Circus Freaks

They walked the hallways with purpose and confidence in an attempt to be the perfect social specimens. Each of the boys hide their skeletons in their closets so no one will catch them with a divergent mind. With the uniform structure of societal rules, this generation's expectations and standards for human behavior are confined to a specific box. One can easily tell when someone's mind wanders in a different direction, falling behind in the group. Nonconformists are the freaks that risk social rejection, so they have adapted to avoid isolation, to follow the actions of others, and to follow what others believe we will do. Fear of being an outcast fuel the cycle of conformity. Accepted norms shape society's little puppets and tell them who to date, what to wear, what to say, and who to befriend.

They decided to never speak of their skeletons and adopt the desired behaviors in order to stay "on-trend". The weight of being deemed unacceptable by the majority is often too much of a burden to bear. The conformists suffocate him with their stares as he drowns in his public humiliation. His authentic thoughts have outed his inner self that deviates from the norm. Moreover, there are societal norms that are bigger than us that he must be wary of. These are the steel structures that have poisoned our autonomy to authentically express ourselves, no matter our gender, race, religion, or attractiveness. The conformists of the past have created implicit cultural expectations around the specific behaviors, characteristics, and roles an individual should have. Above all, attractiveness defines how harsh the consequences will be if an individual does not conform. The conformists force him into social isolation because, with his looks, there is no longer a need for him. Conventionally unattractive people are expected to fulfill these adequate behaviors to avoid getting caught. Furthermore, each human is brainwashed to not expect a male to wear a dress or colors that are considered “girly.” He has always had the mind of the nonconformists that fancied the realm of femininity. Toxic masculinity is the superior and violent beast that is holding a knife to his throat. In return, women bend to meet social norms through a male’s eyes. Being submissive, pure, and constantly looking attractive pleases the male gaze. His curiosity and defiance have weeded him out of society’s male power structures, sucking him of all the power he has and leaving him for freaks. it is so deeply rooted in this generation to conform in hopes to remain accepted. There is a clear divider between the conforming and the deviations, the outcasts, the mutations, and the weirdos. Understanding why people conform to societal norms addresses the toxic limitations it puts on our freedoms. 40

MODELS Dominique Hughes, Aidalis Aiko, Beza Alford, Janan Chu SHOOT TEAM ON SITE Anastasia McGill, Maddie Mayberry, Leah Davis, Taylor Colling BEAUTY Abby Wright and Emmali O’Neill PHOTOGRAPHER Michelle Poreh GRAPHIC DESIGNER Abby Marcil VIDEOGRAPHER Sophie Kish 42LAYOUT Lily Riopelle