Ripley's Believe It Or Not
Episode #7
First aired February 23, 2000 (Rated TV-PG-V)
Segments:
Bee Venom Therapy
Apitherapy has been practiced by the Chinese for over 3000 years, but in the last 50 years this ancient medical treatment has been adopted by many alternative practitioners in the US medical community. Believe it or not, bee venom may be the best thing to ever happen to sufferers of debilitating diseases like Multiple Sclerosis and arthritis. However, a simple injection of the bee venom is not effective. Patients must be repeatedly stung by bees in order for the treatment to be successful, sometimes as often as 60 times a week! We’ll meet Pat Wagner, who has suffered from MS since she was 19. At 42, she was confined to a wheelchair, but today she lives a 95% normal life because of bee venom therapy.
Small Bike Wheelie
Bobby Hunt performs stunts on a bike that fits in the palm of his hand. Its wheels are the size of silver dollars. But that’s not all – his whole family gets in on the act! Bobby’s dad juggles knives, his mom walks on stilts and Billy, Bobby’s brother, can shoot fire from his mouth.
Taste of Darkness
Believe it or not, a new Paris restaurant, Gout du Noir (A Taste of Darkness), offers a unique dining experience for its patrons – dinner is served in complete darkness. In a carefully sealed cellar, blind waiters serve meals to visitors who aren’t told what they are about to eat. This popular new restaurant was originally created to heighten public awareness of the difficulties facing blind people. Nevertheless, it has also proved to be a fascinating dining experience in which traditional French barriers of social etiquette have crumbled amidst the shared chaos of dining in the dark.
Living Goddess
In Nepal, a four-year-old girl without a scar on her body is selected to fill the role of Kumari, the virgin goddess. The girl, who must be from the Buddhist Shakya caste, is taken from her family and must spend her childhood in a temple devoted to Kumari. She is worshipped and adored by people every day. However, once puberty hits, the young goddess is shunned and must return to her family with little education and almost no hope for marriage, as it is considered bad luck for a man to marry former Kumari.
Fakir Musifar
Fakir is known as the Godfather of the Body Modification Movement and the Original Modern Primitive who has been shocking audiences since the 1950's. He was initially inspired by a Ripley's cartoon and has performed many modifications to his own body. He has trimmed his waist to 19 inches with corsets and has hung from hooks that were pierced into his skin. Fakir runs a piercing workshop and is revered by people in the body modification and shamanistic world.
Mole Town
This may be the most unusual city on earth, with more than 2,000 residents living, shopping, dining and even going to church in an amazing underground world. In an effort to escape the extreme Australian Outback conditions, the residents of Coober Pedy built a complete city in abandoned mine shafts, including underground homes, churches, restaurants, and even entire motels.
Wrecking Ball Man
Ken Richmond trains everyday in a gym, but instead of developing muscles, he’s looking to build up his strength. This martial arts expert will perform an amazing stunt for Ripley's. Ken will put two piles of bricks on his head and will allow a cannon ball to be dropped on to the bricks. To top it off, Ken will lean against a concrete wall while a wrecking ball hits the other side. Ouch!
Mouthy Chef
Meet a cook who works in a 50's-style diner outside of Los Angeles. After his work is done for the day, he puts on a show for his patrons. With his mouth, he can lift an entire table, complete with chairs and people on top.
Bats & Rats
In the South Pacific, Micronesia, visitors can find a restaurant that serves bat soup. In order to make the soup, the bat must be boiled for two full hours. Restaurant patrons can order raw or cooked bat and the head is generally considered the best part. While in China, don’t miss the restaurant where rats are the universal ingredient, making for a low fat, low cholesterol meal.
Grenade Man
Meet a Vietnamese farmer who had a live grenade lodged in his back. Believe it or not, he recently had it surgically removed -- without detonating the grenade.
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