Episode #042519: What Were Human Zoos?

One of the off-putting byproducts of 19th century European colonialism were human zoos, living dioramas of people from far-away places made to be gawked at. Listen in to what the deeper meaning of humans zoos held people on both sides of the glass.

AI Summary

In this eye-opening episode, Josh and Chuck dive deep into the disturbing history of human zoos—exhibitions that displayed people from colonized regions as curiosities for Western audiences from the 1800s through the mid-1900s. They explore how these displays were rooted in racist pseudoscience, colonial justification, and pure spectacle, tracing specific heartbreaking stories like that of Ota Benga, who was caged alongside primates at the Bronx Zoo, and examining infamous exhibits like the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. The guys don't shy away from the lasting impact this had on racial attitudes in the West, and they reveal how similar exploitative practices still exist in some forms today.

Movies Discussed

Faces of Death

1978 1h 45m

★ 4.5

"It was like basically. Mondo Kane, I don't know if that's right or not. Yeah, that's how it's spelled. But it was like the predecessor to things like faces of death or whatever. — Mentioned as an example of films that continued the exploitative tradition of human zoos by focusing on depicting people as savage and weird." — Josh

Mondo Cane

1962 1h 45m

★ 6.3

"What was that first documentary called? Like Mondo Kane or something like that? — Referenced as a predecessor to films like Faces of Death that continued the tradition of portraying people from other cultures as savage and weird." — Chuck

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