusk that's still attached to the elephant. Yeah, that's right, 210 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:45,439 Speaker 1: and then they do a trepeze. It's gotta hurt. Yeah. 211 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:47,600 Speaker 1: So let's talk about the Clarks, one of the earliest 212 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:53,520 Speaker 1: um British circus families. Any relation to you probably? I mean, 213 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:56,040 Speaker 1: can't you tell you see me on the high wire? 214 00:11:56,440 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 1: I have? You're quite skilled. Yes, they the Clarks go 215 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 1: all the way back to the very first uh circuses, 216 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 1: because a man named Philip Astley is credited as being 217 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 1: the inventor of the modern circus in the late seventeen hundreds. Right, 218 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 1: and he heard about John Clark, who was a horseman, 219 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:18,720 Speaker 1: and a lot of these people are horse people. Yeah, 220 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:20,840 Speaker 1: it's a good way to start in the circus. Just 221 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:24,440 Speaker 1: be good on a horse. Um he Uh. John Clark 222 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 1: was good on a horse. He caught the attention of UM, 223 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:32,200 Speaker 1: Philip Astley and Uh. In the early nineteenth century they 224 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:36,440 Speaker 1: started a circus act. Yeah, it was an area act 225 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 1: at first. And it seems like anytime you're good, then 226 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: the Ringling Brothers will come a call in at some point. Yeah, 227 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 1: for sure, to snap you up, because they're the greatest 228 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:51,320 Speaker 1: show on earth. That's right. Um. The one of the 229 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 1: ways also to cement your family act as a dynasty, 230 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:59,880 Speaker 1: in addition to having multiple generations that stay in the circus, UH, 231 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:04,439 Speaker 1: is to create some new thrilling move that no one 232 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 1: else has done before, like the Clarks are credited with 233 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 1: um coming up with the triple back somersault in nineteen 234 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 1: o nine. Right, and the whole the Clark family dynasty 235 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 1: actually broke up because of World War Two. World War 236 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 1: two interestingly had a really direct impact on a lot 237 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 1: of circus families, and the Clarks were among them. Um. 238 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 1: So the men went off to war, I'm sure some 239 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:35,560 Speaker 1: of them died. The ones it returned, We're like, I've 240 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:38,040 Speaker 1: seen too much to go back into the circus and 241 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:40,800 Speaker 1: it was up to Ernestine Clark, who was a great 242 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 1: granddaughter of John Clark I believe, to carry on the 243 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:50,320 Speaker 1: family business single handedly and daughter of Ernest. Her name 244 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:54,200 Speaker 1: was actually Elizabeth Laura, but she looked so much like Ernest. 245 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 1: People called her little Ernie and uh yeah, she eventually 246 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: went by Ernestine. I guess she was. I come on 247 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:03,079 Speaker 1: as well, just make this a little more feminine. It's 248 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 1: like a family circus trip. And she did soldier on 249 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:10,040 Speaker 1: um you know, after World War Two, Like you said, 250 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 1: it's so crazy to think about these famous people going 251 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 1: and joining the army. Well, Elvis did. Yeah, Elvis was 252 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 1: in the army. I know. He's also probably like more 253 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:24,200 Speaker 1: protected than Prince Harry is sure, but he was still 254 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 1: in the army. And famous athletes like can you imagine, 255 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 1: like Justin Bieber is in the army it's a fight 256 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:32,920 Speaker 1: in the Middle East. No, I really really came, just 257 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 1: doing his Duty's an American just a different time. It's 258 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 1: just mind boggling to think about the mindset back then. 259 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 1: You know. Do you know I got my haircut recently 260 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:46,840 Speaker 1: by the guy who created the Bieber haircut back in 261 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: the day. Is that why you went to him. No, 262 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:52,080 Speaker 1: I didn't find out until part way through, and I 263 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: was like, please don't give me a Bieber, Please don't 264 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 1: give you which what was the sweepy in your face? Wow? Yeah, 265 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: so he is Bieber stylists, yes, early on, and gave 266 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 1: him that haircut. Isn't that cool? I guess man, I 267 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 1: was like one degree from Justin Bieber. I think we 268 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:15,440 Speaker 1: all are. Um, so everybody, UM, I don't know if 269 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 1: you found this. I thought this is pretty amazing. Um. 270 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 1: The Clark's performance group early on, we're called the clarkon Ians. 271 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 1: I thought that was pretty good. It's weird, it's so funny, 272 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: like for some reason, if you're a circus promoter, you're like, 273 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 1: that name is not nearly Italian enough at an eeny 274 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:34,400 Speaker 1: or an owny or something on the end of it, 275 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 1: even if it doesn't work like clark one in yeah, 276 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 1: or as we'll hear about later, the hoy Genie's this 277 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:45,160 Speaker 1: isn't that's that's senseless. It is pretty senseless. But you 278 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: can thank circus promoters for coming up with those horrible 279 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: hybrids of names. I think there's a rich tradition in Italy, 280 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 1: so they just sounded you know, fanciful um. So Ernestine 281 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 1: carried the torch um. She finally left the circus in 282 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 1: the nineteen fifties. Uh and had a husband that was 283 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:07,360 Speaker 1: a part time circus performer, part time actor, and her 284 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: little girls who Parley, Yeah, part of whole. He was 285 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 1: the mayor and Andy Griffith. Oh no way. And if 286 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: you look up his um his credits, he was in everything. 