Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 490
May 13, 2016
London Pop-Up Features Dog Bartenders
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
French beer company Kronenbourg 1664 opened a pop-up bar in London with dog bartenders delivering free beer to the tables.
This is the world’s first pop-up staffed entirely by dogs
The dogs wear small, light-weight, barrels inspired by the kegs worn by St. Bernard rescue dogs
The pop-up was only open for a limited time and required a reservation
Each table got two free bottles of beer, bread and cheese
I wonder if the dog bartenders checked IDs…
Would you like to eat at a restaurant staffed entirely by dogs?
MINI BION
“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.
Maybe Louie Doesn’t Wanna be Like You After All
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Because orangutans are not actually native to India, where the film is set, the makers of The Jungle Book decided to model King Louie after the extinct Gigantopithecus
Gigantopithecus existed from 9 million years ago until roughly 100 thousand years ago
It was native to China, India, and Vietnam
It was the largest known ape that ever lived, standing up to 9.8 feet tall and weighing 1,190 pounds
Disney recreated the extinct ape just to remain true to India’s realistic animal life. All this in spite of the fact that they were making a movie about talking animals
MINI BION
“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.
Chinese Foot Binding: Unboxing Lily Slippers
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
In This Episode
Last episode we celebrated the Force with an acquisition from Tahitian artist Tahe, who’s pop art is steeped in Polynesian tradition. Now, traveling to China, we unravel another beautifully decorated and adorned tradition: Chinese foot binding.
Today: Lily Slipper Bound in Tradition
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BEAUTY IS PAIN: UNBOXING FOOT BINDING
Take it from the unachievable transformations of the entire Kardashian clan—women will go to great lengths in order to be deemed beautiful. Beyond Calabasas and before reality TV, women in 10th Century China were taking it to a Kylie-level extreme. Forget slicing, dicing and injecting, these women were deliberately crippling themselves to conform to cultural ideals of beauty.
The aftermath of years of foot binding
The foot binding process began as early as age four. The toes would be broken, pressed down flat against the sole and secured with silk wrappings. Over time, with the weight of walking, the bones would break and the arch of the foot would rise, allowing the heel to almost touch the metatarsals, folding nearly in half like a crescent moon.
Whether it was their tottering gait or the notion that these women never had to lift a finger, bound feet became so alluring and attractive that they were nearly required in order to find a suitable husband. Due to this, successive generations of Chinese women endured the painful practice for nearly ten centuries.
ABSURD ALLURE
In Victorian England, it was deemed fashionable for a woman’s waist to be the same size as her head
Foot binding was banned in 1912, but equally unbelievable beauty regimes have been around for ages…
Ancient Greeks and Romans would bath in mud mixed with freshly-harvested crocodile excrement, which was also used for anti-aging face masks!
In 1936, Isabella Gilbert invented the spring-loaded dimple machine—a contraption that indented the cheeks by tightly pressing a pair of knobs into them.
During the 1800s women wanting to shed some weight would swallow tapeworm larvae in pill form! The worms would grow and grow until they had to be surgically removed!
In the Age of Enlightenment, aristocratic paleness was in. To achieve a ghostly appearance, women would apply a powder made of white lead, calcium carbonate and hydroxide to their flesh! Over time the toxins caused horrifying side effects, from inflammation to baldness.
Women in Meiji era Japan would lacquer their teeth black!
UNBOXING THE UNBELIEVABLE
With 32 odditoriums around the world, as well as traveling shows to fill with the oddest items imaginable, the team at Ripley’s never stops looking for new and bizarre exhibits to expand our collection. Once acquired, those freaky finds make their first appearance at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! warehouse, where they are unboxed, uncrated and unwrapped! Join us as we take a look at our purchases for the very first time, unboxing the truly unbelievable.
May 12, 2016
Deer in the Headlights
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
On May 3rd, a deer was spotted on Long Island with its head stuck in the bulb from a lamp post.
