VICE
Voodoo Wrestling/Big Placebo
S6 E24:
"Voodoo Wrestling" Mystical voodoo rituals and professional wrestling converge in Catch Fetiche, a popular but polarizing sport in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Until recently it was an all-male sport, but women have been getting into the ring to fight, pushing the definition of gender roles in a country where violence against women is high. Dexter Thomas travels to Kinshasa to see the battles firsthand and meet the women wrestlers who are emerging as the sport's new champions. "Big Placebo" Americans spend billions of dollars every year on alternative medicine. While products like dietary supplements are nothing new, a wave of lucrative endorsements from celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and "influencers" on social media have made "wellness" a booming industry. Charlet Duboc meets devotees and skeptics, to figure out just what's going on with the country's wellness obsession.
Starring
Dexter Thomas, Charlet Duboc