287 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 1: He like made appearances in everything, like you would recognize 288 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:24,120 Speaker 1: him immediately. Interesting. He's been in everything from Three's Company 289 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 1: to the Golden Girls. He was just in everything. Wow, 290 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 1: that's pretty awesome. Bewitched. Yeah, did I say three His Company? 291 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:35,240 Speaker 1: He did? I'll say it again. Uh. So she married 292 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 1: the famous actor um and then her daughters became trapeze artists, 293 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 1: carrying on the family tradition. And Ernestine eventually became the 294 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:47,880 Speaker 1: first daughter to follow her father into the International Circus 295 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 1: Hall of Fame. And I have a little clip here. 296 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 1: Do you ever read the old New York Times articles? 297 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 1: Sometimes the PDF ones with eighteen different headlines? Yeah, yeah, 298 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: this is his base. Clear read the headline several headlines actually, 299 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 1: So this is about Clark Um Ernest Clark in New 300 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 1: York City and Madison Square Garden and the first headline 301 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:14,160 Speaker 1: is trapeze man noted for twist and air. Uh Ernest 302 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: Clark of wrinkling circus, turns at right angles and leap 303 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: for life line line, broken rib brings panic, I'm sorry 304 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 1: payne line and then writhing action during triple somersault starts 305 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 1: sweat of agony all right, And then in the article 306 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: it says, h Clark's feet is apparently in defiance of 307 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:36,960 Speaker 1: all the laws of mechanics, for he turns his body 308 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:39,879 Speaker 1: in the air and a pirouette at right angles to 309 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: its line of flight with no other leverage than that 310 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 1: he can exert by a thrust of his shoulders. Jo 311 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: it is. And then later when they're describing him, describing 312 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:55,480 Speaker 1: him says Clark as a small, almost slight man, but 313 00:17:55,560 --> 00:18:01,400 Speaker 1: with a large, wonderfully developed chest with a great heart 314 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:04,680 Speaker 1: beating inside. Old New York Times articles are just the best, 315 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:07,920 Speaker 1: I would say, all old newspapers period. But there times 316 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 1: they knew what they were doing. Yeah, you could access 317 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:12,800 Speaker 1: You can access that stuff today pretty easily, pretty neat. 318 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:15,040 Speaker 1: You know. I looked up what um that line and 319 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 1: staying alive means about the New York Times Don't Make 320 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:21,440 Speaker 1: a Man? Is that in the song Stay Alive The 321 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 1: New York Times Don't make a Man? Oh? I never 322 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:25,720 Speaker 1: knew that's what they were saying. Yeah, so what does 323 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:28,400 Speaker 1: that mean? It means basically at the time that if 324 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:29,919 Speaker 1: like if it wasn't in the New York Times, it 325 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,879 Speaker 1: doesn't matter. And this is about a man whose life 326 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 1: still does matter even though it's not worthy of being 327 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: reported on it in the New York Times. John Travolta 328 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:41,879 Speaker 1: or the character. Yeah, I can't remember his name, Tony Manera, right, 329 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:47,640 Speaker 1: I think as scarface, Tony Marinera. Was it Tony? It's 330 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 1: probably Tony, you know. So that movie was based on 331 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,680 Speaker 1: an article in New York magazine and it turned out 332 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:56,679 Speaker 1: that the guy who wrote it made the whole thing 333 00:18:56,760 --> 00:19:01,440 Speaker 1: up from beginning to end. That made it up crazy. Yeah, 334 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:04,239 Speaker 1: but it's still worth reading. And especially if you know 335 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:05,919 Speaker 1: that he made it up, you're like, how did how 336 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:08,919 Speaker 1: did anybody buy this? This kind of like like on 337 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 1: the spot reporting is just done by a handful of people. Sure, 338 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 1: and he found this guy that they worked on a 339 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:17,359 Speaker 1: hardware store in Brooklyn, and yeah, and then like was 340 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:20,399 Speaker 1: there like with the it was was able to like 341 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 1: almost omnisciently track, like the people that came into this 342 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:27,399 Speaker 1: guy's orbit. Yeah, it's funny that the editors were like, Wow, 343 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:29,800 Speaker 1: you did a really good job here, not you're a 344 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 1: fraud who cares? Yeah, they should have. Just when I 345 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:35,040 Speaker 1: hear things like that, I'm like, just say it's fiction 346 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:38,399 Speaker 1: from the beginning. It's still interesting. It's like when the 347 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 1: guy the the author wrote about his drug rehab the 348 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:46,479 Speaker 1: James Fry. Yeah, that was a great book. And I 