20 wild examples of the Mandela effect in real life

Why do we all remember Mr. Monopoly as wearing a monocle? Is it because he gives off the vibes of someone who would wear a monocle? Whatever the case may be, Rich Uncle Pennybags does not wear and never has worn a monocle. 

Henry VIII is a notable man in history — bad temper, lots of money, six wives (two of whom he had beheaded). He’s also remembered for a portrait in which he’s holding a turkey leg. The only problem with that memory is that such a painting does not exist. 

If you think back to all the characters you watched on Scooby-Doo as a child, you might remember the groovy, slender guy as having a prominent Adam’s apple. But you would be wrong. Shaggy does not have an Adam’s apple. 

The example of the Mandela Effect that plagues the food brand Oscar Mayer is innocuous, but it exists just the same. Lots of people are convinced that it was once spelled “Meyer,” not “Mayer.” But all records of the company will show that the spelling has always been the latter. 

The Berenstain Bears are subject to a similar Mandela Effect as Oscar Mayer. Many people are convinced that the famous Ursine family surname was spelled “Berenstein.” But those people are wrong. It’s “Berenstain.”

The Mandela Effect manifests in truly bizarre ways. Lots of people believe that Pikachu, the famous yellow Pokémon character, has a black-tipped tail. If they were to draw the character from memory, they’d probably color his tail as such. But Pikachu’s tail is solid yellow. It’s his ears that have the black tips. 

There’s been lots of chatter around Curious George’s tail, too. But in this monkey’s case, he doesn’t actually have one, despite what the Mandela effect may have led you to believe. 

We all need to become better at observing cartoon characters’ tails. There’s been much debate about the true nature of Snoopy’s tail, too. The Mandela effect will tell you that it’s all black, but Snoopy’s tail is white with a black spot. 

Mickey Mouse has been around for nearly a century. He’s had multiple iterations. But lots of people mistakenly remember Mickey in Steamboat Willie, his debut, wearing suspenders. If you rewatch the feature, you’ll see that Mickey is suspender-less. 

Even one of the most famous pop stars of all time can’t escape the Mandela Effect. Many people are convinced that Britney Spears wore a headset in the music video for her hit song “Oops!...I Did It Again.” But those people are the ones who need to say “Oops.” Brit never wore a headset in the video. 

It’s a little concerning how many examples of the Mandela Effect have to do with spellings. While lots of people remember the second word of Bugs Bunny and company’s TV show being spelled as “Toons,” they are incorrect. The show is, and always has been, Looney Tunes. 

There are several popular peanut butter brands from which you can choose at the grocery store: Skippy, Peter Pan, Smucker’s, Justin’s. But there’s no Jiffy Peanut Butter. Despite what some people might tell you, the brand is Jif. 

Honestly, these brands need to stop gaslighting the public into thinking that certain words are spelled differently than they actually are. The world thinks that the deodorizing brand is spelled “Febreeze.” And why wouldn’t it be? It should be, but the brand is actually Febreze: two e’s, not three. 

We’ll keep it short here: there’s no hyphen in Kit Kat. You might’ve thought that there is, but there isn’t. 

This example of the Mandela Effect might be the most maddening. The first word of the famed cereal isn’t spelled “Fruit.” The brand is called Froot Loops. Yes, it is strange, and no, you shouldn’t feel bad for falling victim to the Mandela Effect here. 

If Froot Loops doesn’t drive you crazy, perhaps Cap’n Crunch will. The first word isn’t spelled “Captain,” despite what all laws in existence would tell you. The cereal is Cap’n Crunch. 

Not all cereals have purposely misspelled names that have divided the public. Some of them just have mascots whose nose colors have come into question. Tony the Tiger, the mascot of Frosted Flakes, has a blue nose, but many people would swear it’s black. 

This one has been debated ad nauseam on the internet. According to Fruit of the Loom, their logo has never included a cornucopia, despite what literally every other person on the planet remembers. 

The woman in the iconic Leonardo da Vinci portrait famously barely has a smile, but many people have strangely come to believe that the painting used to feature her with a more prominent smile. But no, Mona Lisa has always looked that … unaffected. 

There’s one actual Cinderella’s Castle — the one in Walt Disney World in Florida. But many people are convinced there are two — another one in Disneyland in California. But the castle in California belongs to Sleeping Beauty.