The NY Department of Environmental Conservation got calls reporting that the deer had got its head stuck and had been laying in the woods all night
Environmental Conservation Officer Jeff Hull responded to the call
He saw the deer 20 yards from the road and tried to remove the bulb, but it was wet with dew and slipped through his fingers
The deer ran away, bumped into a tree, and fell down
ECO Hull had to throw his jacket around the bulb to get a grip and hold on while the doe jumped and bucked to free itself
She got loose and ran off into the woods, Hull was left with a few bumps and bruises
Apparently, this is a common enough problem
ECO Jeff Hull and the bulb
MINI BION
“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.
Source: Deer in the Headlights
Temporary Tattoos with LED Lights
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Not too long ago, we brought you a blog about the potential next step in body modification: Biohacking.
In that story, we looked almost exclusively at people getting lights, magnets, and computers surgically implanted into their bodies in an effort to become real life cyborgs.
While the options available to people for taking that next step in evolution are cool, they also have a tendency to be a little more invasive than everyone might want.
For someone looking for a less painful option, there’s Biostamp. But the stamp itself is mostly about transferring data; it isn’t meant to be decorative.
If you’re looking for a tattoo that lights up, but you don’t want anyone implanting LED lights under your skin, researchers from the University of Tokyo may have an answer.
The advent of mobile phones has changed the way we communicate. While these communication tools are getting smaller and smaller, they are still discrete devices that we have to carry with us. – Takao Someya
Temporary LED Tattoos
Takao Someya and Tomoyuki Yokota at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Engineering have developed a flexible, OLED-embedded electronic skin.
The ability to put microchips on the skin isn’t new; the Biostamp does exactly that, but Someya and Yokota’s advancements would allow for the OLEDs to remain in place for even longer.
The skin uses multiple layers of a flexible material that can bend, pull, and flex with your natural skin comfortably. And then on the outside, a protective film can be used to withstand the normal damage done to the technology by oxygen and water vapor.
The overall effect is that the tattoo should be able to last and to function at a higher level for longer than something like the Biostamp can.
Potential Uses
For now, the potential uses for this technology is being reserved for the medical community.
Where the Biostamp is capable of recording data and transmitting it to a smartphone or other receiver, the OLED display could show that data directly on the wearer’s skin.
Making use of sensors applied to a patient’s fingertips, the device could monitor vital signs and then display the readings in a simple digital display on the patient’s hand or forearm.
But that isn’t to discredit the purely aesthetic applications. Tattoos that light up would be just as possible with this technology as cutting edge medical information.
And Someya has even grander ideas for it.
What would the world be like if we had displays that could adhere to our bodies and even show our emotions or level of stress or unease. In addition to not having to carry a device with us at all times, they might enhance the way we interact with those around us or add a whole new dimension to how we communicate.
I don’t know if I’m interested in a digital display of my thoughts and emotions while I’m at work, but you can’t deny the idea of all these different applications is fascinating.
KFC Finger Lickin’ Nail Polish
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
KFC has created two new kinds of nail polish that are edible and flavored like their two most popular flavors of fried chicken.
The two flavors are “original” (beige) and “Hot & Spicey” (red)
Ad agency Ogilvy & Mather worked with spice company McCormick to get the right 11 herbs and spices mix
The KFC Nail Polish is being marketed for KFC Hong Kong
The polish is sourced from all natural ingredients
It’s designed to dry quickly with a glossy coat like normal polish
People are concerned that that everyone constantly licking their fingers may spread disease
MINI BION
“BIONs” – short for Believe It or Not – is the word we use at Ripley’s to refer to anything that is unbelievable and worthy to become part of Ripley’s lore and collection.
Source: KFC Finger Lickin’ Nail Polish
(Not So) Fearsome Two-Headed Dragon
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Back in March, we introduced you to Toby the Two-Nosed Dog. He was the latest find of Todd Ray with the Venice Beach Freakshow.
Toby’s doing great, but it looks like his status as the newest addition to the Freakshow family has been usurped by Ray’s new find: the still-unnamed two-headed dragon.