349 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:49,160 Speaker 1: remember at the time when all came out, I was like, man, man, 350 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:51,160 Speaker 1: you should just call it fiction. It's a really good book. 351 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:53,960 Speaker 1: But I thought I followed that story and and thought 352 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:57,160 Speaker 1: the same thing, like like, why why would you why 353 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: would you say that every word of this is accurate? Yeah, 354 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:04,800 Speaker 1: it doesn't make any sense. We will get back to uh. 355 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: Circus families believe it or not right after this message, 356 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:28,640 Speaker 1: So Chuck sometimes them if the family Circus, the Circus 357 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: family can get in front of a show promoter, they 358 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 1: can have some sort of control over their own name, 359 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:37,679 Speaker 1: the change that comes to it. And that is the 360 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:41,679 Speaker 1: case with the Hobson's. Robert Hobson, who left England for 361 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:47,280 Speaker 1: the US in eighteen sixty um and started a family, 362 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:51,159 Speaker 1: a circus family act, acrobats family act. That's right. And 363 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:54,959 Speaker 1: apparently he was noted for tossing his son's about like 364 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:58,159 Speaker 1: indian rubber. I don't even know what that means. It 365 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:00,639 Speaker 1: means he was basically throwing us ones all over the 366 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:03,959 Speaker 1: place and they're just landing places. Well, no, I get that, 367 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:05,800 Speaker 1: but I just I don't know what indian rubber is. 368 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 1: I think that they were very pliable. Okay, gotcha. Uh 369 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:17,760 Speaker 1: So with the name change, they were originally Hobson, I'm sorry, 370 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: originally Nelson, but changed their name. No, it was Hobson first. Oh, 371 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,679 Speaker 1: it was changed to Nelson. Man, it gets confusing. So 372 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:28,800 Speaker 1: he called themselves professor Nelson and sons. Right, the son 373 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 1: So he tossed about like indian rubber. Right, But it's 374 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 1: not a better like Nelson's, no better than Hobson. That's 375 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 1: just strange. Uh. Yeah, he changed it, supposedly allegedly because 376 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 1: he wanted to pay homage to a former stage partner 377 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 1: that I guess it died or moved on or whatever. 378 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 1: I couldn't find the person's name, whoever the Nelson was, 379 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 1: but it was an homage. Well, maybe he wanted to 380 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 1: anonymity as well. Yeah, but he's probably on the run 381 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:58,280 Speaker 1: from the law. So um, the Nelson's became the Great 382 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: Nelson Family because they they follow that tradition of like 383 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 1: needing more people, um, more quickly than they could reproduce. Uh. 384 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 1: So they brought in other performers who weren't family members, 385 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:13,080 Speaker 1: and they became the Great Nelson Family and then ultimately 386 00:22:13,119 --> 00:22:15,800 Speaker 1: the Flying Nelson's, which is what they became famous as 387 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:18,680 Speaker 1: the Flying Nelson's. Yeah, and here's I thought the cool 388 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:21,359 Speaker 1: little factoid about them in the early I'm sorry, late 389 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:25,960 Speaker 1: nineteen twenties. Um, granddaughter Hilda taught lot was hired to 390 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:28,400 Speaker 1: teach Lon Cheney, the actor, how to walk the high 391 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:31,960 Speaker 1: wire in a movie called Laugh, Clown Laugh, and then 392 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: all of the Nelson's, Um, we're in a movie called 393 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 1: Circus Rookies in so um they still continue, I think, 394 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:45,000 Speaker 1: not as the Nelson's, but um, they said their ancestors, 395 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:49,679 Speaker 1: some of which still perform. Yeah, they basically retired mostly 396 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: by nineteen thirty five. But then yeah, some carried on. 397 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 1: What about the Flying Wallendas. These are the ones that 398 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,320 Speaker 1: everybody knows, everybody's heard of that it's sort of uh 399 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:04,520 Speaker 1: that became part of the lexicon. Yeah, the flying Wellendus Um. 400 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:07,080 Speaker 1: And then funny enough, the flying Wallendas actually got their 401 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:11,119 Speaker 1: name from a newspaper headline that dubbed them that because 402 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:14,000 Speaker 1: four of them fell from a high wire. Yeah, in 403 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 1: acron Ohio and they said, like the flying Mollendis. Yeah, 404 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:22,400 Speaker 1: they said, the quote was the Wolendas Volendas. The Wallendas 405 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 1: fell so gracefully that it seemed as if they were flying. Uh. 406 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:31,359 Speaker 1: But I wonder, like there were other flying flying Nelson's, Like, 407 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 1: was this the first one? I wonder the Wollenda's. No, 408 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:37,199 Speaker 1: because the flying Nelson's were called that long before the 409 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 1: middle of the twentieth century, So I think it was 410 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:44,359 Speaker 1: a natural word to apply to a circus family that 411 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:48,240 Speaker 1: did acrobatics. They're flying, And they definitely did acrobatics. Man, 412 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:52,720 Speaker 1: they were Um. They cemented their legacy for the seven 413 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:56,760 Speaker 1: person chair pyramid wait for it, on a high wire 414 00:23:57,119 --> 00:24:01,400 Speaker 1: no nets, no nets, no harnesses. Very dangerous, so dangerous 415 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 1: in fact that Carl will lenda Um, who was the 416 