# End of an era: Ringling Bros. Circus to close in May 2017 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 15, 2017, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204 "2017-01-15T03:31:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/1 "2017-01-15T03:31:51Z")
[The Greatest Show On Earth is about to end. > [@](#): > > The iconic American spectacle was felled by a variety of factors, company executives say. Declining attendance combined with high operating costs, along with changing public tastes and prolonged battles with animal rights groups all contributed to its demise. > > “There isn’t any one thing,” said Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment. “This has been a very difficult decision for me and for the entire family.” ]([http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US\_RINGLING\_BROS\_CLOSING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-01-14-22-14-17](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_RINGLING_BROS_CLOSING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-01-14-22-14-17))Now that I am older I understand the issues that animal rights groups may have with circuses (circusi? :p) in general and perhaps with RB/B&B in particular, but when I was a little kid, the circus was a helluva lot of fun. Noisy and dangerous and scary with style and flashy costumes… it totally fucking rocked! I’m glad I had the experience(s) with circuses in general (I saw this circus a few times in particular and have friends/colleagues who toured with it) but I understand why this is something that is coming to an end. /wave ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/2 "2017-01-15T03:43:42Z")
The Terrorists Have Won. ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/3 "2017-01-15T03:53:19Z")
Looking at you, Sea World :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/4 "2017-01-15T04:14:37Z")
Noooooo! ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/5 "2017-01-15T04:23:26Z")
If they couldn’t adapt and keep up with the times, good riddance! ---
**Author:** ![toast\_pakora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@toast\_pakora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toast_pakora)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/6 "2017-01-15T04:55:54Z")
I never caught the circus parade. A friend once told me that after RB/B&B finished a tour in our small city, she happened to be driving by when they were exiting the arena. She said the performers and animals, well, the elephants anyway, formed a parade and walked maybe a quarter? half? mile to a railroad siding where the train was waiting. I’d never heard of it and was really envious and then I forgot to check it out the next year. Was that a thing? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/7 "2017-01-15T05:39:17Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > If they couldn’t adapt and keep up with the times, good riddance! - Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses? Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses? \* ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/8 "2017-01-15T06:04:07Z")
> [@toast\_pakora](#): > > I never caught the circus parade. A friend once told me that after RB/B&B finished a tour in our small city, she happened to be driving by when they were exiting the arena. She said the performers and animals, well, the elephants anyway, formed a parade and walked maybe a quarter? half? mile to a railroad siding where the train was waiting. I’d never heard of it and was really envious and then I forgot to check it out the next year. Was that a thing? Aye; this was how they loaded in nearly everywhere (I’d say ‘everywhere’ but I could be wrong). The excuse was usually that it was dangerous and cost-prohibitive to transport the elephants by flatbed truck (seems obviously dangerous IMO) so they’d just (have the local promoter) pay to shut the road down for a parade and they’d get free publicity because of it. I know that in all 3 towns where I had anything to do with RB/B&B load-ins or -outs, that was the way they did it. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/9 "2017-01-15T06:10:55Z")
> [@toast\_pakora](#): > > I never caught the circus parade. A friend once told me that after RB/B&B finished a tour in our small city, she happened to be driving by when they were exiting the arena. She said the performers and animals, well, the elephants anyway, formed a parade and walked maybe a quarter? half? mile to a railroad siding where the train was waiting. I’d never heard of it and was really envious and then I forgot to check it out the next year. Was that a thing? Once, when I lived in NYC, I saw a long string of elephants coming out of the Plaza Hotel. It was one of those “wish I had a camera on me” moments. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/10 "2017-01-15T06:31:01Z")
I went when I was a kid, didn’t think it was all that. Surprised it took this long. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/11 "2017-01-15T13:37:12Z")
