If there is an activity you can indulge in endlessly, you can use it to set a new record. For example, an Indian youth, Ashish Sharma, really likes to watch movies. When he learned that the world record for non-stop movie watching was only 117 hours, Sharma decided that surpassing such an achievement was well within his capabilities, and watched 48 films in a row, spending more than 120 hours in front of the screen. It is worth noting that all the films were Indian. By the way, the previous record belonged to a German woman, but what movies she watched is not specified.
For those who do not want to set records alone, romantic contests for the longest kiss are held. The rules for setting an official record are quite simple: only adults can participate, the couple must not separate their lips, the kissing participants must stand throughout the contest (it looks like a dance floor with several couples), and they cannot sleep during the kiss. However, there are clauses in the rules that destroy all romance – in particular, a ban on using adult diapers. Considering that some couples have managed to kiss for more than a day and a half, one doesn't really want to aim for a new world record.
The main thing when trying to surpass someone else's achievement is to take care of your own health. For example, a 30-year-old Chinese man, who had no intention of breaking world records, spent about three days at the computer. His passion for virtual entertainment ended sadly: the man died of a heart attack right in an internet cafe.
Another way to set a world record is suitable for flash mob enthusiasts. True, gathering a crowd of kissing people or girls in bikinis in one place is not a very good idea. Many have claimed the highest achievement in these areas, and organizing a flash mob would require tens of thousands of people. So it makes sense to turn to niche gatherings. For example, in Nottingham, every year more and more people dressed as Robin Hood gather. Each year the organizers manage to set a new record, and participants get colorful photos. The last such event took place on March 8, and 1.119 people dressed as the legendary outlaw. Among them was a baby a few weeks old, who, naturally, was brought to the event by its parents, as well as several participants of very advanced age.
Some ways to get into the Guinness Book of Records seem extremely difficult, expensive, and dangerous. American Cindy Jackson spent more than $100,000 on plastic surgeries. She started using surgeons in 1988 and, as reported on her website, changed the shape of her nose, had several liposuctions and lifts, pumped up her lips, underwent cosmetic peels and many other procedures, inserted breast implants, removed breast implants... A full list could not be found, but the thought of how many months 53-year-old Cindy Jackson spent in clinics is unsettling. In fairness, it should be noted that Jackson decided on so many operations not because of a desire to become famous, but because of extreme dissatisfaction with her own appearance.
Most often, news about new world records is somehow related to food. Eating contests for various dishes are so widespread that you can easily find an opponent in eating pancakes, hot dogs, rice balls, dumplings, bacon, lobsters, sausages, chicken wings, pies, and cakes.
But if you realize that eating fifty hot dogs in ten minutes or over seventy pancakes in an hour is beyond your ability, you can take part in preparing a record dish. True, a two-ton shawarma or a 60-kilogram hamburger won't surprise anyone these days.
So if you still want to set some record, try to come up with something original. Like an American teenager inflating balloons with his nose, or a patriotic Chinese man who stuck 2,008 needles into his head in honor of the upcoming Olympics.
Yulia SAVITSKAYA. 