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Mar 19 2026

Contortionism: Bend It Like Gumby

44 min 3 movies discussed
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If you could put your leg behind your head, would you? Of course you would! You might even make a career out of it, amazing people around the world with your flexibility. That’d make you a contortionist! But first you’d better get started with stretching.

AI Summary

In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck explore the fascinating world of contortionism, tracing its history from ancient Syria and Egypt all the way to modern-day Mongolia. They dive into how this incredible art form evolved from spiritual and religious practices into circus performances, revealing surprising facts about who can actually learn to be a contortionist and busting some common misconceptions along the way. The hosts also discuss the cultural significance of extreme flexibility across different civilizations and why Mongolia became the undisputed center of contortionist excellence.


Movies Discussed

America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
2006
★ 5.7
"when we were kids, that's incredible. Or America's got talent these days — Mentioned as shows where people would have seen contortionist acts" — Chuck
Bend It Like Beckham
Bend It Like Beckham
2002 1h 52m
★ 6.3
"Livia titled what she sent us, Bend It Like Gumby — Referenced as a play on the movie title for the episode title about contortionists" — Josh
That's Incredible!
That's Incredible!
1980
★ 5.0
"when we were kids, that's incredible. Or America's got talent these days — Mentioned as shows where people would have seen contortionist acts" — Chuck

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