A Barnum display becomes commonplace

The top image is a carte de visite from the 1860s of Phebe Dunn,"supposedly one of Barnum's "fat ladies" at his American Museum. She is 17 in this photo, according to the back, and 407 lbs." People of that era paid money to look at her as a human anomaly.

In the lower image, "Fairgoers play a carnival game at the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar, California."

I'll defer commentary.  Res ipse loquitur.

Top photo credit gormer, via Historical Indulgences.  Lower photo Reuters.