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:08,200 Speaker 1: patriarch at the time, died at age seventy three from 417 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 1: a fall on the high wire. Yeah, they had a 418 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,679 Speaker 1: lot of tragedy. Um when they had the pyramid collapse 419 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:17,480 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty two. Two people died and Carlson Mario 420 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 1: was paralyzed. Carl goes on to die. They had a 421 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 1: sister in law who fell to her death in nineteen 422 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 1: sixty three, and then in nineteen forty four they were 423 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:34,440 Speaker 1: the group performing when the Hartford Circus fire broke out. 424 00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 1: Oh really, so their act was going on. Uh. These 425 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:41,399 Speaker 1: tents were made of They were coated in paraffin wax 426 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 1: at the time, probably kerosene to keep it from uh, 427 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:49,639 Speaker 1: to keep it waterproof. Paraffin wax is highly flammable, so 428 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:54,160 Speaker 1: scarrocene and UM A little tent sidewall started and during 429 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:58,399 Speaker 1: their performance, UM a band leader spotted it and apparently, 430 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 1: and they should tell everyone this the song Stars and 431 00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 1: Stripes Forever as a warning signal to the circus performers. 432 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:10,320 Speaker 1: He said, start playing that, and that signaled like big 433 00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:14,679 Speaker 1: trouble as ahead, and a hundred and sixty six to 434 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:18,639 Speaker 1: sixty nine people died. It didn't only have one point 435 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:21,359 Speaker 1: of entrance, entrance or exit. I think, I don't know. 436 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:23,680 Speaker 1: I know that some of the exits were blocked because 437 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:27,440 Speaker 1: they had like the ramp set up for the lions 438 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:30,480 Speaker 1: and stuff to come through like portals, and so they 439 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 1: couldn't get out that way. So you might be right, 440 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:34,639 Speaker 1: But yeah, that was one of the deadliest fires in 441 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 1: US history. And that's a that's a bad fire. Yeah, 442 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,360 Speaker 1: And there were a bunch of circus fires. I read 443 00:25:39,359 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 1: about two or three. I would guess if you have 444 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 1: huge canvas tents, a lot of hay on the ground, yeah, 445 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 1: and um, they're coated inflammable material. Yeah, and everybody smoked. Sure, yeah, 446 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:53,760 Speaker 1: and then we'll just they still don't know. There was 447 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 1: a guy that claimed responsibility as an arsonist, but um, 448 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:00,240 Speaker 1: they don't think he did it. He was mentally and 449 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 1: although he was an arsonist, just not that time that time. 450 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:10,280 Speaker 1: So the will Lendas have become synonymous with um circus 451 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 1: tragedy strangely, but they also has an overshadowed their accomplishments 452 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 1: there in the world. The Guinness Book of World records 453 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 1: for the world's first and only ten person pyramid on 454 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 1: a tight rope. Consider this, several of their family members 455 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 1: died doing this, and they went on and not only 456 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:31,800 Speaker 1: redo it, but they add three more seats, three more 457 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:35,720 Speaker 1: Wilenda's Yeah, that's crazy. So they set a world record. Um. 458 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:39,119 Speaker 1: And then uh Nick will Lenda who has been on 459 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,920 Speaker 1: Discovery Channel before. I believe he walked over the Grand 460 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 1: Canyon channel Discovery Channel. Have you heard of it? They? 461 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 1: I think he was the one who walked over the 462 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 1: Grand Canyon. He definitely walked over um uh Chicago in 463 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 1: between two skyscrapers over a six foot drop. Yeah. Man, 464 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 1: that stuff is just just nutty. Which is two meters crazy? Yeah, 465 00:27:02,119 --> 00:27:05,080 Speaker 1: on a on a high wire without a net. You 466 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:06,640 Speaker 1: could put a net at the bottom. It's not gonna 467 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:08,880 Speaker 1: do anything. How did we talked about this a little 468 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:11,800 Speaker 1: bit recently with the movie coming out about Man on Wire, 469 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:14,600 Speaker 1: the tyro walker between the Twin Tours. How does the 470 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 1: wind not just knock them off? Well, that's what that 471 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:22,000 Speaker 1: polls for to extend their um their point of what 472 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:24,800 Speaker 1: balance point center of gravity. Yeah, I mean I knew 473 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:26,320 Speaker 1: it helped them balance, but it just seems like the 474 00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:28,399 Speaker 1: wind could be so fierce a good like, like the 475 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,160 Speaker 1: wind blows me over just walking down the street. I've 476 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:35,520 Speaker 1: seen it. I frequently have to help you up. That's 477 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 1: how you found most of your lucky pennies. Yeah, that's 478 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:41,399 Speaker 1: a good point. Hoovered them all up all right, Are 479 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:45,280 Speaker 1: we onto the the hoy Genie's Yes, we are the 480 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 1: hoy Genies. Which is it started out as the Hodges 481 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 1: not good enough, Let's make it more Italian and add 482 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 1: any to the end of Hodges. Yes, which is what 483 00:27:56,320 --> 00:28:00,359 Speaker 1: a promoter did to that lovely English surname on the 484 00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:04,119 Speaker 1: late nineteenth century. And um, they have been around for 485 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:08,440 Speaker 1: a long time, three hundred and fifty year uh, ancestry 486 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:12,639 Speaker 1: of circus performers. It's not bad, it isn't bad. I 487 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 1: think that's the oldest in here. The Wallendas went back 488 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:19,840 Speaker 1: to the late eighteenth centuries, seventeen hundreds. Yeah, I think 489 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:22,440 Speaker 1: the Hygenies might be the oldest one in here. This 490 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:24,800 Speaker 1: one lady I saw that was interviewed. I can't remember 491 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:28,199 Speaker 1: her name. She was a twelfth generation on one side 492 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:33,359 Speaker 1: and seventh on her father's side. Man, that's serious being circus. 