Mummy breaks world record by watching TV nonstop for over a year
Until now, the World Record for continuously watching TV stood at 69 hours and 48 minutes. The record was set by Suresh Joachim in September 2005.
Here is an excerpt from the MSNBC story:
Couch potato, thy name is Suresh. Suresh Joachim broke the Guinness world record for the longest time spent watching TV. He finished Friday with 69 hours and 48 minutes.
After passing the previous record of 50 hours and 7 minutes Thursday, Joachim continued until shortly after 7 a.m. Friday morning (EDT).
Joachim did his TV viewing in the lobby of WABC-TV as part of the “Guinness World Record Breaker Week” on the syndicated “Live With Regis and Kelly.”
This record was shattered when mummy Vincenzo Riccardi, 70, sat down in front of the television back in December 2005. He watched TV nonstop for over 8,765 hours. I hope Guiness is able to verify this.
His story is a sad tale, one of an undying commitment to setting a new World Record:
“He was in his house, sitting in his chair, as if watching television, and the television was, in fact, still on,” Dr Dawson said.
Mr Riccardi lived alone, his wife having died years ago. Mail had piled up, but then stopped being delivered.
“He hasn’t been heard from in over a year. That’s the part that baffles me,” Dr Dawson said. ”
Nobody sounded the alarm.”
This mummy would have kept going, too, if not for the police putting an end to his TV watching:
Police said on Saturday his body was discovered on Thursday when they went to the house to investigate a report of a burst water pipe.
We will never know how long he would have kept watching TV for, but mummy Vincenzo Riccardi will be missed by TV addicts everywhere.
Even if the Guiness Book of World Records refuses his rightful place in the record books, he has set an “unofficial” record and a very high bar for TV watching. One that won’t be broken any time soon.
