Freak: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Joseph Merrick carte de visite photo, c. 1889.jpg|thumb|[[Joseph Merrick]], c.1889]] |
[[File:Joseph Merrick carte de visite photo, c. 1889.jpg|thumb|[[Joseph Merrick]], c.1889]] |
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A '''freak''' refers to a person who is [[deformity|physically deformed]] or transformed due to an extraordinary medical condition or [[body modification]] (first attested in this sense in 1839, and still sometimes referred to, as the full phrase "[[wiktionary: freak of nature|freak of nature]]")<ref>{{OEtymD|freak|accessdate=2020-04-01}}</ref><ref>https://www.etymonline.com/word/freak</ref> |
A '''freak''' refers to a person who is [[deformity|physically deformed]] or transformed due to an extraordinary medical condition or [[body modification]] (first attested in this sense in 1839, and still sometimes referred to, as the full phrase "[[wiktionary: freak of nature|freak of nature]]").<ref>{{OEtymD|freak|accessdate=2020-04-01}}</ref><ref>https://www.etymonline.com/word/freak</ref> |
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The term's original neutral [[connotation]] became entirely negative during the 20th century; therefore, ''freak'' with this specific meaning remains only as a [[pejorative]].<ref>'Freak' is a slur and 'Freak Show' is propagating it. Disabled people deserve better https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/26/disabled-people-freak-show-horror-story-pop-culture</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Chemers |first=M|date=2008 |title=Staging Stigma: A Critical Examination of the American Freak Show |location=New York |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |page=7 |isbn=978-0-230-61066-8}}}}</ref> |
The term's original neutral [[connotation]] became entirely negative during the 20th century; therefore, ''freak'' with this specific meaning remains only as a [[pejorative]].<ref>'Freak' is a slur and 'Freak Show' is propagating it. Disabled people deserve better https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/26/disabled-people-freak-show-horror-story-pop-culture</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Chemers |first=M|date=2008 |title=Staging Stigma: A Critical Examination of the American Freak Show |location=New York |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |page=7 |isbn=978-0-230-61066-8}}}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 20:51, 18 June 2021
A freak refers to a person who is physically deformed or transformed due to an extraordinary medical condition or body modification (first attested in this sense in 1839, and still sometimes referred to, as the full phrase "freak of nature").[1][2]
The term's original neutral connotation became entirely negative during the 20th century; therefore, freak with this specific meaning remains only as a pejorative.[3][4]
Usage
Freak saw usage as jargon by past promoters and performers in freak shows and its use in this sense has dwindled as the popularity of freak shows themselves have dwindled.[5] One well-known example of this use of the word was in reference to Joseph Merrick, the "Elephant Man."[6] In the parlance of that time, side-show freaks were classified into two groups: natural freaks and self-made freaks.[7] A natural freak would usually have been born with a genetic abnormality, while a self-made freak was a person who had an artificial alteration (such as surgical implants).
The term has a variety of much more recent meanings. One is someone with something strikingly unusual about their appearance or behaviour. This usage dates from the "freak scene" of the 1960s and 1970s, most famously championed by Frank Zappa, leader of the rock band The Mothers of Invention.(Their first album was titled Freak Out!)
Another recent usage is as a synonym for enthusiast, such as a health freak[8]; or referring to obsessive behaviour, such as control freak.[9]
In science
Freak is also used to describe plants and animals with a genetic mutation.[10][11]
See also
- Freaks (1932 film)
- Freaks (2018 film)
- Freaks and Geeks
- Freakazoid!
- Freaky (film)
- Freaky Friday
- Freaky Stories
- Social rejection
- Teratology
References
- ^ Harper, Douglas. "freak". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
- ^ https://www.etymonline.com/word/freak
- ^ 'Freak' is a slur and 'Freak Show' is propagating it. Disabled people deserve better https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/26/disabled-people-freak-show-horror-story-pop-culture
- ^ Chemers, M (2008). Staging Stigma: A Critical Examination of the American Freak Show. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-230-61066-8.}}
- ^ The Rise and Fall of Circus Freakshows https://priceonomics.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-circus-freakshows/
- ^ Joseph Merrick at the Encyclopædia Britannica
- ^ Stephens, Elizabeth (2005). "Twenty-First Century Freak Show: Recent Transformations in the Exhibition of Non-Normative Bodies". Disability Studies Quarterly. 25 (3). Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ For example, in the name of the British television show, Teenage Health Freak.
- ^ Harper, Douglas. "freak". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
- ^ Human and animal freaks of nature https://www.newscientist.com/gallery/mg20126905300-freaks-of-nature/
- ^ Freaks are forcing scientists to rethink evolution https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0262407909601032
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