# Young boy surprisingly sociable despite his hairy little body **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 26, 2002, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115 "2002-06-26T22:33:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/1 "2002-06-26T22:33:53Z")
[Doctors baffled by boy, 6, covered in ape-like hair](http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_612848.html?menu=news.scienceanddiscovery) I wonder if he was born covered in hair, and if he’ll keep getting hairier as he ages. And I wonder, if he’s able to reproduce, if he’ll pass this on to his kids. So many questions… But what an unfortunate way to go through life. Anyway, at least he’s flexible. :rolleyes: Happy ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/2 "2002-06-26T22:36:14Z")
Poor little bugger. Maybe they can do laser hair removal or Nair or sompin’. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/3 "2002-06-26T22:50:29Z")
I was thinking maybe a dip in the Nads. At least Fantastic Sams could offer to give him a decent haircut. Happy ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/4 "2002-06-26T22:55:02Z")
Hmm. I actually think it’s kind of cute. I don’t suppose that will be the common reaction though. Poor kid. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/5 "2002-06-26T23:08:22Z")
Well a long sleeve shirt & a mach 3 can work magic, so lets keep hope. I’m glad they didnt send him to the circus, that would have been fucked up. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/6 "2002-06-26T23:25:16Z")
_Hyperpiliosity_ by L. Sprague De Camp. It’s short story in _The Best Of L. Sprague De Camp_. Read it, & you’ll understand. If it was made into a film, this kid has a starring role. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Wrong\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b782af/32.png) [@The\_Wrong\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Wrong_Girl)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/7 "2002-06-26T23:34:55Z")
Hmm, I know that disorder exists, but does that picture on the bottom look a little fake to anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Nightsong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nightsong/32/3083_2.png) [@Nightsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightsong)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/8 "2002-06-26T23:45:20Z")
It does to me also… almost like the lighting doesn’t match: the shadows don’t look right. (There’s a shadow from the pillow: where’s the shadow from the little guy? There doesn’t seem to be enough shadow there…) But, if the tale is true: poor guy has a long hard road ahead of him, though no fault of his own. Ouch. * * * \<\< There is no spoon… \>\> ---
**Author:** ![Tsubaki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@Tsubaki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tsubaki)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/9 "2002-06-27T00:02:43Z")
Agree with **The Wrong Girl**. The top pic doesn’t look quite right to me, either. ---
**Author:** ![blanx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f04885/32.png) [@blanx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blanx)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/10 "2002-06-27T00:13:17Z")
this is the greatest thread title. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/11 "2002-06-27T00:31:45Z")
I agree with **The Wrong Girl** and others who’ve suspected this is a fake. Not only does the lighting look off, but the boy’s expression in both photos appears identical; in fact, the face in the bottom photo just looks like a reversed mirror image of the top. Things like this _do_ happen, but I don’t believe it is the case here. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/12 "2002-06-27T00:58:07Z")
Also, there’s no indication that the boy’s putting any sort of weight on the bed. No crinkling etc. of fabric, and you **know** he ain’t weightless… ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/13 "2002-06-27T00:58:27Z")
Looking at the bottom picture, there is a pretty harsh shadow under the kid’s chin, but no shadow at all anywhere on the gurney on which he sits. There should at least be a shadow similar to the one you see on the “doctor’s” jacket. The kid’s thighs should be better lit too with all that top-light (compare to doctor’s arms). Bogus. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/14 "2002-06-27T02:40:16Z")
That is such an obvious photo shop job. Hell, pictures on the Onion look more realistic! ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/15 "2002-06-27T02:49:20Z")
Didi a Google search for various terms relating to the story and…nada. Last time I ever get my news from [here](http://www.surfingtheapocalypse.com/). 😉 Happy, who knew it was fake all along. Seriously… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Daoloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/16 "2002-06-27T07:14:36Z")
C’mon guys, it’s obvious they’re giving him an ultrasound via finger! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/17 "2002-06-27T07:50:51Z")
OK, here’s what I want to know. How come [Ananova.com](http://Ananova.com) keeps falling for this shit? This is what, the third time this year they publish something that’s obviously false. Aren’t they aspiring to be a reputable news source? Or are they just an internet gimmic with no scrupules about journalistic integrity? ---
**Author:** ![Daoloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/18 "2002-06-27T07:53:14Z")
Personally, I’d never heard of Ananova. Maybe a European thing. Furthermore, it seems rather sensationalistic in some regards, headlining articles about various rare medical problems or bizarre fatalities. ---
**Author:** ![bifar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bifar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bifar)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/19 "2002-06-27T08:05:17Z")
It’s a UK site, linked to the Daily Mail group, I think. Not sure though. It is meant to be reputable and is very good for breaking news but also has loads of quirky stuff. It’s the equivalent of a UK tabloid, I think, and maybe has the same dictum of never letting veracity get in the way of a good story. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115/20 "2002-06-27T08:05:36Z")
There were two Brazilian brothers, about my age, who had this condition but worse; I mean they were covered with hair like a _dog_ is covered with hair. When I lived in Japan (1986-87) I saw them on a Japanese TV show that was completely devoted to showing what freaks and degenerates foreigners are. (I tried to get on there, but they didn’t seem to want you if you thought it was fun.) Then about ten years later I saw them on some other show in the U.S., I forget what it was. But they were still my age, and still completely covered with hair (they were wearing shorts, for those who are interested). Both times I saw them were almost unbearably sad. The first time, they were about 15, same as me, and they came out, one of them carrying a soccer ball hopefully, as if the audience might want to see what great soccer players they were. Once out on stage, they just stood there looking slightly stunned. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/young-boy-surprisingly-sociable-despite-his-hairy-little-body/116115.md?page=2)