Podcast Summary: Acontece que no es poco | Humillación y muerte del hombre elefante y del congoleño Ota Benga
Podcast: Todo Concostrina
Host: Nieves Concostrina, with Carla (SER Podcast)
Episode Date: April 18, 2023
Duration: ~15 minutes
Theme: The harrowing stories of Joseph Merrick, "the Elephant Man," and Ota Benga, a Congolese man enslaved and exhibited in the early 20th century, exploring the inhumanity behind human zoos and the exploitation of perceived "others" for entertainment.
Episode Overview
Nieves Concostrina, in her characteristic direct and poignant style, uncovers the brutal histories of two individuals: Joseph Merrick (the Elephant Man) and Ota Benga (a Congolese Pygmy). The episode highlights the Western penchant for exhibiting "exotic" humans — both in circuses and actual zoos — well into the 20th century. With searing commentary, Nieves questions the true meaning of civilization, challenging listeners to confront the shameful episodes of human exploitation disguised as entertainment or scientific progress.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. From Circus Attractions to Human Zoos (00:31 - 01:55)
- Trigger: Previous episode on Julia Pastrana, the bearded woman, as a traveling fair attraction, sparks today’s delve into even darker histories.
- Context: The episode frames the "savage" tendencies not as those of the exhibited, but of the exhibitors:
"Hasta mediados del siglo XX el salvaje hombre blanco europeo y estadounidense estuvo exhibiendo en los zoos no solo leones y orangutanes, exhibía a personas..." (01:23, A) - Escalation: Unlike degrading but relatively safer circus acts, human zoos dehumanized people further — caging, isolating, and forcing them to perform staged "primitiveness" for the public.
2. The Elephant Man: Joseph Merrick (01:55 - 03:10)
- Story: Joseph Merrick, who suffered from Proteus syndrome, was showcased as a circus oddity; later rescued by a doctor.
- Representation: The 1980 film "The Elephant Man" solidified Merrick’s story of gentleness and intelligence.
- Memorable Quote:
"Demuestra que los deformes, los anómalos, son los demás. Somos los demás." (02:55, A)
(“He shows that the real abnormal ones are us, the spectators.”) - End: Merrick died at 27 of natural causes, his life a testament to the cruelty of public fascination.
3. Ota Benga: Life Stolen and Exhibited (03:11 - 14:35)
- Introduction: Ota Benga, a young Congolese man, was abducted and displayed like an animal in Western exhibitions and zoos.
- Background:
- Benga was from a tribe that shaped their teeth into points for aesthetic reasons — a trait common in multiple cultures, not just Africa.
"Allí, cuando los chicos se convertían en adultos, se afilaban los dientes formando picos, como si todos fueran colmillos." (04:36, A) - He was married with two children when captured by slave traders working for King Leopold II of Belgium.
- Benga was from a tribe that shaped their teeth into points for aesthetic reasons — a trait common in multiple cultures, not just Africa.
- Historical Atrocity:
- Contextualizes Congo as the personal property of Leopold II, not a colony but a "private state", with mass atrocities committed with European approval.
"Era propietario de todos los seres humanos que había en ese territorio y que se llamaba... Estado Libre del Congo." (06:07, A)
- Contextualizes Congo as the personal property of Leopold II, not a colony but a "private state", with mass atrocities committed with European approval.
- The Human Zoo in America:
- Ota Benga was bought by Samuel Werner, an American, for the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, meant to demonstrate evolutionary "progress" from "primitives" to "civilized" Westerners.
- Benga was forced to hold a chimpanzee, display his sharpened teeth, and act menacing for crowds (09:00–09:17, A).
- After the expo, Werner failed to find Benga dignified work and instead placed him in the Bronx Zoo in New York (1906).
- Depressing Display at the Bronx Zoo (10:30 - 12:19):
- Initially employed to clean cages, Benga became an exhibition himself, caged in the monkey house with a plaque detailing his metrics as one would for an animal:
"En la jaula además siempre había huesos grandes para dar a entender que comía animales crudos." (11:35, A)
- Initially employed to clean cages, Benga became an exhibition himself, caged in the monkey house with a plaque detailing his metrics as one would for an animal:
- Reaction & Hypocrisy (12:19 - 14:25):
- African-American Baptists and some clergy protested — but often because the display supported Darwin’s theory of evolution rather than its blatant racism.
"Lo que le molestaba era que lo usaban para la teoría evolutiva, no porque se estuviera exhibiendo a un ser humano..." (12:39, A)
- A New York Times article chillingly insisted Benga was suited to a cage, not a school, dismissing concern for his "humiliation and degradation" (13:35-14:25, A/B).
- African-American Baptists and some clergy protested — but often because the display supported Darwin’s theory of evolution rather than its blatant racism.
- Fate of Ota Benga:
- After years of "re-education", Christianization, and unfulfilled hopes of returning home, Benga fell into despair and took his own life in 1916.
"Encendió un fuego ceremonial, se quitó la funda de los dientes y se pegó un tiro en el corazón." (14:39, A)
- After years of "re-education", Christianization, and unfulfilled hopes of returning home, Benga fell into despair and took his own life in 1916.
4. Memorable Quotes & Reflections
- On Dehumanization:
"No nos referimos a ferias ni circos... Nos estamos refiriendo a personas enjauladas, personas solas o con otros animales o encerradas en un foso..." (01:35, A)
- Critique on 'Civilization':
"El salvaje hombre blanco europeo y estadounidense..." (01:26, A)
- On Pseudo-Scientific Racism:
“La exhibición estaba promoviendo la teoría de la evolución. Y al africano lo mostraban como un ejemplo evolutivo…” (12:27, A)
- Headline from the New York Times (13:45, A):
“Es absurdo hacer gemidos por la humillación y degradación imaginada que está sufriendo Ota Wenga. Los pigmeos están muy abajo en la escala humana…”
- Closing Reflection:
“No sé si esta historia ilustra más la desgraciada vida del ciudadano africano Ota Benga o la vergonzosa condición del género humano...” (15:02, A)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Introduction & Context (00:31 – 01:55)
- Joseph Merrick’s Story (01:55 – 03:10)
- Introduction to Ota Benga (04:24 – 06:00)
- Explanation of Congo’s ‘ownership’ and atrocities (05:47 – 07:00)
- Ota Benga’s Exhibition in St. Louis (08:10 – 09:30)
- Bronx Zoo and Subsequent Abuse (10:30 – 12:19)
- Public & Clerical Reactions (12:19 – 14:25)
- Ota Benga’s Suicide and Concluding Thoughts (14:35 – 15:14)
Tone & Style
Nieves Concostrina employs an unflinching, critical, yet compassionate tone, blending rigorous historical recounting with biting, often sardonic commentary about the so-called "civilized world" and its hypocrisy.
Takeaway
This episode exposes the unsettling reality behind the public’s thirst for exoticism in the past century, confronting listeners with direct evidence of systemic racism and dehumanization—reminding us that these were not distant acts of cruelty, but occurred "anteayer" (just the other day, historically speaking).
“Somos los demás los anómalos.” (02:55, A)
We, the spectators and perpetrators, are the abnormal ones. This enduring message reverberates throughout the episode, challenging us to reflect on our collective humanity and historical memory.