Looking for the name of this story

[shammon5]

Hi all! I'm looking for a short story whose title I forget. I thought I heard this story on Drabblecast, or Pseudopod or something but after combing the archives I can't seem to find it, so I thought I'd ask for help. It may just be a short story I heard read somewhere.

It's set at a carnival, and is about a woman who performs there who cheats on her husband with another carnival performer. Her husband may or may not be the strongman, I don't remember... Anyway, her husband finds out and he and the other carnival workers capture them. They tattoo his beautiful wife all over her body and I think they tar and feather her lover. She then has to perform at the carnival as "the tattooed woman" or something like that. That's all I remember about the story, but it was pretty intense and the imagery stuck with me despite the title disappearing. If anyone knows it, please tell me! Thanks!

[Algernon Sydney is Dead]

Welcome aboard, shammon5!

I don't remember this story on DC (but the Alzheimer's is advancing) so it's probably on Pseudopod or some other 'cast.

[shammon5]

Nope, I've checked on their forums too, no luck. I was mostly hoping that at least someone else had heard or read this before and could tell me the title.

[strawman]

You may be thinking of Tod Browning's 1932 movie, Freaks. The plot is too similar to your description not to be.

[uncre8d1]

This theme, or a very similar one, was also used in "American Horror Story: Freak Show".