Now That’s What We Call a Concept That Delivers
Forget Pergonal, Pregnyl, Profasi HP and in vitro fertilization, a trip to the “Odditorium” could be just the thing to get the reproductive juices flowing. Two fertility statues credited with inducing hundreds of pregnancies in those who have rubbed them are making a second swing through the Southland beginning today at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! in Buena Park.
Of course, there’s no way to be certain that a pregnancy was totem-induced. But Ripley’s has testimonials.
Rumelia Cortez of Fountain Valley had tried for years: “I’m Catholic, so I usually leave everything up to God. But when you are trying to get pregnant for six years, you’ll try anything.” Three months after she stroked the statues in November 1997, the paralegal was pregnant.
Lisa Levin of Los Angeles grabbed her husband and headed for Buena Park when she saw the totems were in town the first time. Within three months, she, too, was expecting. “My life is grounded more in science. I’m trained as a psychotherapist and a social worker,” she said. “But I’ve always been intrigued by the idea that Western thought may not be totally comprehensive.”
Ripley’s, which says the 5-foot totems are from the Baule tribe of the Ivory Coast, first displayed them in its Orlando headquarters in 1994. Within a year, six Ripley’s staffers and eight associates (including the Airborne Express delivery woman) were pregnant. Word spread, and hopeful women sent articles of clothing to Ripley’s, requesting that staffers rub them on the statues and mail them back.
Spotting a publicity bonanza, Ripley’s decided to send the statues to its “Odditoriums” around the world. Five years and 25 stops later, the king, holding a short sword and a mango, and the queen, holding a newborn, are credited with more than 645 conceptions. The statues will be on display through July 25. Info: (714) 522-7045.
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Former Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten, who hosts the raucous “Rotten Radio” chat show on https://www.eYada.com live from his L.A. living room every Saturday, wasn’t too pleased when he saw the back cover of Thursday’s New York Post, with a full-page photo of John Rocker and the headline “Johnny Rotten.”
Rotten, who also hosts a VH-1 talk show called “Rotten TV,” released this response through his publicist: “I resent being likened to this Neanderthal. Rocker is being called rotten ‘cause he’s ignorant. . . . I am deeply hurt to be compared to your mouth-breathing national numskull.”
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Booth Moore can be reached at booth.moore@latimes.com.