493 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:38,160 Speaker 1: So with the Hygiene's chuck um they were, They were 494 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:40,960 Speaker 1: really good with the horse ye equestrians. Yep. They had 495 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:45,120 Speaker 1: their own um, in particular Harriet, which was one of 496 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:50,000 Speaker 1: m Albert Hygenie's um who I well, I guess he 497 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,040 Speaker 1: wasn't the founder. If it went back through hundred fifty years. 498 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:56,360 Speaker 1: But um in early hygiene, early twentieth century hygiene or 499 00:28:56,440 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: late nineteenth century UM, his kid Harriet UH would somersault 500 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:04,600 Speaker 1: and like dance on the back of a moving horse, 501 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: which is weird because I've seen that before. I've seen 502 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:10,840 Speaker 1: like footage from the forties or fifties, So I wonder 503 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 1: if I was seeing her because there's probably not that 504 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 1: many people walking around on Earth who can do backflips 505 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:20,000 Speaker 1: on a horse. That's a good point, Um. But the 506 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:22,440 Speaker 1: really notable thing about the Hygiene's is what they did 507 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:25,640 Speaker 1: in retirement. Yeah, I thought that was pretty cool. Tom 508 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:30,360 Speaker 1: and Betty Hygeni uh from Indiana, Peru Indiana, not to 509 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 1: be confused with Peru, the country Peru Peru. Yeah. Uh. 510 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:39,880 Speaker 1: They retired in n and businessman there said, you know what, wy, 511 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 1: don't you come and work with some kids and teach 512 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:46,280 Speaker 1: them like your your craft. And that began we were 513 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:51,040 Speaker 1: just like, leave us alone, seriously retired. Uh. And that 514 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:54,240 Speaker 1: will welcome Matt now because we didn't put went out 515 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:58,840 Speaker 1: get off a property. Uh. That began what is now 516 00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:03,520 Speaker 1: the Peru Amateur circus, in which kids perform like ten 517 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:07,000 Speaker 1: performances every summer. And it just sounds like a neat 518 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:10,520 Speaker 1: little program. Yeah, and it's not that little. Apparently tens 519 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:12,920 Speaker 1: of thousands of people show up for it. Yeah, a little, 520 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,320 Speaker 1: you know. And um, it's actually going on July eleven, 521 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:20,200 Speaker 1: ye around. I don't know exactly when this one's gonna 522 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:21,560 Speaker 1: come out, but it will be in time. So if 523 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 1: you find yourself around Peru, Indiana, go check out the 524 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 1: circus there July eleven. Chuck, we got more, don't we 525 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:33,360 Speaker 1: up our sleeves and more ennis, um, and we will 526 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:52,040 Speaker 1: talk about them right after this. You remember you said, 527 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:55,480 Speaker 1: Chuckers that, Um, a lot of these families started out 528 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 1: as like a great equestrian families. Um. The Knees are 529 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 1: probably the premier equestrian circus family around. Yes, they began 530 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:08,840 Speaker 1: in eighteen seventy a teenager named Leopold Knot and they 531 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 1: were Hungarian. Um. He he did the old like right 532 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:15,120 Speaker 1: out of a story book. He said, I'm running away 533 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 1: and joining the circus. Yeah, that's another way to found 534 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 1: a circus family. Go start your own, to run off 535 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 1: through the circus. Yeah, and started. Yeah, start having kids 536 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:27,960 Speaker 1: and then you won't be circus, but your kids will 537 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:32,880 Speaker 1: be circus. Yeah, it's got to start somewhere exactly. All 538 00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:35,640 Speaker 1: starts by running off to the circus. That's right. Of 539 00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 1: course he might have married into circus. He probably, Yeah, 540 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:42,920 Speaker 1: he probably did. You could have. So not only were 541 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 1: they equestrians, they and of course when we say equestrian there, 542 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:51,200 Speaker 1: it's always bareback writing tricks almost yeah, but this article 543 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:56,320 Speaker 1: actually has. It features a member of the Konyats, Tina Konyacht, 544 00:31:56,640 --> 00:31:59,360 Speaker 1: who um was competing for the US in the two 545 00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:03,160 Speaker 1: thousand twelve Olympics. Yeah. Like sure, she got out of 546 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:06,600 Speaker 1: this circus and said, let me, what's something super snobby 547 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 1: I can go do? Is that dressage? I don't know. 548 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:15,080 Speaker 1: That's not snobby though, It's just it's actually beautiful and amazing. Yeah. 549 00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:18,000 Speaker 1: I don't want the equestrians there. You don't want them 550 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:20,360 Speaker 1: after you. Is that a hornet's nest? Yeah, it's a 551 