What Is The Mandela Effect? 10/31/16

What Is The Mandela Effect? 10/31/16

Just the mind playing tricks?
Taylor McCarthy
Taylor McCarthy Oct 31, 2016
309
views

The internet has been buzzing lately with countless videos regarding what is known as the “Mandela Effect.” While most internet trends can be pretty stupid, this particular subject is actually endlessly fascinating. The basic concept of the Mandela Effect is that a person or group of people have a vivid memory of something happening or being a certain way, when in fact it never occurred at all. The theory got its name from Nelson Mandela. While Nelson Mandela died in 2013, some people recall him dying back in 1980’s during his time in prison. As more instances popped up, the conspiracy theory snowballed into what it is now. It is believed that because so many people have stated their belief of things happening differently than they actually have, that the reasoning is due to alternate realities existing and we are somehow going back and forth between them.

A popular meme came about in 2010 regarding a popular children’s book series from years ago. Take a look at this image here and try to remember the name of the series:

If you remember this as The Berenstein Bears, you are wrong. Most people my age seem to remember very clearly that they grew up reading all about the Berenstein family, when in reality, they are the Berenstain Bears. Just a one letter difference has people freaking out. Following this discovery, someone uploaded a photo online of a VHS tape that had both spellings!

Maybe it was just a misprint. Or maybe that's what they want you to think. If these two examples don’t have you convinced, take a look at some other Mandela effects below.

1. Sex and the City

It is believed by many people that the popular television show was actually named Sex in the City. A video was put up online of a man with several merchandise items for the show that had “in” printed on them instead of “and."

2. KitKat

According to some, the original KitKat logo featured a hyphen separating the two words. While it seems possible that the company changed the spelling at some point over the years, none of the previously used logos have a dash present.

3. Chick-fil-A

This restaurant’s name is commonly misspelled, but for anyone that frequents this place, they could probably spell it out for you easily. A solid portion of Chick-fil-A lovers swear that there was no ‘k’ in the word chick.

4. Monopoly

When thinking of the monopoly man character, several different features come to mind. His top hat, cane in hand, and mustache are just some of the characteristics, but what about a monocle? Evidently, the character has never had a monocle! If you google monopoly Halloween costumes, you’ll see plenty of photos where people are decked out in his proper attire, INCLUDING the monocle.

5. Oscar Mayer

When thinking about this brand name, it’s hard not to jump right into singing the song we’re used to hearing in commercials. Although, you might be singing it incorrectly. If you think it’s “My bologna has a second name / It’s M-E-Y-E-R,” think again! M-A-Y-E-R is the actual spelling.

6. We Are The Champions

If you don’t know this iconic Queen song, you must be living under a rock. Plenty of people know it word for word, but it’s been made known that the placement of certain lyrics aren’t quite what some individuals recall. The line at the very end of the track is not, “‘Cause we are the champions of the world,” but is simply just, “‘Cause we are the champions.” Very weird.

7. Jif

As far as I can remember, my favorite peanut butter has always been Jif. It wasn’t until I researched the Mandela Effect that I began to question if this had been the brand name forever. It’s been noted that Jiffy is the alternate name being remembered. Personally, I'll believe the latter once people claim Skippy peanut butter is actually Skip.

8. Skechers

I used to repeat the slogan, “Skechers, it’s the S!” all the time as a child. I paid so much attention to the advertisements that it really bugs me out noticing there is actually no ’t’ in the word. I could have sworn it was Sketchers, which would honestly just make more sense.

9. I Love Lucy

There’s all sorts of memorable quotes that have come from television shows, but there is one that has stuck with each generation from this particular show. “Lucy, you got some ‘splainin’ to do!” is a line just about anyone will recognize if you say it to them, but as it turns out, the statement was never once said during aired episodes. Avid I Love Lucy fans have rewatched the series and found not one instance where the line was used.

There are several more examples of the Mandela Effect you can find online. You can probably even come up with some of your own if you think it over long enough. We may never know why we remember things one way when in reality it’s the other. All I know is, some things are too odd to be coincidental.

Cover Image Credit: KnowYourMeme
Taylor McCarthy
Taylor McCarthy Oct 31, 2016
At College of Staten Island

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I'm The Girl Without A 'Friend Group'

And here's why I'm OK with it

Taylor Grace Abrahams
Taylor Grace Abrahams Apr 3, 2017
893139
views

Little things remind me all the time.

For example, I'll be sitting in the lounge with the people on my floor, just talking about how everyone's days went. Someone will turn to someone else and ask something along the lines of, "When are we going to so-and-so's place tonight?" Sometimes it'll even be, "Are you ready to go to so-and-so's place now? Okay, we'll see you later, Taylor!"

