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Selfie stunt sets new Guinness World Record

It seems like Guinness World Records is happy to entertain any kind of extraordinary feat for its listings, no matter how weird or wacky.

It has, after all, officially certified a record for the farthest eyeball pop, in which a person’s eyeballs emerge from their sockets to a point where it looks like they’re going to fall out. Guinness also lists a record for the fastest tightrope walk in high heels, as well as the longest journey in a boat made out of a pumpkin.

All of these could easily be joint holders of the Guinness World Record for the most pointless Guinness World Record, but there isn’t an official record for that (yet).

Another possible contender for that particular title would surely be the world record for the most selfies taken in three minutes. Just, why?

In recent days, a new record for speedy selfie snaps was set by Indian actor Akshay Kumar during a promotional event for his latest movie, called Selfiee (ah, that’s why).

In a video shared by Guinness World Records on Thursday, we see Kumar sporting a rictus grin as he merrily snaps away on a smartphone while numerous fans dart in and out of the frame. The Bollywood star clearly took time to hone his technique, tilting gently but decisively to the left and then to the right, and repeating this maneuver over and over to make the most efficient use of the limited time.

It’s not clear if the stunt was a contractual obligation or an idea dreamed up by Kumar when he wasn’t feeling well, but the fact that he continued with the effort until the bitter end suggests the latter.

So, how many selfies did the actor manage to snap in three minutes? According to a Guinness World Records official who was brought in to verify the effort in Mumbai, 184.

That smashed the record set by a guy called James Smith five years ago when he managed 168 selfies in the same time frame. Before that, celebrity Donnie Wahlberg claimed the record with 122 selfies. Wahlberg snatched the record from The Rock, who managed a mere 105 selfies.

If after reading this you’re itching to take some selfies of your own, then check out DT’s recommendations for the best selfie apps.

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Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
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