Victorian freak shows made comedy of people who were in actuality just different from the masses. Dwarves, the extremely tall, conjoined twins, bearded women and so on. These people became attractions just because they were different and misunderstood. An understanding of genetics was not yet a “thing” in the Victorian Era. (cough…royals marrying 1st cousins… cough) So people really did not understand why above average tallness or dwarfism existed.
Today these people are still featured in tv shows, such as Little People, Big World or Abby & Brittany, which featured conjoined twins. With the help of medical advancements the majority of the population is aware that not everyone looks the same. And they are aware that some people due to their genetics are very short or tall, can be a conjoined twin or even be a woman with a beard (hello hormones). Understanding however, does not stop people from gawking or pointing or giving them fame by means of a TV show or a job as a professional athlete.
Being different, seriously different, from your peers has the unfortunate effect of separating you. Victorian culture and our culture now puts you in a box labeled “different” and its very hard to get people to see that while your physical appearance is different, mentally you are not dissimilar.
Humanities 101 