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:24,600 Speaker 1: hornet's nest. Uh. They're on horses, for God's sake. You know, 552 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:27,600 Speaker 1: they can run faster than you own a horse. So, 553 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:31,800 Speaker 1: like most performers, John Ringling of the Barnum and Bailey 554 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:34,880 Speaker 1: Circus caught ahold of them in nineteen o seven said 555 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:39,320 Speaker 1: you're coming to America, and um, they performed there for 556 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:40,800 Speaker 1: a little while, but then said, you know, we're gonna 557 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 1: go back to Europe and we're gonna start our own circus. No, 558 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 1: that's just a circus, an American style circus and wild 559 00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 1: West show. Yeah, it's good on them, you know, Yeah, 560 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:52,840 Speaker 1: I think it's hilarious. So they're like, Okay, they're gonna 561 00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:56,320 Speaker 1: go crazy for this in Europe. So the equestrian part 562 00:32:56,360 --> 00:32:59,520 Speaker 1: of the show was really big in Europe. And then 563 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:04,640 Speaker 1: Lie which was the family the Clark's World War Two 564 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:07,760 Speaker 1: put a dent in all of Europe and so they said, well, 565 00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:09,480 Speaker 1: I guess we got to go back to America now, 566 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:15,000 Speaker 1: And then they kept performing and eventually stopped. At least 567 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:21,720 Speaker 1: they I guess. The family legacy was to create equestrian centers. Um, 568 00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:24,680 Speaker 1: so they weren't circus performers anywhere anymore. But it's almost 569 00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:29,320 Speaker 1: like this equestrian family had a brush with circus notoriety 570 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:32,440 Speaker 1: and then leverage that. Yeah, and then just continued on 571 00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:34,959 Speaker 1: as in equestrian family. It's just pretty neat. Probably make 572 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:39,360 Speaker 1: more money in equestrian I guess, you know. And then 573 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:43,480 Speaker 1: Arthur Koonyat, who's one of the original who's one of 574 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:46,920 Speaker 1: the sons of the founder Leopold. He's in the International 575 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:51,120 Speaker 1: Circus Hall of Fame. Nice. So there you go, so 576 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:53,920 Speaker 1: you're not doing too bad. All right. We got a 577 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:56,880 Speaker 1: couple of more here. Um Tina, how to pronounce this one? 578 00:33:57,080 --> 00:33:59,200 Speaker 1: T o G and I s I would say Tony 579 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:03,880 Speaker 1: Tony's us What I was going to say, marr, Yeah, 580 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:08,120 Speaker 1: that's right. They are another Italian family um in circus 581 00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 1: dynasty and the original founder u Arris he said it 582 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:16,920 Speaker 1: was a student and he said, you know what, I'm 583 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:22,480 Speaker 1: done with school and I'm going to go performance circus, 584 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:24,919 Speaker 1: open my own have eight kids so I can open 585 00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:27,239 Speaker 1: my own circus. Yeah. I get the impression that he 586 00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:30,560 Speaker 1: decided he was done with school. Oh yeah, yeah, so 587 00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:34,160 Speaker 1: he ran off to the circus. Um. Did you have 588 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:38,520 Speaker 1: the impression whether his wife was a circus was circus family, 589 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:41,400 Speaker 1: circus performer? I don't know. Well she was. After they 590 00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:44,799 Speaker 1: got married, they um had kids and set up their 591 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:48,920 Speaker 1: own circus and it was such a success that um 592 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:53,759 Speaker 1: in n the king of Italy or the king of 593 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:56,000 Speaker 1: that part of Italy. Because I don't when was Italy 594 00:34:56,600 --> 00:34:59,640 Speaker 1: unified together in a single country? Was it under Musulini? Boy? 595 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:03,439 Speaker 1: I don't it wasn't that long ago. UM Well, King 596 00:35:03,960 --> 00:35:08,400 Speaker 1: King Victor Emmanuel the third Um created or said that 597 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:13,200 Speaker 1: the Circo Toni was the Circo Netsinale. Yeah, and that 598 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:15,960 Speaker 1: ran for a while. Um again. A circus fire in 599 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:22,239 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty one hit the Circo Nacional and from that 600 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:26,080 Speaker 1: point three of the Suns split apart and formed three 601 00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 1: different circus factions. Yeah. That fires spread them far and wide. 602 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 1: I guess so. But they are noteworthy because not only 603 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:39,120 Speaker 1: were they a circus family, they were really smart inventive 604 00:35:39,280 --> 00:35:43,560 Speaker 1: engineer types and made a lot of advancements in the 605 00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:47,839 Speaker 1: circus uh itself, like the tent uh, like the big 606 00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:50,879 Speaker 1: top tent, the couple of Yeah, they came up with that. Yeah, 607 00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:53,160 Speaker 1: they came up with three different design the round couple 608 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:56,400 Speaker 1: in the nineteen forties, the oblong in the seventies, and 609 00:35:56,480 --> 00:36:01,280 Speaker 1: the the hugely famous round pull a quarter pole free 610 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:04,879 Speaker 1: in the nineties. And one of the other sons too, 611 00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:09,440 Speaker 1: UM invented the collapsible seating wagons and a metallic mesh 612 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:11,560 Speaker 1: cage that I don't know if that's the globe of 613 00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:14,319 Speaker 1: death or not. No, that's the URIs as you came 614 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:16,480 Speaker 1: up with the globe of death. All right, So the 615 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:18,920 Speaker 1: metallic mesh cage he invented must have just been like, 616 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:23,360 Speaker 1: I don't know, for animals or something. Probably. Yeah. The 617 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:26,040 Speaker 1: point is though they were inventors and made some money 618 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:29,239 Speaker 1: doing that stuff, yes, like designing tents and the like. 619 00:36:29,680 --> 00:36:32,359 Speaker 1: And one of the things that we haven't really kind 620 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:36,040 Speaker 1: of hit squarely on is the fact that these if 621 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:38,920 Speaker 1: if you're born into a circus family and you are 622 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:42,879 Speaker 1: raised in the circus um, from what I've read, you're 623 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:45,920 Speaker 1: very rarely pressured into being a part of the family. 