26Professional Laughers
A former mud wrestler named Lisette St.Claire was the world’s first laugher wrangler in the television industry. Some of the current ‘Professional Laughers’ are so good at guffawing that they're secretly planted in audiences to get others snickering, cackling, or howling. In 2012, laughers got $75 for a day's work.
27. In the 1830s, Paris Opera used to employ Professional Applauders a.k.a. claque, who worked with opera directors to put on a good show. By engineering a ruckus among themselves, the claque was able to allow a singer to surreptitiously take a breath during a high note hold, giving the illusion of a super long note.
28. The royal English court of King Henry II had Professional Farters who were rewarded with houses and land in exchange for entertaining the kind. Roland the Farter was one of the most famous farters of the 12th century and he was given a manor and 30 acres of land for his services. Another famous 19th century French flatulist was Joseph Pujol, who could shoot water up to 5 feet.
29. 'Professional Mourners' are performers who are paid to lament the dead and 'entertain' grieving families. This occupation began in Chinese, Egyptian, and Mediterranean cultures, and is still practiced in China. The UK even has a program called 'Rent a Mourner' for hiring actors as 'extras' at funerals.
30. The Roman Catholic Church used to hire castrati. These were young boy vocalists who were castrated to prevent puberty and allowing them to sing soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto well into their 40s. The practice started in the mid-1500s, reached its height in 1730, and ended in 1903. The last castrati died in 1922.
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31Forensic Vagina Investigators
In El Salvador there are "forensic vagina investigators" whose job is to determine whether a woman got an illegal abortion as abortion in El Salvador is illegal.
32. The Chinese Communist Party employs an army of commentators whose job is to win arguments with people on the internet and manipulate public opinion and disseminate disinformation to benefit CCP. Though it has been nicknamed the ‘50 Cent Army,’ there is little evidence that they are paid anything for their posts. Instead they are required to do so as part of their official party duties.
33. In the middle ages, there were men called ‘Bear-Leaders’ whose job was to lead bears from village to village. These animals were primarily used in a blood sport known as bear-baiting. It was a form of entertainment which involved setting dogs to attack a captive bear.
34. The sole job of a "teaser stallion" is to tell if a mare is ready for mating. He never gets to do the actual mating that the valuable stallion does. Kind owners sometimes give him a "consolation mare" to mate with so that he doesn't get sexually frustrated with his job.
35. The Apollo Theater in Harlem has a guy called 'The Executioner,' whose job is to interrupt bad performers and shoo them offstage.
