Circuses are NO FUN for animals

In mid-March, I did double duty in Lansing, Michigan. By day, I was a protesting animal cruelty fighter on the street, and by night, I was a joke-slinging comedian at Connxtions Comedy Club.

My friend, Mitch (who runs Students Promoting Animal Rights at Michigan State University) informed me that the Royal Hanneford Circus was scheduled to perform on MSU’s campus. This circus has been cited numerous times for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, and in previous years, there have been major demonstrations against them bringing their cruel show to the university. So I was eager to get involved and let people know how the circus really treats animals. The circus rips animals from their natural habitat, forces them to live most of their lives chained inside of trailers that are trucked across hundreds of miles, and then forces them to perform under the constant threat of punishment. For more information, please visit: http://www.circuses.com.

We held a demonstration outside of a local elementary school, where we gave away coloring books that educate children about the sad realities animals face in the circus.



Depending on the availability of food, tigers in the wild secure a territory of 75 to 2,000 square miles. A circus cage is about 4’x5’. The only exercise tigers get is when they are forced to perform. The acts tigers are forced to endure do not mimic natural behaviors.


Circus elephants are kept in chains for 95 percent of their lives and tigers are kept in chains 22 hours out of the day.

Later in the week, we held a protest outside of the Breslin Center on opening night. Two news stations went live from the event!



The unstoppable Mitch Goldsmith.



One of the highlights of the evening was turning a family of four away from the circus. I approached the dad, politely asked him if he wanted a leaflet, he looked it over and asked me what I’d like him to do. I explained that we’re asking people to help put an end to animal cruelty by boycotting circuses that use animals in their acts. He read more of the leaflet, gathered his family together and headed back for their car.

A small, but sweet victory!

After the protests, I performed at Connxtions Comedy Club all weekend.

On stage (most likely mid-sentence).

Power blazer in full effect!