When I was growing up any opportunity to go and see the circus was an exciting experience. I loved watching the trapeze artist, the animal shows, the clowns and especially the high wire walkers. Some performers had flashy costumes that always sparkled in the light when they performed.
I have no idea what will sparkle at a circus to be held at the Resorts in Atlantic City because they’re going to be offering their patrons a chance to see something called a “Naked Circus.” (Is that the sound of James Bailey and P.T Barnum rolling in their graves I just heard?) If I was enthusiastic about seeing the circus when I was a teenager, the chance to see a naked circus would’ve motivated me beyond anyone’s imagination.
The resort’s owner Dennis Gomes told people that it’ll be as naked as the law allows. Female performers will wear pasties and G-strings. Unfortunately, it will be in a tent outside in the casino parking lot and will be for adults only. A collective “awwwwww” was heard from young boys around the country upon hearing this news.
How would you talk a circus performer into doing something like this?
“Alexis, babe, ya doin’ a great job here an’ we love you. We want to mix things up just a bit with yer routine. We’re gonna have some slight changes to the costume you wear during yer performance.”
“What type of costume changes?”
“Ah, yer not going to wear one. Actually, you’re gonna wear a G-string and some pasties but hey, with the great way you perform who’s gonna care? Besides, you know you’re beautiful, right?”
She takes a deep breath as her eyes open wide to this perceived insult.
“I am they flying Alexis. I am a fourth-generation circus performer on the trapeze. How can you ask such a thing of me?”
“Well, we plan to triple the pay for each of your performances.”
“Hey, what’s a G-string and some pasties among friends? You know, I bet I’ll like feeling that free. Excuse me, but I must get to a tanning salon right away.”
I bet the colorful posters announcing the arrival of a circus to a town near you would look very different. It’d probably have all sorts of black blocks covering certain parts of the performer’s bodies. I can only imagine what the circus parade through town would be like.
“Why is there not a single teenage child in the entire school this morning?”
“The naked circus parade is being held today.”
“Why didn’t anybody say something? Hurry up and let’s get going. As their teachers, we have an obligation to make certain they understand exactly what they’re seeing.”
I imagine after a night of losing money from gambling at Atlantic City nothing cheers a person up like the opportunity to see almost naked people perform in a circus. Some circus acts would be difficult to imagine being done nearly naked.
What would it be like to see a nearly naked lion tamer? I bet he’d be exceedingly careful when cracking that whip. How about nearly naked clowns? I wonder what expressions would be on their faces after they all got out of that small car. A nearly naked knife thrower would probably stress the crowd out a bit more than usual. Would a nearly naked juggler ever get confused? Would a magician make a nearly naked woman disappear and then reappear with clothes on?
Dennis Gomes is the brains behind this idea and his brilliance in marketing doesn’t end with a naked circus. Gomes is the same person who made national headlines by letting customers play tic-tac-toe against a chicken when he ran Atlantic City’s Tropicana Casino and resort. He has now come up with an even better promotional idea called “The Tic-Tac-Toe Playing Chick.” Customers will be able to play tic-tac-toe against a beautiful scantily-clad woman. If they win, they get $5,000.
I can see where playing tic-tac-toe against a chicken might be a novel experience worth doing. Playing tic-tac-toe against a regular woman? Where’s the novelty in doing such a thing? Now, if they offered a chance to play tic-tac-toe against a naked circus performer then they’d have something.
According to Gomes this is all designed to win back millions of dollars in business the casino lost under previous ownership. I suppose nothing will make people visit a casino in droves more than a chance to watch naked circus performers and play a woman at tic-tac-toe.
I believe this is just an example of what many businesspeople think of us today. It’s not enough to provide people with a great place to gamble and some interesting shows to see, these days naked has to be brought into it. Who can blame them? Since pornography is so easily available and advertisements constantly bombard us with sex on a daily basis what’s a competitive businessperson to do? I’m sure there are many ways to promote a casino that involves people keeping their clothes on. Unfortunately, they’re probably not the ways that get much attention from a casino’s target audience.