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The greatest showman on earth Is Simon Cowell P.T. Barnum reborn?

The greatest showman on earth Is Simon Cowell P.T. Barnum reborn? Purpose – Simon Cowell, the impresario behind The X Factor , a popular television talent show, has often been compared to P.T. Barnum, the legendary nineteenth century showman. This paper aims to examine the alleged parallels in detail and attempts to assess this “Barnum reborn” argument. Design/methodology/approach – Putative parallels between the impresarios are considered under the aegis of two long‐standing, if contentious, historical “theories”: time's cycle and the great man thesis. Findings – Seven broad similarities between the showmen are identified: vulgarity, hyperbole, rivalry, publicity, duplicity, liminality and history. In each case, the arguments pro and con are explored, as is humanity's propensity to personify. Originality/value – In accordance with the iconic literary critic Harold Bloom, who “strikes texts together to seek if they spark”, this paper strikes two celebrated showmen together to generate historical sparks. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Historical Research in Marketing Emerald Publishing

The greatest showman on earth Is Simon Cowell P.T. Barnum reborn?

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References (87)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2012 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
1755-750X
DOI
10.1108/17557501211224467
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – Simon Cowell, the impresario behind The X Factor , a popular television talent show, has often been compared to P.T. Barnum, the legendary nineteenth century showman. This paper aims to examine the alleged parallels in detail and attempts to assess this “Barnum reborn” argument. Design/methodology/approach – Putative parallels between the impresarios are considered under the aegis of two long‐standing, if contentious, historical “theories”: time's cycle and the great man thesis. Findings – Seven broad similarities between the showmen are identified: vulgarity, hyperbole, rivalry, publicity, duplicity, liminality and history. In each case, the arguments pro and con are explored, as is humanity's propensity to personify. Originality/value – In accordance with the iconic literary critic Harold Bloom, who “strikes texts together to seek if they spark”, this paper strikes two celebrated showmen together to generate historical sparks.

Journal

Journal of Historical Research in Marketing – Emerald Publishing

Published: Apr 27, 2012

Keywords: P.T. Barnum; Simon Cowell; Historical recurrence; Great men; Personification; Entertainment; History

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