Performing to Please

Sophia Fevvers makes her living as a performer so it seems natural that her physical persona is so similar to a sensational classical performer – the Vegas Show girl. Carter describes Fevvers as completely made up with rouge and powder, wearing “[a] leotard … adorn with a spangle of sequines on her crotch and nipples, nothing else” (12) and “towering headdress of died ostrich plumes” (11). This ostentatious outfit coupled by her extraordinary wings is screaming “LOOK AT ME!” – just like Carter points out. Both Fevvers and Vegas Showgirls rely on there performances for survival. Both these performances would be impossible without the exploitation of their bodies, and sexuality. While it can be argued that Showgirls are “classier” than strippers, considering they never get completely naked, it is highly probable that the men there are not in attendance solely for the dance sequences… similar to the men at Fevvers shows. Either way, both women have found a way to provide for themselves on by there performances.

Sophia Fevvers’ interview with Walser is no different than her aerialist routine – she is constantly performing, even if its on a smaller scale. Still in her stagemake up, Fevvers presents Walser with a theatrical bildungsroman account of her childhood, droning on and on about the trials and tribulations of her youth. Staying true to her character Fevvers is she is over the top dramatic attempting to convince Walser to believe the unbelievable: that she was indeed hatched. Fevvers has always benefited financially from her performance, as an aerialist with the circus and a monster with Madam Schreck, so why would she view her interview with Walser as anything other than a financial opportunity. Fevvers is very aware that her performance with Walser is incredibly important; If Fevvers can put on a convincing performance, completely selling her story to Walser, he will in turn communicate it on a larger scale furthering her career.

Sophia Fevvers understands the importance of performance and exploits all its various layers. Not only does she physically perform her aerialist routine, she creates a character through her costumes and make up that aid in this performance. On a smaller scale, she understands the importance of convincing a small and large audience of her authenticity – something that can only be achieved through an incredibly convincing performance. Without performance, Sophia Fevvers would probably still be stuck in that whorehouse putting on a much more degrading performance…

The Fascination with Freaks and Geeks

One of my favorite things about Dunn’s novel Geek Love was how each character completely owned their “freakness". In a society that traditionally seems to perpetuate and reward normalcy it was completely refreshing to experience characters that cherished their obvious individuality. In the past people living with these physical individualities or “abnormalities” were generally portrayed as self loathing or insecure (ex/ the Elephant man) but Dunn creates characters that break this mold: Arty was proud of his “maggot” shape, the twins boldly worked their fused physique and even Oly, whose short stature, baldness and hunchback is viewed as lesser than her siblings freaky physiques, appears completely comfortable and confident with who she is. Crystal Lil and Papa have completely convinced their children that their oddities make them great. Lil justifies the genetic manipulation claiming: “what greater gift could you offer your children than inherent ability to earn a living just by being themselves” (Dunn 7). This idea of profiting of ones individual differences is something that people of our generation can completely relate to considering the evolution of our generations television programming.

        

       Television viewers have become complete voyeurs – their programming is saturated with people different from themselves: The Roloffs, the Arnolds or even the “Mermaid Girl” (http://www.oprah.com/health/The-Only-Living-Mermaid-Girl) and the “600 lbs Virgin” ((http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/31845266/ns/today_relationships/). Television has become a modern day “freak show” that allows viewers to experience these physical oddities from the comfort of their own home. People no longer have to venture out and pay money to attend these “Freak Shows” at the traveling circus… all they have to do is flip on their TV. Everyone from Oprah to TLC has latched onto and cashed in on this evolved way to house “freaks” and feed peoples fascination with those different from themselves. TLC, for example, basically has a program staring someone that has similar oddities as every main character in Dunn’s novel: Shiloh Pepin AKA “The Mermaid Girl”, a set of conjoined east Indian twins dibbed “the Human Spider”, Patrick Deuel AKA “Half-ton Man” and various “little people”. Society’s fascination with freaks arguably stems from inner insecurities and a desire to feel better about oneself and their normalities, it also makes people feel better about their own abnormalities – everyone has something freaky or geeky about them.

 

Not only does Dunn’s novel tie in directly towards modern society’s fascination with “freaks”, it also highlights this idea of embracing ones inner freak that seems to be more and more prevalent in our generation. While “freakness” and “geekness” have undoubtedly become a fascination for our generation, I believe it can arguably be viewed as a fad. Movies and video games that ten years ago were associated with nerds and geeks, such as Super Mario and Star Wars, are now considered “in style”. I, myself, recently walked into one of my favorite stores and bought a Star Wars t-shirt that I proudly rock, something I wouldn’t have been caught dead in 5 years ago. Comic books, super heroes and video games are now considered vogue. The kids who used to be considered “freaks” are now considered cool: the nerdy couple from Juno, the boys from Super Bad, the members of Glee and Kick Ass. Our generation LOVES geeks.

 

Although Katherine Dunn wrote the novel Geek Love before this new found fascination with the “freaks and geeks” of society, I think her novel excellently perpetuates an ideal that our generation is beginning to idolize – embracing your inner freak and geek. 

Test Entry

"If I were Bionic Woman, what would I wear?" Bill Haverchuck - Freaks and Geeks