The Freakshow: Lobster Boy and Dog Man

Two truly unsettling tales — one from the carnival ring and one from a quiet Arkansas street — both haunted by violence, deformity, and the darker side of spectacle.First up: Grady Stiles Jr. He was born into the sideshow world, billed as “Lobster Boy” thanks to his ectrodactyly (claw-like extremities), and performed as part of a traveling carnival family. But stage lights can cast shadows: behind the act was alcoholism, abuse, murder of his daughter’s fiancé the night before the wedding, and ultimately his own gunning down—allegedly in a conspiracy involving his wife and stepson. Then: Jarrell Floyd Bettis—aka “Dog Boy”—a childhood and adulthood marred by animal cruelty, alleged parental abuse, and the legends surrounding his house in Quitman, Arkansas. From tortured strays to locked-away parents, his story spirals into a home so feared that even today the house is rumored to be haunted.We’ll explore both how spectacle and deformity became props for a harsh existence, how abuse and power dynamics played out in each story, and what these men’s ends tell us about the world they inhabited. Plus, we’ll ask: is it enough to say “weird”? Because this week, weird doesn’t even cover it.Grab your headphones, adjust the lighting, and join us as we step into carnival shadows and suburban dread…Make sure to follow us on social media and check out everywhere you can listen at linktr.ee/triggeredthepodcastContact us at [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.