Big Apple Circus Commercials Haunt My Dreams

Step into the world of my childhood fascination – the circus. Whenever Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey rolled into town, I was on my knees begging my mom for tickets. Persistence paid off, and in the year 1985 (if memory serves right), I found myself caught up in the whirlwind of one of the last grand circus cons – the legendary Living Unicorn (which, spoiler alert, turned out to be a goat).

It's a memory that still gleams as a highlight of my youth. Now, I can't put my finger on the exact reason, but no matter how hard I pleaded, my family refused to make the trek across the river to experience the Big Apple Circus. Perhaps, having experienced the extravaganza of a three-ring circus, they understood that there was no going back to anything less.

Now that I've grown into the mantle of adulthood, I recognize that Big Apple could never have held a candle to the grandeur of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. In hindsight, it's clear that my mother, understanding my love for all things grand and splendid, probably saw right through the glitzy facade and the potential for wasted money. But to this very day, I can't escape the echoes of those Big Apple Circus commercials – reminders of a different era.

The commercial you're about to see is a quintessential slice of 1980s suburban New Jersey, a time when those very ads would grace the screens of our trusty old televisions. And, if my memory serves me right, this little gem probably found its way onto WPIX, echoing through households and leaving its mark on young minds like mine.