Word: barnumism
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...mermaid was simply the body of amonkey sewn to a fish, and that it wasanatomically inaccurate. The mermaid, encased inglass, was not allowed to be examined, sobelievers in the mermaid accused the naturalistsof taking authority in a matter which they hadnever submitted to scientific examination. Themermaid, or rather Barnum's business, suffered agreat deal during this time, and Barnum wiselydecided to bring the mermaid back to New York...
...Barnum, as his biographer A. H. Saxon says,"encouraged people to be skeptical. That's how hegot people in." Saxon continued laughingly,"Mermaids were believed to be hybrids. All Barnumdid was present the oddities, and said, 'Here, youlook at it, you decide...
After contemplating a law-suit against Bachman,Barnum instead decided to bring the Mermaid backfor one last exhibit. He used the controversy tohis advantage and prepared the followingcleverly-worded advertisement...
...Barnum also persuaded a Universalist ministerto preach a sermon about man's arrogance inassuming that he knows all about the laws ofnature. The preacher delivered his sermon andspoke of the shallow philosophy of man whobelieves that he knows all about the earth and itscreation...
...Barnum did not, in fact, bring the Mermaid backout on exhibit, but rather handed it over toKimball. He was on to better, if not bigger,things with his discovery of a certain two-foot,five-year old...General...