E268: This Is The Saddest Show (part I)

This week, we’re bringing you two of the most fascinating and deeply unsettling stories from the world of freak shows: Chang & Eng Bunker, the original Siamese twins, and Julia Pastrana, the so-called ‘Bear Woman.’

Chang and Eng weren’t just a medical curiosity—they were brilliant businessmen, plantation owners, and, oh yeah, enslavers. Their story is full of contradictions—two men who were once paraded as human oddities but ended up profiting off of the very same system that exploited them.

And then there’s Julia Pastrana. Her story? No happy endings. Labeled “The Ugliest Woman in the World”, Julia was abused, exploited, and even put on display after her death—because apparently, 19th-century showmen didn’t believe in letting their performers stay dead.

These are the stories of three performers whose lives couldn’t have been more different—but both prove one thing: once the world decides you’re an exhibit, getting your humanity back is nearly impossible!