There are a few natural phenomenons that we just simply won’t ever get the answers to. What was the world like before humans? Why did American Idol keep on airing after Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson left? And how can millions of people remember something that never happened?
The Mandela Effect. This is something that blows my little mind. The Mandela Effect is a phenomenon where a great number of people share a false memory which tends to be attributed to the presence of multiple universes. I’m not sure If I believe that there are multiple universes, but I know something is not adding up. It sounds a little far-fetched, but once you dive into all of the examples, it gets freaky.
Nelson Mandela’s Death
The Mandela Effect was aptly named after Nelson Mandela because millions of people remembered hearing that he died in prison in the 80s, but in reality, he died in 2013. I, being born into 2001, have no opinion on this one, but I still stand with my fellow Mandela Effect believers.
Looney Tunes
Okay, this one doesn’t even make sense. The cartoon show Looney Tunes with characters such as Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird, Daffy Duck and more, was a staple to all of our childhoods. I would do anything to sit in front of the TV and watch cartoons with my KidCuisine meal in front of me. If you would have asked me how to spell Looney Tunes, I would have assumed it would have been “Looney Toons” because it’s a carTOON show. But no. It’s spelled Tunes, with an e, as in music, which leaves me baffled.
Curious George
If you have smaller siblings or cousins in your life, this one might hit you hard. Curious George is this adorable little cartoon monkey who finds trouble everywhere he goes. The Man With the Yellow Hat often helps George as he navigates through life (I found him to be kind of annoying, but I always stayed for George). George, like the cute playful monkey he is, has this adorable little tail he wags throughout the show, or so I thought. Curious George has no tail, and apparently never has. Why wouldn’t the cartoonists just include a tail? It’s literally like one more brushstroke, and all monkeys have tails?
“Luke, I am your father”
This one’s for my fellow Star Wars nerds out there. If you ask anyone, regardless if they’ve seen Star Wars or not, to recite a quote, they would most likely pick this one, and they’d probably get it wrong. One of the most iconic lines ever spoken in cinema, the one that revealed a plot twist that no one saw coming, is almost always recited wrong. Darth Vader reveals to Luke that he didn’t kill his father because he is his father. But, he doesn’t say Luke’s name. The real quote is “No, I am your father.” You’re thinking just a silly mistake, right? Wrong. After seeing that scene many times, it’s so obvious that he says “No” and not “Luke”, so how did we all just get it wrong?
Pikachu’s Tail
Okay, one last nerdy one. I grew up both playing and watching Pokémon, so I’ve spent a bit of time with Pikachu. Pikachu is almost synonymous with Pokémon to those who know nothing about the game/show. Even if you know nothing about it, you probably could name the cute electric creature. To me, I could’ve sworn there was a little black tip at the end of Pikachu’s tail, but all history proved otherwise.
Monopoly Man
Monopoly is a great game to play when you either want to have a fun, interactive lesson on economics and how the free market would work without regulations, or if you just want to enjoy a night in with your friends. The symbol of Monopoly is this old white man, which is aimed to represent the rich and how they would benefit from the monopolization of certain industries. One aspect I remember about the Monopoly man is his monocle. The monocle has somehow become synonymous with wealth, so it just seemed perfect for the Monopoly man. The monocle, the cane, the bag of money–I mean this guy’s set. Except he doesn’t have a monocle and he never did.
Hello, Clarice
Every time I think of this scene, I think of Dwight from The Office slicing off a practice dummy’s face to recreate it. In The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal Lector never once says “Hello, Clarice.” He just simply goes “Good evening, Clarice.” This is exactly why I never accept those that say it was just heard wrong because how is everyone’s hearing that bad that they get the words so messed up.
Forrest Gump
While this one may be attributed to the audience hearing it wrong, either way, it was just a weird way to word something. There are endless Instagram captions and last-minute tattoo ideas that have been inspired by these words of wisdom. All jokes aside, Forrest Gump’s mom was preaching to us, and we all should’ve been more appreciative. Forrest says that his mama says, “Life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get” but everyone else remembers “Life is like a box of chocolates” (and we’re right).
I know it may seem like just a bunch of incidents where the wrong thing was heard, or there was simply a miscommunication, but there are just too many examples for me not to get at least a little creeped out. I hope with this article I have either convinced you to see the light and join the group of Mandela Effect believers or at the very least, give you some food for thought to come up with a reasonable explanation for all of these “coincidences.”
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