Comments on: Tall tales

Tall tales

madamjujujive — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 08:57:32 -0800

The tallest man on record was Roger Pershing Wadlow which I discovered after finding this curious photo. His 8'11.1" stature dwarfed Andre's mere 7'4" height. Both suffered from the rare pituitary disorder of gigantism or acromegaly. China has some really tall people including Defen Yao. If her height of 7"8.5" is accurate, it is more than an inch taller than Guinness record holder Sandy Allen. By comparison, the top 50 tallest basketball players provide some scale. (centimeter converter). Apparently, girls and giants are a popular combo.

By: Dan Brilliant

Dan Brilliant — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 09:12:50 -0800

Some of us will remember the late, great Roy Castle singing a song about Mr Wadlow where the chorus went, "Roger Pershing Wadlow; eight foot eleven point five [sic] and THIRTY-FIVE STONE!" A packet of orange Space Dust to anyone who can find that song online. Here's the Record Breakers theme (scroll down a bit).

By: ice_cream_motor

ice_cream_motor — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 09:24:44 -0800

Rondo Hatton!

By: mookieproof

mookieproof — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 10:09:01 -0800

Yeah, but does that guy have a posse?

By: Daze

Daze — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 10:36:37 -0800

According to the Guinness World Records website, the current tallest man alive is Radhouane Charbib at 7 ft 8.9 in. Anyone else find this surprising? Human beings in general have been getting taller, yet there's no one alive today within even a foot of a guy born 80 years ago.

By: soren

soren — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 10:43:04 -0800

His father had to modify the family car, removing the front passenger seat so Robert could sit in the back and stretch out his long legs. Aww man they totally stole that from Police Academy

By: trivirgata

trivirgata — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 10:51:22 -0800

Daze, the reason that we're not seeing these types of giants today has a lot to do with the advances in growth hormone therapy. The disorders of the pituitary gland that were most likely responsible for RPW gigantism are routinely treated nowadays. The only true giants we're likely to see from here on out will come from regions so isolated or impoverished that such treatments are unknown or unavailable. These links do beg the question though: At what point do parents and doctors decide that an abnormally tall child should receive therapy? Will we see more boys in America decline medical treatment in hopes of being the NBA's next "big man"? All I know is, that if I grew any taller than I am today (6'8") I'd be one unhappy camper...

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 10:53:28 -0800

I love the photo of him with his graduating class. Really conveys how massive he was.

By: marcusb

marcusb — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 11:20:19 -0800

Not to burst anyone's bubble, but Andre the Giant (real name Andre Rene Roussimoff) never reached more than 6' 10". His alleged height of 7' 4" was simply part of his gimmick. Here's some further discussion about it.

By: stupidsexyFlanders

stupidsexyFlanders — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 11:21:17 -0800

What a hell this man was born in, having missed out on a fabulous career in porn by just forty years. I'm making some assumptions here.

By: syzygy

syzygy — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 11:28:17 -0800

<pedant> Begging the qestion </pedant>

By: orange swan

orange swan — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 11:32:25 -0800

I can't imagine living with being that size. Jeez, and I complain because the standard length of women's sleeves and pant legs is often just a little too short for me.

By: UlfMagnet

UlfMagnet — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 12:38:41 -0800

Wow, what a great post. I especially loved the progression of Eddie Carmel through the years (see giants and girls)... seems like he was right on the cusp of hipsterhood when his mega-tude did him in.

By: UlfMagnet

UlfMagnet — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 12:55:22 -0800

From my roommate, via email: When i was about 8 andre the giant was on a plane with me to somewhere (i forget where). i got his autograph. his hands were very very big. and his voice was very very low. and he sat in two first class seats.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 13:20:29 -0800

Oh, so what. I once passed Sgt. Slaughter's limo on the highway. It was painted camoflauge.

By: majcher

majcher — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 13:50:03 -0800

I met Sandy Allen once, when I was a kid. We were visiting Niagara Falls, and stopped into the Guinness World Records museum. They had various statues and displays of the extremely tall or fat or small and whatnot, and we were running around, playing with (and on) all of them. We turned a corner, and there was another strange looking exhibit, of the world's largest woman, sitting on a bench, reading. It seemed a little strange, so we approached slowly, and were pretty surprised when she looked up and waved to us. She turned out to be really nice, talked to us, gave us autographs, all that. I also touched George "The Animal" Steele once. Ew.

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 14:34:17 -0800

I once passed Sgt. Slaughter's limo on the highway That sounds extraordinarily painful.

By: bradth27

bradth27 — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 15:23:07 -0800

Sometimes, I wonder about myself. The first thing I thought, when viewing that picture, was.."Gee, look how big that shoe is..... Huh. Look how big that guy is compared to that little woman there.... HOLY CHRIST. LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT SHOE. I WONDER HOW BIG HIS..." Anyway, I'm nasty. Carry on.

By: billsaysthis

billsaysthis — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 18:27:54 -0800

I am not tall. That is all.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 21:18:17 -0800

I wear a size 8 1/2. Unless I'm picking sneakers, in which case I might take a women's 10 because they're narrower in the heel... Are they still called sneakers these days?

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 23:55:12 -0800

Bradthe27 and stupidsexyFlanders, you aren't the first people to wonder about other attributes. And UlfMagnet, it is too bad about Eddie C's early demise...many giants have short life spans. The tallest man in Iceland seemed to be an exception - he lived to the ripe old age of 71. Thanks to all who added links and comments - esp you trivirgata! Welcome to mefi - nice first comment, thanks! ...and fff, I hope your wife is better!