The greatest showman on earth: Is Simon Cowell P.T. Barnum reborn?
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.
Keywords
Citation
Brown, S. and Hackley, C. (2012), "The greatest showman on earth: Is Simon Cowell P.T. Barnum reborn?", Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, Vol. 4 No. 2, pp. 290-308. https://doi.org/10.1108/17557501211224467
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited