iStockphoto
Mature adult man with gray hair and glasses cupping hands around his mouth, actively yelling and making a loud announcement
Way back when, in the days of yore, having an extremely loud voice wasn’t just a skill, it was a necessity. Before we could all get alerts on our phones about potential impending doom, town criers across the world were used to spread news as quickly and loudly as possible.
Inventions such as the internet and the cell phone have made that job far less prestigious and important. However, for one man in Canberra, Australia, it’s an ability that just earned him a Guinness World Record.
Joseph McGrail-Bateup, a 58-year-old from the capital city of Canberra, Australia, who serves as the honorary town crier, broke an over 30-year-old world record for loudest yell on Tuesday at an ear-piercing 122.4 decibels.
Aussie Town Crier Breaks Longstanding World Record For Loudest Yell
Prior to McGrail-Bateup, Northern Ireland schoolteacher Annalisa Flanagan held the record, set in 1994, when she ironically yelled the word “quiet” at 121.7 dB.
However, the Aussie man has now destroyed that record by almost a full decibel by yelling the word “now” at a sound loud enough to wake an entire neighborhood.
For comparison’s sake, that is in the same noise range as a chainsaw, jet plane take off, or a nearby ambulance siren at close range.
“There’s no way that you can actually practice for it. You have to just keep it for the day, especially with the world record attempt,” the new recordholder told reporters. “It took me seven attempts just for one word, which was the word ‘now,’ and my voice was shot for the next couple of days as well. It was husky, it was terrible. So no, you can’t really practice for it. But it’s a lot of fun when you’re doing it.”
It’s hard to say what utility being extremely loud has in modern life. For one, you get to hold a world record. And perhaps you never lose any arguments with friends or family.
But beyond that, it’s just an extremely cool ability to have, and hopefully McGrail-Bateup can take the new record to his grave.