My grandmother used to take us when I was a kid. She had a huge crush on Gunther Gebel-Williams. It was a blast. I took my kids a few times, but the last time I went, it was a one-ring circus instead of three rings, it had video segments (lame) and instead of lion taming they had house cat taming. Super lame. It used to be over-whelming – where should I look? There’s so much happening in the three rings! With one ring, it was distinctly under-whelming, or, at best, whelming. I understand the animal welfare issues and how difficult it would be to be a circus today. But, they had lost their edge years ago when they got small and modern. With one ring and video, it was no longer the greatest show on earth anyway. So, even with animal welfare issues set aside, I would never have gone back. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/12 "2017-01-15T13:49:53Z")
Who needs the circus with trump about to be sworn in? ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/13 "2017-01-15T14:11:56Z")
I think it’s a sad day. There seem to have been many factors involved: falling attendances, the organized outrage of the animal worshipers, the rising costs of moving such a huge operation around the country and so on. But Ringlings just couldn’t win. When they finally removed the elephants from the circus because of constant complaints from people that the act was cruel and undignified for the animals guess what happened? Right, attendances suddenly plummeted because people wanted to see elephants when they came to the circus! Still, the tradition is not dead yet, though it’s certainly on its sick bed. [Here’s a list of American circuses](http://www.circusesandsideshows.com/circuses.html) many of which are still active. I’m not sure though just how many are of the traditional sort, ie the whole nine yards with elephants, tigers, etc. I’d guess very few. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/14 "2017-01-15T14:38:55Z")
I’m saddened. My wife and I used to bring the family every year, until the family grew to the point where it was no longer affordable. But I remember packed houses. Hard to believe it’s going to be gone. I was definitely looking forward to bringing grandchildren to see it in the future. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/15 "2017-01-15T15:09:04Z")
I went a couple of times when I was a child. I agree with others’ assessment that there’s little to match a three ring circus for excitement and noise. It was also very dangerous, I saw performers injured both times I went as a child. It had already changed a bit when I worked the ticket booth as an adult when they came through town once, and saw the show several times then. Safety was higher, and there was a lot more merchandise being sold. But, it was still exciting, and acts such as [The Ball of Death](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fc9AM__HgE) were still around. I can’t say that it’s necessary for folks to see these sorts of death-defying acts, but I will miss that the largest purveyor of them in the US is going to be gone. There’s something about those acts that seems vibrant and alive to me, and the uncertainty of their success playing out before your eyes can’t really be reproduced by watching a recording of the act. The involvement in that moment of the performer testing their skill and the audience witnessing it just can’t be reproduced. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/16 "2017-01-15T15:14:43Z")
^ [Plus, you might win a pick-up truck!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoILBhAi0AA) ---
**Author:** ![GythaOgg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@GythaOgg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GythaOgg)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/17 "2017-01-15T17:03:23Z")
I wonder what they’ll do with the trains? I hope they end up in one or more of the big rail museums - they’re definitely a part of American rail history. [Here is a video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s28kttOk51E) of one of the last operational Union Pacific steam engines pulling the Ringling Brothers circus train in Wyoming from a few years back. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/18 "2017-01-15T17:46:23Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > Who needs the circus with trump about to be sworn in? Well, there may be a sucker born every minute & Trump may be hiring them. I think its just a shame nobody puts straw underneath them anymore… ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/19 "2017-01-15T18:44:28Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > There seem to have been many factors involved: falling attendances, **the organized outrage of the animal worshipers** , the rising costs of moving such a huge operation around the country and so on. (bolding mine) :rolleyes: @ the decision that it was a good idea to actually write that phrase. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204/20 "2017-01-15T19:15:49Z")
**[Moderating]** > [@E-DUB](#): > > Who needs the circus with trump about to be sworn in? > [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > Well, there may be a sucker born every minute & Trump may be hiring them. > I think its just a shame nobody puts straw underneath them anymore… **E-DUB** and **Count Blucher** , cut the politics. We’ve got enough of that in the political threads; we don’t need it spilling over into everything else. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/end-of-an-era-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-in-may-2017/777204.md?page=2)