American Horror Story- Where Were The Character's Inspired From?

Taking my research further into the season Freak show I wanted to actually see if the freaks that were shown in the freak show were inspired from real people around the world. I found out that some freaks that were presented in American Horror story were actually inspired from real circus acts that have been seen in the past. I also watched a film called Freaks that was released in the year 1932. 

This film pretty much has similar freaks and a similar story line to that of the American horror story freak show. This film could have been an inspiration for the characters and the whole story itself. The film freaks that was released in 1932, is about a circus that consists of freaks and is run by a lady who thinks that she has the best of everything and has a desire to be the best. I thought that this relates back to the freak show as it links to the circus of freaks and Elsa who owns it and wants to be the best of them all. 

The freaks that were presented in American horror story were also quite similar to those in the film freaks(1932). There was a pair of freaks that were co-joined from the shoulders. They were always back to back facing away from each other and had two separate bodies. While in the freak show Bette and Dot were co-joined from the side and had one leg and hand each which was one joint body. They had two heads and were side to side the whole time. I think that American horror story created an extreme version of a freak by making Bette and Dot have one body. The tiny Ma Petite was also inspired from a similar characters in the film freaks(1932).  

Looking at other sources, I found out that Pepper from the American horror story was actually inspired by a Schlitzie. This is the term known for a pinhead. It is known that Schlitzie's condition was infectious. He was actually born a boy but advertised as a girl. Pepper in the freak show was inspired from this Schlitzie. In the freak show there were two pin heads one presented as a girl and one as a boy. Along with Pepper the freak show character Jimmy was also inspired from a real life professional freak show performer Fred Wilson. Just like Pepper and Jimmy the other characters are also inspired as they relate to many real life human oddities.

Ethel the bearded woman in the show was inspired from not just one but many inspirational women. One of them is Helena Antonia from the 17th century that is is the image next to Ethel. The reason why these woman including Ethel had excessive hair is due to a hormonal imbalance. Another reason for this could be the over dosage of anabolic steroids. This look became popular for circus shows as people did come to watch these acts as they were amused by seeing women with beards.

Bette and Dot the co-joined twins were inspired from Millie and Christine McCoy who were twins fused from their spine as seen in the image. They were from North Carolina born in the year 1851. They had all their own organs. However, I think American horror story freak show took the story of Bette and Dot to the next level by them having just one reproductive system. I think they must have done this to increase the audiences anxiety and to get more viewers attracted to the show.

Jimmy in the TV series also known as Lobster boy was inspired from Grady Stiles who also ha lobster claws, not only on his hands but as feet as well. This is a real medical condition that is known as deformity ectodactyly. While carrying out my research I was amazed to find out how many of the freaks from the freak show, were actually inspired from real life medical conditions/oddities. Looking further into the life of Grady Stiles, he was known to have murdered his daughters fiancee. Jimmy was also seen committing a murder could this also be an inspiration for the story line?

Finally, coming to twisty the clown he was inspired from the real life happenings of John Wayne Gacy. Gacy was a serial killer who dressed as a clown when committing the murders, hence twisty is known as the clown killer. Thinking about it this could also be the reason that people are so terrified of clowns today, the fact that the clown killer was a real person who murdered and raped people. This is the exact same story about twisty the clown as he murders people in the series too, that too way too brutally.

Ref:
Tod Browning. Freaks, 1932 [digital video] CH4
Ryan Roschke, 2014. Which of American Horror Story's Freaks Are Based On Real Circus Acts [viewed 16th March 2016] Available From: http://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Real-People-From-American-Horror-Story-Freak-Show-35779436#photo-35779436
Jacob Stolworthy, 2014. American Horror Story- the Freak Show Influences [viewed 16th March 2016] Available From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/11162007/American-Horror-Story-the-Freakshow-influences.html
Human Marvels. Freaks, Geeks and Human Oddities [viewed 16th March 2016] Available From: http://www.thehumanmarvels.com/