The Human-Skin Lampshade and other true-life oddities from Ripley tv - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Abner Trotter · 01-27-2018, 01:15 AM

The Ripley TV series I refer to is the one hosted by Jack Palance. The earlier version was broadcast during the 1950's so I never saw that-- although I recall from the Palance program there were occasional clips from the 1950s version. Besides the human-skin lantern I also recall the flea circus consisting of actual performing fleas. Even nowadays, when I mention the flea circus, most people don't believe me so I have to show them the actual video from the Ripley series.

Abner Trotter · 02-02-2018, 09:34 PM

Oops, I forgot that after the Jack Palance version came another incarnation hosted by Dean Cain.

Abner Trotter · 02-10-2018, 09:41 PM

One oddity I still remember is when a man had a problem in his ear so finally decided to go to an audiologist for ear-wax removal. When the wax was removed, it was found that there was a cockroach buried in the wax. Evidently, the roach had crawled into the man's ear when he was asleep, and the roach died and got buried in the wax. The doctor estimated the man had carried the roach for about 9 months!

Abner Trotter · 02-17-2018, 09:40 PM

It has been criticized by some that the Dean Cain version was somewhat gross, such as the performer who eats live rats. But those segments are only few and far between.
To make up for any such grossness, there were also segments that were scatterbrained and wacky. Take for example the man who opens beer bottles by twisting the bottle tops inside his navel. That way, his navel can pry off the bottle caps. And he did it in very rapid succession.
Later on, I found out that bottle cap stunt has become a popular Party-game.

Abner Trotter · 02-24-2018, 01:11 PM

To add to the bottle cap stunt, I also think it might be better if the participant has a pot-belly. Because as I recall, that was the case with the participant that I saw on the TV show. Not only a pot belly but also a navel which is sizable, to snugly accommodate the cap which is inserted.

Abner Trotter · 03-03-2018, 06:08 PM

One episode had a segment about a husband whose wife died. As a result of mourning for his wife, he dressed up a mannequin in his deceased wife's favorite garments. As I recall vaguely, it was sort of a plaid-patterned dress.
Then at every meal-time, he has the dressed-up mannequin accompany him at the meal table.

Abner Trotter · 03-18-2018, 03:04 PM

On one segment was a bizarre case of plastic surgery. When a man's wife died, he got remarried to another lady. Since the man still had feelings for his previous wife who died, he decided he wanted his new wife to get surgery to make her face resemble that of his dead wife. But when he went to a plastic surgeon to get it done, the surgeon refused. As I dimly recall, the surgeon found it to be unethical. I don't know why he found it unethical. After all, the wife had consented to the plastic surgery. Maybe some of you can post your feedback on this.

Abner Trotter · 03-24-2018, 07:22 PM

Once in a while, Ripley had oddities that were quite macabre. For example, the one about an elderly man's pension. When the elderly man died, his son did not report the death so that the son could continue to receive his dead father's money from the pension. So to keep up the deception, the son kept his dead father's corpse in his house in a chemical preservative. If you really think about it, this would have been an appropriate case for Alfred Hitchcock to have adapted.

Abner Trotter · 04-15-2018, 02:21 AM

The most bizarre fashion I saw on Ripley's was the model who wore Ear-rings that were actual Live-roaches. So the Ear-rings would wiggle.

Abner Trotter · 04-21-2018, 07:30 PM

How about that marriage where a lady needed a kidney-transplant so her own husband donated his kidney for her. Sometime later, for some reason, they got a Divorce so then her husband wanted his kidney back.

Abner Trotter · 04-29-2018, 04:45 PM

While we're at it about bizarre divorces, let me add another one in that vein. That is, how about that bizarre restaurant that gives a free meal to anybody who is recently divorced. I forgot where the restaurant is located, and could not find it on the internet either. So if anyone knows, they can post.

Abner Trotter · 06-03-2018, 12:54 AM

On the subject of criminal oddities, there was one where a guy robbed a bank and then made his getaway in a taxi cab.

Abner Trotter · 06-05-2018, 09:00 PM

Sometimes a medical illness can get misdiagnosed. Along those lines, there was a case where a man was misdiagnosed as having allergies because he was constantly sneezing and coughing and nose-blowing. But as it turned out, the correct diagnosis was CSF cerebrospinal fluid leak-- his brain fluid was leaking into his nose. And at the rate of about a half pint a day.

01-27-2018, 01:15 AM	#1
Abner Trotter Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 31, 2017 Location: Hawaii Posts: 65	The Human-Skin Lampshade and other true-life oddities from Ripley tv The Ripley TV series I refer to is the one hosted by Jack Palance. The earlier version was broadcast during the 1950's so I never saw that-- although I recall from the Palance program there were occasional clips from the 1950s version. Besides the human-skin lantern I also recall the flea circus consisting of actual performing fleas. Even nowadays, when I mention the flea circus, most people don't believe me so I have to show them the actual video from the Ripley series.

