Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 370
December 22, 2017
December 21, 2017
Barnum Continues to Hoodwink Audiences in The Greatest Showman
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Phineas Taylor Barnum takes to the stage again in 2017, some 182 years after his first debut as a showman in 1835.
Portrayed by Hollywood hotshot Hugh Jackman, The Greatest Showman takes certain creative liberties, that would make the great charlatan himself brim with pride.
The movie itself stays fairly distant to the actual details of its biographical subject’s life. That doesn’t mean, however, that it doesn’t make subtle nods to Barnum’s exploits and schemes.
The Oddities We Don’t See
Barnum was a busy young man went through a surfeit of careers, many of which are referenced by marquee signs piled in his apartment as Jackman returns home after losing his job as a clerk. He ran a newspaper, a general store, realty company, and helped popularize a lottery.
It was Connecticut’s ban on the lottery that cut off Barnum’s income—not a storm in the South China Sea—leading him to move to New York City. There, Barnum became a showman. While the film celebrates the odd different and diverse by uplifting them in the spotlight, the truth of Barnum’s first “exhibit” carries little of that kind of modern sentiment.
Joice Heth
He bought and displayed a blind and paralyzed salve named Joice Heth. Barnum’s show claimed she was 160 years old and had served as George Washington’s own nursemaid. When Heth died years later at about 80 years old, Barnum turned her dead body into an exhibit, charging people to watch her autopsied by doctors.
Barnum eventually opened Barnum’s American Museum, the same one featured in the film, filling it with all manner of human oddities. Among them are many nods to real people who were featured by the real Barnum.
Annie Jones
Front and center in The Greatest Showman is the bearded lady. Jackman finds her by chance, entranced by her uniqueness and beautiful singing. The real-life Barnum met his bearded lady when she was just one year old, and included her in his show for 36 years. The singing does have its roots in reality, however, as she was well known for her gracious manners and affinity for singing in later life.
Tom Thumb
Similarly, General Tomb Thumb was found by Barnum when he was just four years old. Born Charles Stratton, Tom Thumb’s act proved one of Barnum’s most popular. By five years old, Tom Thumb would smoke cigars and drink wine for people’s amusement, and it was actually the little General that got Barnum invited to perform for Queen Victoria and Abraham Lincoln.
Chang and Eng
While much of Barnum’s early career is hard to describe as philanthropic, or racially progressive, he would eventually make a turn after the Civil War, and support abolition. Some of his performers would not. The famous conjoined twins, Chang and Eng Bunker, appear acrobatically in the background of a few dance numbers, but after they left the Barnum show, they returned home to run a plantation with slaves.
The Swedish Nightingale
Jenny Lind was indeed a stunning singer, who toured under the Barnum banner, but when she severed ties with Barnum, neither one lost any money. Both netted hundreds of thousands of dollars from her tour.
The Dog-Boy
Known as Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Boy in the circus, Fedor Jeftichew suffered from hypertrichosis. Barnum invented a whole story about how Jo-Jo had been caught in a cave by hunters, and would even have him bark on stage for crowds.
Captain Constentenus
The bearded man tattooed from head to foot had a real backstory even more interesting than the one Barnum made up for him. Barnum told people he was descended from a Greek noble, captured and tattooed by rebels. He was really born in Greece but was a pirate and sea trader for his early adult life. He spoke 8 languages when he went to Burma as part of a French expedition to find gold. He was captured and punished by tattooing for three months. He escaped his captors but was covered everywhere but the soles of his feet in ink. Eventually, he joined Barnum, making a small fortune before retiring in Greece.
James Hugh Murphy
Billed as the Irish Giant by Barnum in the movie, James Hugh Murphy was actually from Ireland, and using the same moniker used by the giant, Charles Byrne in the 1700s. Murphy wasn’t the only Giant Barnum displayed. When the men who found the Cardiff Giant refused to sell the specimen to his museum, Barnum had a copy commissioned and saved himself the trouble.
Hoaxes
Barnum’s daughters in The Greatest Showman may have wanted his museum to have less stuffed oddities, but the real Barnum delivered the mermaid they asked for in his own style. The Fiji Mermaid is perhaps Barnum’s most famous forgery. A monkey torso sewn onto a fish, Barnum invited all manners of scientists and naturalists to inspect the artifact, daring them to call it a forgery.
Robert Ripley would famously expose hoaxes in his Odditoriums.
The Fire
Jackman’s performance ends with fire. What once stood as a bastion of protection for curiosity is destroyed—much like Barnum’s marriage in the movie—when a gang of racists and bigots start a fight.
