In North America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival, fair, or other such attraction.
Tongue bifurcation, splitting or forking, is a type of body modification in which the tongue is cut centrally from its tip to as far back as the underside base, forking the end.
Lizardman is a common name for a reptilian humanoid, especially in fantasy.
The Jim Rose Circus is a modern-day version of a circus sideshow. It was founded in Seattle in 1991 by Jim Rose and his wife BeBe Aschard Rose. The sideshow, then called the "Jim Rose Circus Sideshow", came to prominence to an American audience as a second stage show at the 1992 Lollapalooza festival. although they had toured the Northwest and Canada and had several US TV appearances before this time. Rolling Stone magazine called the show an "absolute must-see act" and USA Today termed Rose's troupe "Lollapalooza's word-of-mouth hit attraction".
Sword swallowing is a skill in which the performer passes a sword through the mouth and down the esophagus to the stomach. This feat is not swallowing in the traditional sense. The natural processes that constitute swallowing do not take place, but are repressed to keep the passage from the mouth to the stomach open for the sword. The practice is dangerous and there is risk of injury or death.
Stalking Cat was an American man known for his extensive body modifications, which were intended to increase his resemblance to a tiger. For his 14 surgical procedures towards that goal, he held a world record for "most permanent transformations to look like an animal". "Stalking Cat" was his chosen name.
Horace Leonard Ridler was a professional freak show and sideshow performer, exhibited for his heavy tattoos under the stage names The Great Omi and The Zebra Man.
Elaine Davidson is a Brazilian-Scottish former nurse, based in Edinburgh who Guinness World Records has certified as the "Most Pierced Woman".
The Enigma is an American sideshow performer, actor, and musician who has undergone extensive body modification, including horn implants, ear reshaping, multiple body piercings, and a full-body jigsaw-puzzle tattoo. His tattooing process began on December 20, 1992, under the needle of Katzen the Tiger Lady, whom he later married, and has since divorced. To date, the Enigma has had more than two hundred tattoo artists work on him, with as many as twenty-three tattoos underway at one time.
Ryan Stock is a Canadian-based TV stunt man from Beaumont, Alberta who has a show on the Discovery Channel called "Guinea Pig". Stock and his fiancée Amber Lynn Walker travel around Canada and the United States and perform stunts involving electrical shocks, automobile crashes and intentional poisoning. The Guinea Pig Show is no longer in production but may still air in some countries.
A freak show is an exhibition of biological rarities, referred to in popular culture as "freaks of nature". Typical features would be physically unusual humans, such as those uncommonly large or small, those with intersex variations, those with extraordinary diseases and conditions, and others with performances expected to be shocking to viewers. Heavily tattooed or pierced people have sometimes been seen in freak shows, as have attention-getting physical performers such as fire-eating and sword-swallowing acts.
Body piercing, which is a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewellery may be worn, or where an implant could be inserted. The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice. It can also, by metonymy, refer to the resulting decoration, or to the decorative jewelry used. Piercing implants alter the body and/or skin profile and appearance. Although the history of body piercing is obscured by popular misinformation and by a lack of scholarly reference, ample evidence exists to document that it has been practiced in various forms by both sexes since ancient times throughout the world. Body piercing can be performed on people of all ages, although most minors are only permitted to have earlobe piercings.
Chayne Hultgren, known professionally as the Space Cowboy is a world record-holding sideshow, street, and freak show performer.
Captain Frodo, also known as "The Incredible Rubberman", is a Guinness World Record breaking contortionist living in Australia. He is the son of a famous Norwegian magician known as "The Great Santini".
Steve Haworth is a body modification artist based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is responsible for the invention and popularization of subdermal and transdermal implants, such as the "Metal Mohawk". He designed specialized medical instruments called dermal elevators for this process. He has also done pioneering work with surface bars, ear shaping, tongue splitting, magnetic implants, and artistic branding. He has worked on individuals noted for their extensive modifications such as The Enigma, Katzen, Stalking Cat, The Lizardman, and biohacker Tim Cannon. He is listed in the Guinness World Records as "Most Advanced Body Modification Artist", 1999 to present.
Johnny Strange, nicknamed "the man with ears of steel", is an English world record breaking performance artist, producer, street performer and bestselling author based in London, England. He is known for performing daredevil stunts with a comedic twist.
Gary Turner is a sideshow performer. He holds the current Guinness World Record for the stretchiest skin, caused by a serious form of Ehlers Danlos syndrome. On October 29, 1999, in Los Angeles, he stretched the skin on his abdomen to a total length of 6.25 inches, earning him the record. He performed in the short film He Took His Skin Off For Me. He also appeared in an episode of Ripley's Believe It or Not!
María José Cristerna Méndez, known professionally as The Vampire Woman or, as she prefers, The Jaguar Woman, is a Mexican lawyer, businesswoman, activist and tattoo artist. She is known for her extensive body modifications, which she embarked on as a form of activism against domestic violence. She is recognized by Guinness World Records as the most tattooed woman in the world, with 96% of her body covered, and is one of the most famous personalities in the world of tattoo art.
Diabão Praddo is the pseudonym adopted by Brazilian tattoo artist Michel Praddo, who is known for the extreme body modifications he has undergone, including the removal of the ear and the sewing and removal of some fingers, in addition to having more than 80% of his body tattooed. In 2023, he entered Guinness as the man with the most 'horn' shaped implants in his head.
