The 999 Eyes Freak Show, which is featured in the March-April Utne Reader, has caused a stir in St. Paul. Lobster Girl, Samantha X, and the rest of the human oddities in the 999 Eyes crew were supposed to perform on June 14 at a benefit for the History Theatre, but the alternative weekly City Pagesreports that event organizers got cold feet when they decided the “carnie/sideshow language” used by 999 Eyes to market its act “was very offensive to people with disabilities,” says event organizer Steven Katz.
It appears that 999 Eyes recently changed its descriptor from “Carnival of the Damned” to “Freak Show,” but still, we’re confused by the confusion: The outfit is perfectly upfront about its counterculture/retro shtick, and it isn’t easily mistaken for a troupe of singing poster children. No word yet on whether A Prairie Home Companion will invite the snubbed freaks to Lake Wobegon for the weirdest episode ever. –Keith Goetzman