The origins of the real fire are much more mysterious. A Confederate group had tried to burn the museum before, but rumors and speculation point everywhere from insurance fraud to an orchestrated publicity stunt. Every person managed to escape alive, and many animals were rescued as well. Some animals managed to jump through windows and escape but were shot by police as they rampaged. The two whales kept in tanks inside were perhaps the most unlucky, boiled alive by the flames. Barnum lost all of his artifacts, including the Fiji mermaid—an event that pushed him toward partnering with the Bailey Circus.
Movie Magic
Along with the Barnum, tricks comes a whole host of Hollywood movie magic. It’s ironic to see CGI lions and elephants in Barnum’s circus on the big screen when the Greatest Show on Earth circus ended their use last year and was disbanded itself just a few months ago. Instead, we get horses painted to look like zebras. The movie keeps the audience from lingering on the actors as well, depriving us of the spectacle Barnum thrived on providing. This Barnum deceives us by hiding the true showman, flaws and all.
Source: Barnum Continues to Hoodwink Audiences in The Greatest Showman
December 20, 2017
Santa’s Sleigh is Pulled by Female Reindeer
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Believe it or not, both male and female reindeer grow antlers, and despite the depiction of Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, (and Rudolph) as males in most media; they are most likely females.
Though the shedding schedule of a deer’s antlers can be affected by climate and age, most male reindeer lose their horns in the Winter, which, incidentally, is when Christmas occurs.
Females lose their antlers during the warm summer months, while males keep theirs to fight for breeding rights. By the time winter rolls around, male reindeer aren’t just without their horns, but are also usually much less nourished and fattened than the females. Not only would Santa’s reindeer have to be female to have horns, but to be big and strong enough to pull a sleigh full of toys, they’d have to be in peak physical condition.
Rudolph
Referring back to reindeer names, the original Dutch reindeer lore has deer named Dunder and Blixem, meaning thunder and lightning, instead of Donner and Blitzen. Rudolph may have been a late addition to Santa’s squad, but red-nosed reindeer to crop up in the wild.
Because reindeer live in the harshest of wintery tundras, they must migrate under sub-zero conditions. To aid them in powering their powerful bodies, they have dense arrays of capillaries int heir noses, which sometimes appear pink. This warm flow of blood warms the air they breathe in, keeping them from getting brain freezes while running.
As for being able to see in blizzard conditions, reindeer have very special eyes to aid them through the virtually sunless days of the Arctic. Reindeer have the ability to see ultraviolet light and are unaffected by snow-blindness. The can easily see a predator’s urine in the snow, spot other reindeer through storms, and see food below the ice. They also have a reflective coating behind their eyes that helps bounce more light into their retinas, enhancing their night vision!
December 19, 2017
9 Facts about 99 to Celebrate Ripley’s 99th
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is celebrating our 99th anniversary today. What started as a simple comic strip has blossomed into a menagerie of books, museums, aquariums, videos, radio shows, and tv series. In honor of the occasion, here’s what we know about the number 99.
The only number retired league-wide in the National Hockey League is 99, in honor of Wayne Gretzky.
Outfielder Manny Ramirez was the first Los Angeles Dodger to ever wear the number 99.
Ever notice that many prices end in 99? This is psychological pricing, based on the theory that, because we read from left to right, consumers can’t be bothered to read all the way to the end of a price tag. So “$29.99” really says “$20-ish dollars” to the consumer.
In 2012, Caleb Mason, an associate professor at Southwestern University School of Law, wrote a thesis on Jay-Z’s “99 Problems,” analyzing the lyrics and comparing them to the law and its repercussions.
The NBA record for Most Free Throw Attempts in a 7-game series is 99, set by Elgin Baylor of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1962.
The origins of the US drinking song “99 Bottles Of Beer On The Wall” are unknown, but it is thought to derive from UK folk song, Ten Green Bottles. [We apologize for getting this stuck in your head!]
The atomic number for Einsteinium is 99. Named after Albert Einstein, it was discovered in the debris of the first H-bomb explosion in 1952!
According to Rolling Stone, when recording his hit single “1999,” Prince would go all day and all night without rest, turning down food for fear that it would make him sleepy!
The end of 1999 brought with it Y2k hysteria! When computer programs were first written in the 1960s, engineers used a two-digit code for the year, leaving out the “19.” As 2000 approached, many believed that systems would not compute the new date. As a result, some countries, like the US and Australia, invested millions of dollars to prepare. News flash: Nothing happened.
So close…
Celebrating 100 years in 2018, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is looking forward to the future of family entertainment and plenty more outrageous oddities! We will be celebrating our 100th Oddiversary at various locations around the world in 2018. Stay tuned to www.ripleys.com for updates and details. For now, cheers to another 99!
Reindeer Games in the Russian Arctic
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
At the end of February each year, reindeer give it their all as they drag their herders across the ice and snow in frigid Nadym, Russia, on Reindeer Herders’ Day!
