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Eddie Carmel

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Circus Performer

The Resume

    (March 16, 1936-August 14, 1972)
    Born in Tel Aviv, Israel
    Birth name was Oded Ha-Carmeili
    Exhibited at Hubert's Dime Museum and Flea Circus in Times Square and with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus
    Appeared in the film 'The Brain That Wouldn't Die' (1962)
    Subject of the Diane Arbus photograph 'Jewish Giant, Taken at Home with His Parents in the Bronx' (1970)

Why he might be annoying:

    He was billed as 9 feet tall, but was really only 7'3".
    He briefly was a pro wrestler whose schtick was that his size scared opponents out of the ring. When audiences tired of this and promoters demanded that he actually get physical, he retired.
    He recorded two novelty songs about being a giant.
    He said about the sideshow, 'It's a drag to sit there and be stared at and hear the same silly questions over and over. About all they ever ask is 'Are you for real?' and 'Hey! Are you on stilts?'
    Arbus said, 'You know how every mother has nightmares when she’s pregnant that her baby will be born a monster? … I think I got that in the mother’s face.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    Although his parents were both 5'6', his maternal grandfather stood 7'5' tall and was known as the world's tallest rabbi.
    In his teens, he was diagnosed with giantism and acromegaly due to a pituitary gland tumor.
    He was elected vice-president of his class at City College of New York.
    Before working in sideshows, he sold mutual funds.
    One of the hazards of commuting to Hubert's in Times Square was having to dodge the 'overhead' fans on the subway.
    He had to stop working in 1969 as his size and arthritis made movement increasingly difficult.
    By the time of his death, he had shrunk several inches due to curvature of the spine.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 0% Annoying