Vice season 6, episode 24 recap: ‘Voodoo Wrestling and Big Placebo’

On the latest episode of Vice, the show took a look at the African sport of Voodoo Wrestling and the massive alternative medicine industry.

The first segment was a look at the sport of Voodoo Wrestling currently taking place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Apparently, the sport of Voodoo Wrestling (a loosely translated version of the native term) is a legitimate form of wrestling that takes place in the African nation and has become quite popular.

It’s been described as a WWE event combined with a religious festival, but here fighters can use a wide variety of items including knives and live animals. The sport originated in the 1970’s after a Congolese man was inspired by Hulk Hogan’s wrestling and decided to combine the Western sport with traditional African practices.

But while there is controversy over the sport’s use of African mysticism, a growing number of women are entering the sport as it provides not only financial support but respect as well.

It has also become a place for young people to get themselves out of poverty as well.

The other story was a look at the dietary supplement industry that has become incredibly profitable in recent years. This has gone far beyond taking a simple vitamin and has evolved towards alternative treatments for considerable health issues.

But the effectiveness of such treatments can be questionable.

A big reason that people keep coming back for alternative medicine is that of the placebo effect, which is an incredibly well-known phenomenon.

In short, the placebo effect is the psychological phenomenon that happens when people feel an effect from taking something even though whatever they may be causing may have no real effect at all. Basically, the psychological effect of trying the treatment is what helps as opposed to the actual treatment.

Vice even interviewed actress Gwyneth Paltrow who’s known for her work with alternative medicines. She is just one of many celebrities and social media influencers who’ve become prominent for associating with alternative treatments and have occasionally come under fire for it.