Indigenous nomads from across the country meet in the Arctic to celebrate their lifestyle—some even traveling hundreds of miles across the frozen tundra to attend the competition! Reindeer games include wrestling, high jumps, and of course, reindeer racing.
Reindeer Fun Facts
Some species of reindeer have knees that make a clicking sound when they walk, helping them locate one another and stay together in a blizzard!
Both male and female reindeer grow antlers!
Their noses may not glow red, but they are designed to warm the air they intake before it reaches their lungs.
Reindeer hooves change size in the summer and winter!
Some species migrate over 3,000 miles a year—more than any other land animal!
Sensing You Want More?
Filled with remarkable photos and over 1,500 all new—all true—stories to immerse yourself in, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Shatter Your Senses! is the newest book in the bestselling series from Ripley Publishing—so incredible you won’t believe your eyes…or ears…or nose!
Spark your senses here, on the blog, weekly for a feature from the 2018 annual, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Shatter Your Senses! and follow us on social media for a chance to win a copy, among other unbelievable prizes!
December 18, 2017
Eels to Orchestras: Ripley’s Guide to Holiday Pies
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Pies date as far back as ancient Egypt, with the very first pies having their crusts made out of reeds, which weren’t eaten, but instead just held the filling in place. As pie fervor spread throughout Europe, the ancient Romans wrote down the very first pie recipe, which was for a rye-crusted goat cheese pie. Since then, pies have appeared in many shapes and sizes.
Lamprey Pie
Via USFWS
Lampreys are jawless blood-sucking tubes filled with teeth. Who knew they’d be such popular pie ingredients? Lampreys have existed relatively unchanged for close to 5-million years. Their conic rows of sharp, twisting teeth are the things of nightmares, but apparently, they taste like tender steaks when cooked, so… Bon appetit.
Lamprey pie has been popular in England since the Middle Ages, especially with the Royals. Every Jubilee and Coronation ceremony has been celebrated with an eel-filled pie from the people of Gloucester.
CC Luoisa Chu
One reason Kings and Queens loved the pie so much was for the very fact that it was a fish. Dietary restrictions imposed by the church meant “meat” was a no-go during periods like Lent, making the tasty lamprey incredibly desirable. When King Henry I died in 1135 from food poisoning, he was noted to have been eating a ton of lamprey pies just before.
Alphabet Pie
Perhaps the least loved pie in the world, alphabet pie seems to have made no friends since its debut by the Culinary Arts Institute in 1941.
A tradition for no one, this pudding-style pie calls for a half-cup of alphabet noodles to be boiled with hard red candy. A grotesque combination of letters and fluorescent red, this pie is perfect for anybody who is enamored with bright colors or has trouble reading.
Surprise Pie
Less for eating, more for entertaining these pies host a special surprise inside. Starting in the Middle Ages, birds and other animals were placed inside pies, popping out at dinner time for a dazzling dinner-time surprise.
Not ones for subtlety, the wealthy elite wanted more than just birds in their pies. French engineer Philip le Bon managed to cram a 28-person orchestra into a pie during a banquet. In 1626, Charles I was presented with a dwarf-filled pie. Dubbed “Lord Minimus,” the dwarf emerged wearing a full suit of armor.
This practice eventually made its way to cakes, with the very first case involving murder!
Illegal Mince Pie
At one point in England, pie-eating went underground with soldiers busting down gates and doors to enforce a country-wide ban on mince pies.
Mince pies are filled with “mincemeat,” which—despite the name—is usually just a mixture of dried fruits and spices.
Using the spices obtained by English Crusaders, these pies quickly became centerpieces of celebrations and festivals. Seen as a staple during the Roman Saturnalia, pagan celebrations, and Catholic events; mince pie—also called Christmas pie—earned the ire of anti-Catholic Puritans.
This distaste led to it being seen as too gluttonous for clergymen, and was outright banned by Oliver Cromwell’s government as a means to discourage and punish such religious sects. Now labeled as a blasphemous treat “cooked by the scarlet whore of Babylon,” Anglican churches were wholly against mince pie.
Some historical accounts even claim that 3,000 soldiers were ordered to break down the Canterbury City Gates to enforce the ban. Underground pie-eating and baking rings opened up in secret to avoid the ban, but citizens were eventually freed from culinary tyranny in 1660.
Parole Day Pie
While connoisseurs may argue the definition of a pie versus a cake when it comes to cheesecake, we don’t think you’ll care much in the big house.
Specifically created to use ingredients obtainable behind bars, this Parole Day Cheesecake can make your cell mate’s release day extra special.
The recipe includes pre-packaged cookies available at the commissary as well as individual packets of cream cheese and honey. Take advantage of French-vanilla coffee creamer if you have it and use Sweet’N Low if you’re worried about calories. Feel free to use the Kool-Aid color of your choice, but the book Prison Ramen suggests you avoid yellow and green unless you want to eat with your eyes closed.
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