A barker is a person who uses their voice and words to entice people to buy tickets for various entertainment venues, such as carnival booths and strip joints. To draw in a crowd, carnies may promise more than the show actually delivers. Barkers, in fact, have a reputation for being con artists who specialize in defrauding customers of their money. Barkers live a nomadic existence, working long hours for low pay.
Small towns had less entertainment and fewer attractions to enjoy, so traveling carnivals were more common than they are now. The carnival’s overall experience included barkers. A carnival barker would try to persuade people to pay their admission fees. At a sideshow, a carny might titillate passers-by with descriptions of bearded ladies or lizard boys. If a hustler is successful in convincing a person to play a rigged game or a game in which the player is likely to lose, the hustler will mark the person’s back with chalk. Other barkers would then be aware that the player was a “mark” for them.
Barkers were traditionally unskilled laborers with good voices and people skills. A con artist with drug or alcohol problems could also be a barker. Despite this, some barkers found success in show business, including comedian and actor Jackie Gleason, television personality Ed McMahon, and Elvis Presley’s manager, Col. Tom Parker.
Barkers work from spring to fall, as they have in the past. Working days can be long, ranging from early morning to late at night, and can last up to 17 hours or more. The carnival must be demolished before it can be moved to a new location. Barkers may have even longer days as a result of this.
The terms “job security” and “barker” are not interchangeable. Carnies, especially new ones, are cut when times are tough. Furthermore, while drug testing has weeded out some barkers, drugs and alcohol remain a part of the carny culture. Because carnival barkers have a shady reputation, this type of work experience on a resume may not impress future employers.
For those who want to travel, being a barker still has its appeal. A carny’s life as a barker can be difficult because they must deal with not only customers, but also other eccentric carnies. Furthermore, while the pay is low, a typical barker does not have a lot of free time to spend money, allowing the barker to save the majority of his or her earnings throughout the season.