624 00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:48,520 Speaker 1: It's more like this is your reality. So you start 625 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:52,279 Speaker 1: doing gymnastics and acrobatics at an early age and you're 626 00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:56,839 Speaker 1: surrounded by yeah, and then eventually that you know, age six, seven, eight, nine, ten, 627 00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:58,840 Speaker 1: you end up like being a part of the family 628 00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:01,759 Speaker 1: act and then the circus as at large. Um. But 629 00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:04,600 Speaker 1: it writes a question to me, like about that ten myth, 630 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:08,200 Speaker 1: like is it just from practicing this stuff at an 631 00:37:08,239 --> 00:37:11,920 Speaker 1: early age, or you know, are some is this just 632 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,839 Speaker 1: the result of some you know, people who are born 633 00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:19,080 Speaker 1: acrobats coming together and producing offspring that are born acrobats themselves. 634 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:21,880 Speaker 1: I don't know. It's a great question. This is a 635 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:25,240 Speaker 1: good question. Um, I wonder how many time it's happened 636 00:37:25,239 --> 00:37:27,520 Speaker 1: that you're in a big circus family. You have like 637 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:31,240 Speaker 1: seven kids, and six of them are in the circus, 638 00:37:31,239 --> 00:37:32,480 Speaker 1: and one of them is like, I want to be 639 00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:38,120 Speaker 1: a city planner. Probably not much. No, we got one 640 00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:40,640 Speaker 1: more we do the uriasis. Who did come up with 641 00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:44,600 Speaker 1: that globe of death in nineteen twelve? That globe, that 642 00:37:44,719 --> 00:37:49,600 Speaker 1: metal globe motorcycles in? Yeah, that was invented in nineteen twelve. Yeah, 643 00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:51,440 Speaker 1: I had no idea it went back. It seemed. I 644 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:53,480 Speaker 1: was sure that this thing was probably invented in like 645 00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:56,320 Speaker 1: the nineteen sixties or seventies. I was gonna say seventies. 646 00:37:56,560 --> 00:38:00,520 Speaker 1: It seems like a seventies thing to invent totally, you know. Yeah, 647 00:38:00,520 --> 00:38:03,120 Speaker 1: but yeah, it goes all the way back to ninewelve. 648 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:05,439 Speaker 1: That is nuts. So the the actual globe of death 649 00:38:05,520 --> 00:38:09,279 Speaker 1: was a sixteen foot diameter metal mesh orb. Yeah. And 650 00:38:09,320 --> 00:38:11,080 Speaker 1: the idea is, if you haven't seen one of these, 651 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:13,920 Speaker 1: a just look up a video real quick, be uh 652 00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:17,680 Speaker 1: crawl out from under that Rocky live in right under 653 00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:22,080 Speaker 1: and then uh see it's when you put multiple motorcycle 654 00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:26,960 Speaker 1: riders that just gun it and fly around this thing 655 00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:32,760 Speaker 1: without hitting each other ideally and they they would um 656 00:38:33,719 --> 00:38:36,080 Speaker 1: add people who are juggling fire in the center of 657 00:38:36,120 --> 00:38:39,520 Speaker 1: the globe, riding around it, going up to sixty miles 658 00:38:39,520 --> 00:38:44,600 Speaker 1: an hour. Apparently, um and they had the urias Is 659 00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:48,680 Speaker 1: in particular, were the first to feature female motorcycle riders, 660 00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:52,200 Speaker 1: the first to feature two female motorcycle riders, because how 661 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:54,719 Speaker 1: are you going to top the first one? But ed 662 00:38:54,760 --> 00:39:00,480 Speaker 1: to UM and there's one where the Jody Urias who 663 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:02,520 Speaker 1: does the next spin you know that thing where like 664 00:39:02,920 --> 00:39:05,239 Speaker 1: you just have a harness attached to the back of 665 00:39:05,239 --> 00:39:10,879 Speaker 1: your head and you spin around until you vomit. They 666 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:14,000 Speaker 1: had her doing that with people going around her on 667 00:39:14,040 --> 00:39:16,799 Speaker 1: their bikes and circles. Yeah, it's really impressive. I mean, 668 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:20,799 Speaker 1: the precision is is ridiculous when you see I mean 669 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:22,959 Speaker 1: I've seen I don't think it's I mean, they're still 670 00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:25,560 Speaker 1: doing this act today. I saw another family that they 671 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:27,399 Speaker 1: don't have the market cornered on the Globe of Death, 672 00:39:27,880 --> 00:39:30,560 Speaker 1: but but they invented it. Yeah. Yeah, they just failed 673 00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:32,759 Speaker 1: the copyright or trade market, I guess. But I did 674 00:39:32,760 --> 00:39:35,160 Speaker 1: see another family that was I think they had like 675 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:39,399 Speaker 1: eight motorcycles and this thing. It was ridiculous. And one 676 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:43,799 Speaker 1: where they actually brought the globe apart, so where there 677 00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:47,359 Speaker 1: was a gap that they would be jumping or riding over, 678 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:52,680 Speaker 1: it was suddenly filled with crocodiles. But these people crashed. 679 00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:58,200 Speaker 1: When was it every couple of weeks I looked at 680 00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:00,920 Speaker 1: There was a crash not too long ago. Oh, it 681 00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:03,879 Speaker 1: was in April of this year at the Washington Fairgrounds. 682 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:07,920 Speaker 1: And there's actually a YouTube of it. It's not like remarkable. 