I am pleased with the strides our civilization has made in 2022, recognizing that progress comes in various forms. While acknowledging that certain aspects of the past were better, it’s crucial to highlight that some elements of bygone eras belong precisely where they are, in the past.
In the 19th century, “freak shows” were a popular attraction, considered a regular part of American society. These mobile circuses showcased individuals deemed “odd”, such as bearded women and Siamese twins. Mary Ann Bevan, labeled the “Ugliest Woman in the World”, emerged as one of these attractions, and her poignant life story emphasizes the need to remember and learn from such historical missteps.
While human curiosity about individuals with different ethnicities or physical abilities has existed throughout history, exploiting them for profit is ethically wrong, regardless of the time period. In the 19th century, audiences flocked to witness people with deformities in “freak shows”, an unsettling trend that persisted from the 1840s to the 1940s without widespread moral objection.
Mary Ann Bevan’s story unfolded in this challenging period. Born as Mary Ann Webster on December 20, 1874, in Plaistow, East London, she grew up in a working-class household, one of eight children. Unlike her brothers, who found employment when they reached adulthood, Mary Ann pursued education, graduating from medical school and beginning her career as a nurse in 1894.
Her life took a positive turn when she married Thomas Bevan in 1902, and together, they experienced the joys of raising four children. However, tragedy struck after 14 years of marriage when Thomas suffered a stroke and passed away. Left alone with her children, Mary Ann faced additional challenges as she grappled with a rare condition known as acromegaly, which affected her physical appearance.
Acromegaly, characterized by the overproduction of growth hormone, leads to enlarged body tissues and bones. Mary Ann exhibited symptoms around the age of 32, and with limited knowledge about the condition at the time, she struggled to find help. Unlike the typical manifestation of acromegaly after puberty, Mary Ann’s ailment affected her face, altering her features.
Despite her hardships, Mary Ann initially found solace in her family and received support from her husband. However, after Thomas’s death, the disease’s impact worsened, rendering her unemployable due to her changed appearance. Desperate to provide for her children, Mary Ann responded to a newspaper advertisement seeking the “Ugliest woman” for a circus.
Claude Bartram, an agent for Barnum and Bailey, selected Mary Ann based on her photograph and offered her a contract that included a weekly salary, travel expenses, and proceeds from picture postcard sales. Mary Ann’s journey to America in 1920 marked the beginning of her fame as “The Ugliest Woman on Earth”, with appearances at the Coney Island Circus.
Despite objections to the morality of using individuals with physical differences for entertainment, Mary Ann became a sensation, earning significant income. The financial success allowed her to provide her children with education in England, fulfilling her commitment as a devoted mother. Mary Ann’s resilience and sacrifice epitomize true beauty and maternal love.
Returning to France in 1925 for an exhibition, Mary Ann spent the remainder of her life in New York, working at the Coney Island Dreamland Show. She passed away in 1933 from natural causes at the age of 59, fulfilling her dying wish to be buried in her native country, laid to rest at South London’s Ladywell and Brockley Cemetery.
Mary Ann Bevan’s story is a testament to her unwavering determination to support her family. In a time without modern benefits, she worked tirelessly, embodying the selflessness of a mother who prioritizes her children above all. May Mary Ann rest in peace, a deserving tribute to a woman whose life exemplified sacrifice and maternal love.
Mean bullies started laughing when “quiet kid” took the stage, then the music began
When “Quite Kid” took the stage, all the bullies began to laugh, but you should see what happened when the music began.
Some people are born performers for large audiences. Many of the top performers in the world had to endure demanding rehearsals and practice sessions in order to feel as comfortable on stage as they do for the watching public.
Even some of the most well-known performers still have the same pre-show anxiety as when they were performing in their high school talent program.
When Brett Nichols has to perform in front of an audience, he still gets nervous. Brett may not seem it, but he is still a teenager. However, his dance moves are so similar that you might mistake him for Michael Jackson’s reincarnation.
Even while he hasn’t quite “made it” in the home entertainment industry, he did create a skill program that has inspired a great deal of people to follow in Brett’s footsteps and achieve their goals.
Brett’s peers perceive him as a quiet and reserved individual, so they are taken aback when he walks onto stage with the same level of confidence as the King of Pop. It almost seems like Brett had a private lesson, a master class, with Jackson, where he got to pick the famed performer’s head and learn his relocations from the expert.
In the end, though, Brett was never able to become close to Jackson. After countless hours of rigorous effort and dedication to the art form, he only recently learned the dance moves.
Brett had a reputation for being quiet and reserved in school, so when his classmates saw him strolling through the skill program’s next step, they didn’t know what to expect from him. Still, the crowd might have known they were in for a treat as soon as the music started.
A Michael Jackson song won’t be attempted by anyone unless they are extremely skilled at it. That was comprehended by the crowd.
Brett’s personality may be the most inspiring aspect of his productivity. He demonstrates how shyness may be shed like unwanted skin because he is perceived as one of the “shy ones” at school.
This efficiency is almost like Brett being a beautiful butterfly that emerges from its cocoon. His friends also see the progress he has made, which is one of the reasons this video clip has ended up being so motivating.
If Brett is capable of taking on the challenge, then so is everyone else who has been hiding their talent from the public due to shyness or insecurity.
Brett left a lasting impression on the judges of the competition as well as his audience at the efficiency. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Brett placed first in the skill program.
As a result of his outstanding performance at the Pitman High School talent program in Turlock, California, Brett was invited to perform for his fans on ABC’s The View, NBC, and CNN.
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