These Revelations About Your Childhood Faves Will Blow Your Mind

If you follow Reddit-centric internet debates, you're sure to have stumbled across “The Mandela Effect,” and, with it, some pop culture revelations that have ruined your childhood favorites as you remember them. The term "The Mandela Effect" was developed by paranormal lover Fiona Broome, when she discovered that she was just one of the many people who wrongly believed that Nelson Mandela died in prison in the '80s and who had vivid and detailed memories of media coverage surrounding the event. According to Broome, this is evidence that "Something odd (and fascinating) might be happening."

While she doesn't go so far as to suggest a concrete conspiracy theory, Broome believes the theory is "poised at a cool, kind-of-unsettling seesaw fulcrum, between sci-fi/fantasy and physics," and she writes about the possibility of "parallel realities." Whatever it implies, though, with the increased media attention on The Mandela Effect come some pretty disturbing revelations. While Broome may have hoped that the media would focus on the implications of the theory for philosophy and physics, mostly, the media did what you did and came up with a ton of pop culture examples that suggest that much of the way you remember entertainment and books from your childhood was just plain wrong. Let's explore.

1. The Spelling Of The Berenstain Bears

Reddit lost its collective mind over the universe-bending fact that your childhood favorites' family name wasn't spelled "Berenstein" but "Berenstain." Heck, even Season 2 of Mr, Robot referenced the controversy in an episode in which an "Operation Berenstain" featured.

2. Shazaam AKA The Sinbad Movie Didn't Exist

According to Reddit, much of the internet believed that American stand-up comedian Sinbad starred in a '90s movie titled Shazaam as a genie who wasn't so great at his job and tried to grant wishes to two children. People were so obsessed with this movie that, according to the Reddit-ors the New Statesman interviewed, one person had even offered a bounty of $1,000 on Craigslist for a copy of the film. But this movie doesn't exist, and Sinbad himself has even explicitly denied the existence of the film. Some argue that the movie is being confused with Kazaam, in which Shaquille O'Neal played a genie.

3. "Luke, I Am Your Father." ‌

Remember the moment in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back when Darth Vader says some of the most iconic words in cinema? "Luke, I am your father." Except... that he doesn't. As Reddit showed us this year, we've been misremembering it all along. In fact, he says "No, I am your father."

4. Pappy's Playland Wasn't Called That ‌

The artist-centric '90s show wasn't called Pappy's Playland, not Pappy Draws It, but Pappyland. Err...

5. "Life Was Like A Box Of Chocolates"

Apparently, lots of people remember this iconic Forrest Gump quote in the present tense, as "Life is like a box of chocolates." This is so widespread that even a 2016 Xfinity commercial quotes Forrest Gump as this. Heck, even the name of the Youtube clip above quotes it wrong, and the quote is in the clip.

6. This Moment In Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Rewatch and get ready for your whole childhood to crumble to dust. Where you were expecting her to say "Mirror, mirror on the wall," instead, she says "Magic mirror on the wall." Say what?

7. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood's Opening Song

After a long, passionate essay was published on Reddit, we were alerted to one key fact: despite you remembering the opening as "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood," it's actually "It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood."

8. Looney Toons Is Actually Looney Tunes

Admittedly, one of the weaker examples of the Mandela Effect, some people claim they remember Looney Tunes as being Looney Toons, written in a "joined-up handwriting style." On one hand, this makes sense — toons, short for cartoons, right? However, the rebuttal to this on Reddit argues that "Bugs Bunny cartoons have always been split between Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. Both shows have names that suggest music, because both shows had orchestras providing the sound effects."

9. You're Probably Misremembering The Name Of Jim Carrey's Grinch Movie

Nope, it's not The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, but How The Grinch Stole Christmas, which just sounds... wrong, somehow. Still! Apparently, it was this title all along.

10. "Lucy! You've Got Some 'Splainin To Do!"

Apparently, Ricky Ricardo's iconic I Love Lucy quote was never actually uttered on the show. Which makes it all the weirder that it's been satirized multiple times since.

11. Interview With The Vampire Isn't Called That

Nope. Despite what Google is telling you, it's Interview With The Vampire, not Interview With A Vampire. So what's up with Google? It's simply suggesting the entry that most people have typed in. Eek.

12. Tom Cruise Didn't Wear Sunglasses In The Risky Business Dance Scene

What the what? While I don't subscribe to many of these, I definitely remember Tom Cruise sporting a pair of fetching Ray Bans during this scene. What gives, parallel universe?

13. Curious George Is Missing A Tail

How did the whole internet never notice that Curious George didn't have a tail until this year? Seems like something a person would pick up on.

Whether or not we're misremembering this much stuff or parallel universes exist, there's no way you're sleeping tonight. Wave goodbye to your childhood as you remembered it and say hello to a universe in which Curious George has no tail.