It's little things like that, little things that remind me I don't have a "friend group." And it's been like that forever. I don't have the same people to keep me company 24 hours of the day, the same people to do absolutely everything with, and the same people to cling to like glue. I don't have a whole cast of characters to entertain me and care for me and support me. Sometimes, especially when it feels obvious to me, not having a "friend group" makes me feel like a waste of space. If I don't have more friends than I can count, what's the point in trying to make friends at all?

I can tell you that there is a point. As a matter of fact, just because I don't have a close-knit clique doesn't mean I don't have any friends. The friends I have come from all different walks of life, some are from my town back home and some are from across the country. I've known some of my friends for years, and others I've only known for a few months. It doesn't really matter where they come from, though. What matters is that the friends I have all entertain me, care for me, and support me. Just because I'm not in that "friend group" with all of them together doesn't mean that we can't be friends to each other.

Still, I hate avoiding sticking myself in a box, and I'm not afraid to seek out friendships. I've noticed that a lot of the people I see who consider themselves to be in a "friend group" don't really venture outside the pack very often. I've never had a pack to venture outside of, so I don't mind reaching out to new people whenever.

I'm not going to lie, when I hear people talking about all the fun they're going to have with their "friend group" over the weekend, part of me wishes I could be included in something like that. I do sometimes want to have the personality type that allows me to mesh perfectly into a clique. I couldn't tell you what it is about me, but there is some part of me that just happens to function better one-on-one with people.

I hated it all my life up until very recently, and that's because I've finally learned that not having a "friend group" is never going to be the same as not having friends.

SEE ALSO: To The Girls Who Float Between Friend Groups

Cover Image Credit: wordpress.com
Taylor Grace Abrahams
Taylor Grace Abrahams Apr 3, 2017
At University of Missouri

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After 'Extremely Wicked' And 'The Stranger Beside Me,' We Now Understand The Criminal Mind Of Ted Bundy

1 hour and 50 minutes, plus 550 pages later.

Alyssa Paluch
Alyssa Paluch Jun 20, 2019
38
views

Netflix recently released a movie in May called "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile" (2019), based on the life of Ted Bundy from his girlfriend's viewpoint.

In 1980, an author and former Seattle police officer, Ann Rule, published a book about her experience and personal, close friendship with Ted Bundy, called "The Stranger Beside Me."

These two sources together create an explosion of important information we either skim over or ignore about Ted Bundy. Watching this movie and reading this book can really open your eyes to who Ted Bundy really was. Yeah, there are the confession tapes on Netflix, too, but these other things can really tie it all into one big masterpiece of destruction.

I swear, it will blow your mind in different ways you never thought possible.

In the movie, "Extremely Wicked", Zac Efron stars as the infamous Ted Bundy, America's most notorious serial killer. He portrayed the murderer who kidnapped, killed, and raped 30 women or more. Personally, he made a great Ted Bundy, mannerisms and all. Lily Collins stars as Ted's girlfriend who was easily manipulated by Ted and believed that he was innocent for years.

The movie is told in the order that Liz, Ted's girlfriend, remembers.

In the book, "The Stranger Beside Me", Ann Rule writes about Ted Bundy, who used to be her old friend. They met while working at a crisis center in the state of Washington and were close ever since. Like Liz, Ann believed he was innocent and that he was incapable of these horrific crimes.

Ted Bundy had made both Liz and Ann fools. He easily manipulated and lied to both women about many things for years, his murders being "one" of them.

Okay, so we all know that Ted Bundy was absolutely guilty as hell and totally murdered those women. 30 women or more. He literally confessed to that, but researchers and authorities believe that number to be way higher.

But... you must know that the movie and the book tell two different stories that lead to the same ending. That's why it's so intriguing.

At one point, I couldn't stop watching the movie. Then, I bought Ann Rule's book and was completely attached to it. I couldn't put it down.

For me, Ted Bundy is interesting to me. Unlike most young girls today, I don't have a thing for him nor do I think he's cute or hot. I know that he used his charm and looks to lure women into his murderous trap. That's why it's so hard to understand why this movie and book created a new generation of women "falling in love" with Ted Bundy.

GROSS: He sodomized women with objects. He bludgeoned women with objects or his own hands. He was a necrophile. Look those up if you have not a clue of what they mean. That could change your mind about your own feelings for Ted Bundy.

After "Extremely Wicked" and "The Stranger Beside Me", I now understand the criminal mind of Ted Bundy. He was insane, but he was also smart, put together, educated, charming, and lots more. That's why I'm so interested in why his brain was the way it was.

The criminal mind is an interesting topic for me anyway, but for Ted Bundy, it was amazing to learn about.

I highly recommend both the movie and the book I quickly read in two weeks! If you want answers, they are there.

Alyssa Paluch
Alyssa Paluch Jun 20, 2019
At Rowan University

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