People with albinism, like me, were side show 'freaks' at carnivals & traveling circuses as late as the 1970s. In the 19th century, it was one of the only jobs that would have been available to me. Just by existing, I would have been a form of entertainment. The idea of "the albino" has seized the popular imagination everywhere from the circus sideshow to the negative stereotypes of modern cinema. Popular culture attributes many qualities to "the albino;" an outsider; a magical being; a human embodiment of evil. In some cultures, albinism is associated with mystical or prophetic power or even ghosts.The near blindness and pale skin, hair and eyes have long made the albino body an object of ridicule and fascination, of fear and fetishism.This episode features segments from the CBC documentary Garth made with Lisa Hale called “The Imaginary Albino.” Originally broadcast on CBC Radio One on February 18, 2013 at 9:00PM it has been replayed several times since. Listen to the entire show: http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/episodes/2013/02/18/the-imaginary-albino/