683 00:40:07,920 --> 00:40:09,400 Speaker 1: It just at the very end of their thing. They 684 00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:12,000 Speaker 1: all just sort of run into each other. But um, 685 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:14,799 Speaker 1: there was a fractured leg and some broken ribs. But 686 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:17,200 Speaker 1: other than that, everyone was okay and got right back 687 00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:21,400 Speaker 1: up on the horse, iron horse, the iron horse, the 688 00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:27,200 Speaker 1: steel horse. You got anything else, No, So that's Circus Families, 689 00:40:27,640 --> 00:40:30,920 Speaker 1: part of our never ending quest to explain absolutely everything 690 00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:33,719 Speaker 1: there is on planet Earth and beyond. That's right, it's 691 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:35,880 Speaker 1: one of them. If you want to know more about 692 00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:38,120 Speaker 1: Circus Families, you can type those words in the search 693 00:40:38,160 --> 00:40:40,680 Speaker 1: bar how stuff works dot Com. And I said search bar, 694 00:40:40,719 --> 00:40:50,720 Speaker 1: which means it's time for a listener. Mayo, I'm gonna 695 00:40:50,719 --> 00:40:54,440 Speaker 1: call this. We misspoke on something in the Bridges episode. 696 00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:57,560 Speaker 1: Oh I did, Chuck? I take full responsibility, and we 697 00:40:57,640 --> 00:40:59,759 Speaker 1: like to point these things out. Do you want to 698 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:03,479 Speaker 1: set this up? Yeah? In the Bridges episode, I talked 699 00:41:03,480 --> 00:41:07,239 Speaker 1: about the HIGHERT Regency Skywalk collapse. Remember you made that 700 00:41:07,280 --> 00:41:11,760 Speaker 1: Lionel Richie's joke and all that stuff. Well, like hundred 701 00:41:11,719 --> 00:41:14,520 Speaker 1: and four I believe a hundred and fourteen people ultimately 702 00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:16,560 Speaker 1: died from this thing. And I said that it was 703 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:19,120 Speaker 1: because they were dancing on the skywalk at the time. 704 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:22,319 Speaker 1: Totally not true. There was a t dance going on 705 00:41:22,560 --> 00:41:25,880 Speaker 1: in the lobby below and people were standing on the 706 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:30,920 Speaker 1: skywalks looking at it, and the skywalk apparently in the 707 00:41:30,960 --> 00:41:35,319 Speaker 1: design um there had been a change in design that 708 00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:38,840 Speaker 1: nobody did the numbers and crunched the math on and 709 00:41:39,239 --> 00:41:41,759 Speaker 1: this thing could barely hold up its deadweight. And then 710 00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:44,839 Speaker 1: once you had, you know, a few dozen people on it, though, 711 00:41:45,239 --> 00:41:49,840 Speaker 1: the fourth story skywalk collapsed onto the second story skywalk 712 00:41:49,920 --> 00:41:52,520 Speaker 1: and both of them collapsed onto the ground. It was 713 00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:55,520 Speaker 1: It's crazy. If you look up the Highest Regency Skywalk 714 00:41:55,600 --> 00:41:57,840 Speaker 1: collapse and look at some of the images, just the 715 00:41:57,920 --> 00:42:01,360 Speaker 1: destruction is amazing. Wow. All right, So I guess you 716 00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:04,040 Speaker 1: just picked out the we heard from a few people. 717 00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:06,400 Speaker 1: You picked out probably the nicest one. I would imagine 718 00:42:06,600 --> 00:42:09,080 Speaker 1: that's what we usually try to do. Hey, guys, wanted 719 00:42:09,080 --> 00:42:11,640 Speaker 1: to point out your explanation of the Kansas City High 720 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:15,200 Speaker 1: Regency collapse side of the wrong cause. The collapse is 721 00:42:15,239 --> 00:42:17,080 Speaker 1: due to a change that was made to the initial design. 722 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:21,359 Speaker 1: Two walkways we're supposed to be supported by long continuous 723 00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:24,480 Speaker 1: threaded steel rods from the ceiling design was changed to 724 00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:27,520 Speaker 1: two separate rods. UH. It should be noted that the 725 00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:30,920 Speaker 1: original design was determined to hold only of the minimum 726 00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:33,560 Speaker 1: Building Code load UH, and the way it was built 727 00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:37,120 Speaker 1: would only support half of that. Not enough, not nearly enough. 728 00:42:37,760 --> 00:42:40,640 Speaker 1: One bridge failure that should be mentioned is the Quebec 729 00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:44,800 Speaker 1: Bridge crossing the St. Lawrence River. UH. This bridge collapsed 730 00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:47,000 Speaker 1: twice when it was being built, and it's cited as 731 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:50,400 Speaker 1: a reason behind the idea of registering and licensing engineers 732 00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:53,479 Speaker 1: to practice something that is a standard throughout the world. Now. 733 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:57,960 Speaker 1: And that is from Taylor, who is a geo technical 734 00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:03,480 Speaker 1: engineer branches civil engineering that deals with soils, rocks, and foundations. 735 00:43:03,480 --> 00:43:06,400 Speaker 1: She said, or he I don't know which that I 736 00:43:06,480 --> 00:43:10,440 Speaker 1: make sure the ground can support the structure. Thanks a lot, Taylor. 737 00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:13,000 Speaker 1: It's a pretty neat job, I guess, and you very important. Yeah, 738 00:43:13,040 --> 00:43:15,560 Speaker 1: and thanks for the email. We appreciate that. And uh, 739 00:43:16,120 --> 00:43:17,880 Speaker 1: I went back and looked to try to figure out 740 00:43:17,920 --> 00:43:20,799 Speaker 1: where I got that info. But I swear I did 741 00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:22,920 Speaker 1: not make up. Don't you hate that? Yeah? I've been 742 00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:25,200 Speaker 1: called out on stuff that I've read and I couldn't 743 00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:28,560 Speaker 1: find the source and it's still wrong. But it's maddening. 744 00:43:28,600 --> 00:43:30,480 Speaker 1: It's like, I know, I didn't just create this out 745 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:32,920 Speaker 1: of my own brain. Yeah, so we we believe. But 746 00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:36,080 Speaker 1: thanks to everybody who wrote in and said, hey, dudes, uh, 747 00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:38,680 Speaker 1: that is absolutely wrong, because we want to make sure 748 00:43:38,719 --> 00:43:41,960 Speaker 1: we get it right. So if we got something wrong 749 00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:43,680 Speaker 1: that you want to point out and correct us on, 750 00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:45,640 Speaker 1: let us know. You can tweet to us at s 751 00:43:45,760 --> 00:43:48,400 Speaker 1: y s K podcast. You can join us on Facebook 752 00:43:48,440 --> 00:43:50,640 Speaker 1: dot com slash Stuff you Should Know. You can send 753 00:43:50,719 --> 00:43:53,080 Speaker 1: us an email to Stuff Podcast at how Stuff Works 754 00:43:53,120 --> 00:43:55,239 Speaker 1: dot com and has always joined us at our home 755 00:43:55,280 --> 00:44:00,360 Speaker 1: on the web, Stuff you Should Know dot Com. Stuff 756 00:44:00,400 --> 00:44:02,400 Speaker 1: you Should Know is a production of I Heart Radio. 757 00:44:02,880 --> 00:44:05,399 Speaker 1: For more podcasts my Heart Radio, visit the I heart 758 00:44:05,440 --> 00:44:08,360 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 759 00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:09,160 Speaker 1: favorite shows.