02-02-2018, 09:34 PM	#2
Abner Trotter Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 31, 2017 Location: Hawaii Posts: 65	Oops, I forgot that after the Jack Palance version came another incarnation hosted by Dean Cain.

02-10-2018, 09:41 PM	#3
Abner Trotter Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 31, 2017 Location: Hawaii Posts: 65	One oddity I still remember is when a man had a problem in his ear so finally decided to go to an audiologist for ear-wax removal. When the wax was removed, it was found that there was a cockroach buried in the wax. Evidently, the roach had crawled into the man's ear when he was asleep, and the roach died and got buried in the wax. The doctor estimated the man had carried the roach for about 9 months!

02-17-2018, 09:40 PM	#4
Abner Trotter Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 31, 2017 Location: Hawaii Posts: 65	It has been criticized by some that the Dean Cain version was somewhat gross, such as the performer who eats live rats. But those segments are only few and far between. To make up for any such grossness, there were also segments that were scatterbrained and wacky. Take for example the man who opens beer bottles by twisting the bottle tops inside his navel. That way, his navel can pry off the bottle caps. And he did it in very rapid succession. Later on, I found out that bottle cap stunt has become a popular Party-game.

02-24-2018, 01:11 PM	#5
Abner Trotter Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 31, 2017 Location: Hawaii Posts: 65	To add to the bottle cap stunt, I also think it might be better if the participant has a pot-belly. Because as I recall, that was the case with the participant that I saw on the TV show. Not only a pot belly but also a navel which is sizable, to snugly accommodate the cap which is inserted.

03-03-2018, 06:08 PM	#6
Abner Trotter Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 31, 2017 Location: Hawaii Posts: 65	One episode had a segment about a husband whose wife died. As a result of mourning for his wife, he dressed up a mannequin in his deceased wife's favorite garments. As I recall vaguely, it was sort of a plaid-patterned dress. Then at every meal-time, he has the dressed-up mannequin accompany him at the meal table.

03-18-2018, 03:04 PM	#7
Abner Trotter Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 31, 2017 Location: Hawaii Posts: 65	On one segment was a bizarre case of plastic surgery. When a man's wife died, he got remarried to another lady. Since the man still had feelings for his previous wife who died, he decided he wanted his new wife to get surgery to make her face resemble that of his dead wife. But when he went to a plastic surgeon to get it done, the surgeon refused. As I dimly recall, the surgeon found it to be unethical. I don't know why he found it unethical. After all, the wife had consented to the plastic surgery. Maybe some of you can post your feedback on this.

03-24-2018, 07:22 PM	#8
Abner Trotter Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 31, 2017 Location: Hawaii Posts: 65	Once in a while, Ripley had oddities that were quite macabre. For example, the one about an elderly man's pension. When the elderly man died, his son did not report the death so that the son could continue to receive his dead father's money from the pension. So to keep up the deception, the son kept his dead father's corpse in his house in a chemical preservative. If you really think about it, this would have been an appropriate case for Alfred Hitchcock to have adapted.

04-15-2018, 02:21 AM	#9
Abner Trotter Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 31, 2017 Location: Hawaii Posts: 65	The most bizarre fashion I saw on Ripley's was the model who wore Ear-rings that were actual Live-roaches. So the Ear-rings would wiggle.

04-21-2018, 07:30 PM	#10
Abner Trotter Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 31, 2017 Location: Hawaii Posts: 65	How about that marriage where a lady needed a kidney-transplant so her own husband donated his kidney for her. Sometime later, for some reason, they got a Divorce so then her husband wanted his kidney back.

04-29-2018, 04:45 PM	#11
Abner Trotter Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 31, 2017 Location: Hawaii Posts: 65	While we're at it about bizarre divorces, let me add another one in that vein. That is, how about that bizarre restaurant that gives a free meal to anybody who is recently divorced. I forgot where the restaurant is located, and could not find it on the internet either. So if anyone knows, they can post.

06-03-2018, 12:54 AM	#12
Abner Trotter Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 31, 2017 Location: Hawaii Posts: 65	On the subject of criminal oddities, there was one where a guy robbed a bank and then made his getaway in a taxi cab.

06-05-2018, 09:00 PM	#13
Abner Trotter Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 31, 2017 Location: Hawaii Posts: 65	Sometimes a medical illness can get misdiagnosed. Along those lines, there was a case where a man was misdiagnosed as having allergies because he was constantly sneezing and coughing and nose-blowing. But as it turned out, the correct diagnosis was CSF cerebrospinal fluid leak-- his brain fluid was leaking into his nose. And at the rate of about a half pint a day.