Results tagged “circus”

      

Click on the images above for all the details on Hells Kitchen's new wine bar, Ardesia, and the crazy Carnival above Bowlmor.

The Ringling Bros. elephants (which Peta just caught on film being beaten by employees) are at the center of another controversy. Reportedly a Brooklyn Fire Dept. (Engine 245) had to close its firehouse for 30 minutes under city orders to bathe Suzie the elephant. The department says they wanted no part in the press event, saying, "What they did compromised that community; fortunately no one was hurt. Whoever at city hall decided to do this doesn't understand public safety and doesn't understand the role that firefighters play in public safety."

Since the crystal clear footage of Ringling Bros. workers beating animals isn't going to be brushed under the circus tent anytime soon—and since the Feds are now investigating—the company has released their second statement. In it, they call the PETA footage "deceptively edited," but unless the animal rights organization got their hands on some of George Lucas's CGI experts, that seems a ridiculous accusation.

Following a press conference PETA held yesterday at which time they released footage of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus employees beating animals, the feds have now said they will investigate the matter. The Daily News reports they will try to find out if the circus has violated the Animal Welfare Act. With crystal clear footage of trainers beating on animals, one even punching an elephant in the face, you would think this investigation would be a short one. In response to all the unwanted attention, a spokesman for the circus sent us along this canned comment packed full of denial:

It is no surprise that PETA would once again release misinformation about Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. Ringling Bros. believes that the recent video produced and distributed by PETA is questionable in its context regarding the portrayal of the animal handlers at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. Ringling Bros. is a fully licensed traveling exhibitor and from January through June of this year, the alleged time covered in the video, this particular Unit was found to be in compliance with federal, state and local regulations.

Continue reading "Feds Investigate, Ringling Releases Statement On Animal Abuse"

It's unsurprising that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has been called out in the past for abusing their animals, but it's another thing to see it all on tape. PETA went undercover this year and captured Ringling workers on video beating and whipping elephants. The organization announced their findings today at a press conference (NY1 has footage), calling upon Madison Square Garden to ban the circus, or at least the use of animals in their show.

                     

Last night, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus opened its new one-ring circus in Coney Island. Mayor Bloomberg and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz were on hand to welcome the show, The Coney Island Boom-A-Ring—Mayor Mike even checked out the Monster Trucks.

Seems a lot of folks are looking to runaway with the circus, or at least make the current financial climate less harsh with a new job at Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The NY Times reports back from the job fair held yesterday for the 150 positions open for their new set-up on Coney Island. Over 500 applicants turned up (alongside some animal rights activists) even though the job would only be temporary, lasting around 3 months. The circus wasn't looking for carnival barkers or occupants for the clown car, rather "ticket takers, ushers and custodians" who will work for minimum wage. Lynn B. Kelly, president of the Coney Island Development Corporation said of the turnout, “It may be a function of the market. Or it may be that, how often in life do you get a chance to say you’ve worked at the circus?” We're guessing it's the former. One 16-year-old local told the paper, “A lot of jobs don’t hire teens. But I’m not like everybody else. I’m mature, plus I have a child. I need a job.”

Coney Island land baron and would-be developer Joe Sitt has been fighting, with the help of City Council ally Domenic Recchia Jr., to get the city to change its proposed rezoning plan and expand the potential retail space from 2,500 square feet to 10,000 square feet. Opponents have predicted a Coney Island clogged with generic chains if Sitt gets his way, and now Brownstoner has a scoop proving they were right to fear the worst:

Mayor Bloomberg announced that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be setting up a seaside tent at Coney Island this summer: "For the first time in its 139-year history, The Greatest Show On Earth will make its way to one of the greatest neighborhoods in New York City - Coney Island."

The Ringling Brothers Circus is considering pitching a tent at Coney Island this summer, but the most obvious location for the show, the now-desolate Astroland site on the Boardwalk, was nixed because of developer Joe Sitt and his company Thor Equities.

Has PETA gone too far? Word is that last week the animal rights activists showed up unannounced and uninvited at a Hempstead elementary school, chosen for its proximity to the Nassau Coliseum, where Ringling Bros. Circus sets up shop starting tomorrow. Their plan was to school the children in circus cruelty, handing out stickers and coloring books that declared, "Circuses are no fun for animals." While this may be true, many are criticizing the organization for their tactics, saying their method is inappropriate—a psychologist noted that the children "might go home and be very anxious" because they "are less mature in their cognitive process."

     

Last night Britney Spears took her Circus act to the Nassau Coliseum stage on Long Island, and Newsday, the final word in concert reviews, has a scathing account. The paper makes note of the audience member lapdance, the pop star getting sawed in three, and the Bollywood dance number, but they say it's all "a massive money-making venture designed to play up her talents and distract from her shortcomings." Is this not the foundation upon which pop stars are built? The criticisms continue, as they declare "she always gets a lot of help from her troupe of 12 dancers, who pull her across the stage or give her rides on their bicycles so we don't notice she's only moving at two-thirds speed or not doing all the moves her dancers are."

      

Bright n' early this morning Britney Spears continued her "comeback kid" routine with an appearance on Good Morning America. Not only is today her 27th birthday, but it's also the release of her 6th album, titled Circus. As part of the promotional package, on Sunday MTV aired a no-holds-barred infomercial documentary about the singer, where even Madonna made a cameo to talk up the pop starlet's new lease on life. Here she is performing on GMA at the Big Apple Circus, y'all:

If it's March, it must be time for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to come to town. And it must mean it's time for the annual Elephant Walk, too! This year's Elephant Walk will take place will be on Tuesday, March 18 into Wednesday March 19th, at midnight. The circus reaches New York City by way of train, stopping in Queens and head into Manhattan through the Queens-Midtown Tunnel for its stand at Madison Square Garden, so anywhere along 34th Street, between the tunnel and Manhattan Square Garden, is a spot where you can see the elephants. (The hardcore people sometimes convene around the exit at 35th Street and 2nd Avenue.)