Eyeball popper goes for Chicagoan's record

September 19, 2006

Kim Goodman's eye-popping record could be in danger.

The Chicagoan holds the Guinness Book of Records-certified title of ''farthest eyeball popper, able to "pop" her eyeballs 11 millimeters (0.43 inches) out of her sockets.

But now a Brazilian man has his eye on breaking the record. Claudio Paulo Pinto so far has managed to pop his eyeballs at least 7 millimeters (0.3 inches) out of their sockets, according to RankBrasil, an organization modeled after the Guinness Book that lists Brazilian records.

A former driver, Pinto got a job scaring visitors in a commercial haunted house in Belo Horizonte, 210 miles north of Rio de Janeiro. Recently laid off, he's now going for the record for his unusual ability.

''I was measured by an ophthalmologist on television in January," Pinto said. "I could pop my eyes out 7 millimeters. Since then, my capacities have improved over 50 percent.''

That could put Pinto close to the record set by Goodman, who famously showed off her bug-eyed ability on David Letterman's show, as one of the "Stupid Human Tricks," which led to a TV commercial for an eyewear company.

The ability to pop one's eyes out is called "globe luxation." Doctors don't recommend it. They say it can strain blood vessels and nerves between the eyes and the head and feels unpleasant, though it usually doesn't cause lasting damage.