Bearded Dragons
Bearded Dragons originate in Australia and are a desert reptile.
They’ve become very common pets due to their hardy nature and simple habitat needs. They’re also one of the few species of reptiles that are naturally tame and don’t mind being held and handled by people.
As common as Bearded Dragons have become in American homes, a two-headed dragon is still a rare sight. Rarer still is finding one with the coloring of Ray’s. Orange and red colors aren’t unheard of, but the dragons naturally range in color from brown to gray.
In His Own Words
I was lucky enough to get to exchange emails with Ray recently. Here’s what he had to say about his new pets.
Ripley’s: How’d you hear about the dragons hatching?
Todd Ray: They were born in China almost a year ago. Recently, the owner posted a video of them on Facebook, and a friend of mine tagged me on it. When I saw the video, I was determined to find out more and see if I could buy them. I contacted the owner, and he said someone in China had offered $5000 for them, but he didn’t feel like they really appreciated this special reptile. I offered him $6500. He knew about my background and agreed to sell them to me.
R: What all is included in shipping bearded dragons from China to California?
T: A bunch of paperwork and headaches! I had to speak with the USDA, Fish and Wildlife, US Customs, and cargo at the airlines. I ended up having to hire a customs broker, and that helped a lot. My main concern was that the flight was long, and I didn’t want them to be over stressed or too cold. Luckily, they arrived vibrant and very alert!
R: You said they’re right-side dominate, but the left one is a tough guy, can you expound on that a bit? What are their specific personalities?
T: The left one is sort of growing out of the side of the right one. The right one has more of a full body while the left one only has front legs. So, the right one is physically dominant. However, the left one’s personality is mentally dominant! He thinks he is a tough guy! When I feed them, he’s the first to pull towards the food. When he wants to go a different direction, he will reach over and poke at the right one’s head like he’s saying, “Come on! I want to go this way!” The other one is much mellower.
R: Do you have to buy double the amount of crickets to feed them?
T: Yes, almost double! They eat a lot every day….crickets, super worms, greens, etc.
Names
Ray still hasn’t decided on a name for the adorable critter. He’s looking for ideas, so if you’re interested in helping to find a name this two-headed dragon, feel free to make suggestions. He thinks they’re a female, and he’s looking to give them powerful female names. For now, Thelma and Louise are in the lead but feel free to head over to the Venice Beach Freakshow Facebook and Instagram pages to make your suggestions.
You can also keep an eye on the Freakshow’s website and Youtube Channel for more news on the newest members of their ever growing family.
May 11, 2016
Aussie Brewery Introduces Belly Button Beer
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Craft beer has become quite the rage, and beer festivals are becoming just as common as food and wine festivals. Naturally, Australia wouldn’t be left behind in this craze.
The GABS Beer, Cider and Food Fest was created in 2011 and has quickly become one of the top 20 beer festivals in the world. The festival is about more than beer, and features a lot of food and cider vendors from all over Australia and New Zealand, but beer is still one of the major staples of the festival.
Special beers are made just for the festival every year, and this year one brewery is doing something unbelievable with their entry.
Belly Button Beer
Inspired by the Oregon-based brewery that decided to make beer with yeast from the brewer’s beard, the brewers at 7 cent Brewery have decided to make beer from the yeast found in their own belly buttons.
The brewers took swabs from their belly buttons, isolated the yeast colonies from those swabs, and used the yeast to make sample batches of beer.
The batch that tasted the best is the one that will be used at this year’s GABS.
Some say why? We say why not?
If you try this belly button beer, what should you expect it to taste like?
The beer itself is in the style of a new world-ish Belgian-ish Witbier with fresh orange zest and toasted coriander seeds. The yeast exhibits qualities of Belgian beer with the key characteristics being spiciness, clove and light banana esters.
The yeast is sterile and the scientific process used to make the beer is perfectly reasonable, but it still sounds a bit odd. Would you try belly button beer?
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