Netflix Couch Potato of the Universe Olympics
- 6th October 2008
Participants in the Netflix Couch Potato of the Universe Olympics.
IT'S the world's most coveted title, and one that's sure to stir up lots of debate between many a household. But in New York City's Times Square – the DVD covers are off, the popcorn's popped, the pillows are fluffed and the remote is hidden as some of America's craziest people battle it out in the Netflix Couch Potato of the Universe Olympics.
That's right. The Couch Potato Olympics is aiming to discover the person who can sit through five days straight of movies, with the current record being over 70 hours.
The rules are fairly simple – sit on a cushy sofa for five days, watching movies, eating and doing anything to stay awake.
"When you start to feel yourself slipping away, and you do...you gotta get up. You gotta dance. You gotta talk to the screen. You gotta do whatever it takes to get you through," says contestant Cheryl Jones.
You cannot sleep in the Couch Potato Olympics and your eyes must not leave the screen while the movie is playing, or you are out of the competition.
Contestants get 10 minutes in-between movies for a bathroom break and to stretch – basically, doing anything they can to get their energy levels back before the next flick hits the screen.
At the time of airing, the remaining five competitors from the original eight were halfway through, with some looking more dog-tired than anything else.
Apart from being a battle of wills, there is a camaraderie among the team, with one contestant saying the whole team is aiming to win the illustrious record, and one that is sure to dominate the world for a long time.
