freak show

American  

noun

1. a display of people or animals with unusual or grotesque physical features, as at a circus or carnival sideshow.

2. any ludicrous, bizarre, or dehumanizing occasion, function, performance, etc.; grotesque, circuslike event.

   endless interviews and auditions that became a ridiculous freak show.

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Etymology

Origin of freak show

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Like most reality TV, it's closer to a freak show than an attempt to reflect the average person's experiences.

From Salon • Dec. 19, 2024

The novel recounts the history and hardships of the Binewski clan, carnival folk whose pater- and materfamilias, Al and Crystal Lil, create their own freak show.

From Washington Post • Nov. 11, 2022

A 2003 book of photographs, “Paris + Klein,” portrayed the city of fashion and fine dining as a freak show of boulevard cafes where ladies in millinery ate with plastic forks on paper plates.

From New York Times • Sep. 12, 2022

Meanwhile promoter Eddie Hearn described it as a "freak show."

From BBC • Aug. 17, 2021

The three guys, who I sort of knew from classes and lunch, were all talking about going to a freak show in the back of the carnival.

From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor