The carnival business in general,
has forever been closed to outsiders. Even to the point of
having our own language, this being the way we conversed in
front of "Townies" so that they wouldn't know what we were
talking about.
This was usually picked up as a
young child, from hearing our parents use it. Carnies, have
an air of mystery about them, and I have found, if a person
doesn't understand something, they either don't like it, are
afraid of it, or try to make it into something all together
different than it really is, so they can better understand
it.
The media types have a few words
they live by when something about carnivals, and sideshows
comes up. Exploitation, Scam, Thieves and Killers. I go
along with their questions, which we all have stock answers
for, and in some cases agree with them. It is much easier
than trying to explain something, they don't really know
anything about.
The first time we were on the
Springer show, back when we had never even heard of Jerry
Springer, and when he was just starting out in the Talk
Shows. He was stuck on the "How did you feel about that",
and the oh, poor you thing. He never wanted to get down and
discuss something that Mother, Melvin and Don Leslie did.
The fact that they enjoyed every minute of their lives.
Good, Bad or otherwise. It was all an experience.
The only one on the show, Sandy
Allen, felt she had been exploited, and had been unhappy
with the hand she had been delt.
We have gotten to be pretty picky
at what interviews we give, and even then, we have been
suckered into some, that have turned out to not be in our
best interest. They resorted to lies, to just get what
they wanted, our pictures!!!
One time Mother was aired on a
radio station, that she wouldn't have listened to for any
amount of money, and would never have consented to an
interview. They just called her up one morning and said is
this Jeanie Tomaini?, my name is Joe or Bill, or whoever,
and started to ask her questions, personal questions. She
never even had an idea who she was talking to. All the time
the conversation was going out on the air. We found out that
afternoon, when people started coming to the bait shop,
telling her they had heard her on the radio. Thank God, she
was a lady, and never said anything that would have been
compromising.
This is only one example of the
things they will resort to, to get an interview. I find it
much easier to say no, now as I understand where they are
coming from.
So Slim, when one door closes,
another one opens.
Guess who said that!!!!!
Judy
Tomaini Rock 08-27-1999 (R.I.P. HRH)
