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37 Lies, Myths and Untruths You’ve Been Force Fed Like a Foie Gras Goose

A little fact-to-myth sleight of hand from our fact-checker magicians

37 Lies, Myths and Untruths You’ve Been Force Fed Like a Foie Gras Goose

October 08, 2024

Well, look who came crawling back!

You “just knew” that these were all factual yesterday, didn’t you? You came in here cockily spouting a few “facts” that you’ve believed your entire life, and didn’t take our suggestion of a fact-check seriously. Nor did you count on the fact that we have some of the best fact-checkers in the game. How did it feel to wake up to this list? Knowing that your precious facts have somehow magically transformed into myths must be eating you up inside.

We’ll just leave this list here as a reminder to you and any other gullible believers out there.

Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox.

37

Busted Myths!

MYTH: conception HAPPenS WHEN you HAve sex. FACT: IT COULD HAPPen A week LATER. Sperm survive longer than a week in the reproductive tract. If you hav

36

MYTH8 ABSINTHE MAkes YoU TRIP BALLS. FAGT8 ABSINTHE IS STRONG, BUT IT DoESN'T Make YOU HALLUCINATE. The potentially toxic/hallucinogenic thujone that

35

MYTH: PUBERTY GIVES BOYS WET DREAMS AND GIRLS PeRIODS. FACT: women GeT sex DREAMS AS OFTen AS men. Plus, wet dreams in general aren't as common as you might think. Many men never have them. They're really in no way analogous to menstruation. Sex ed just links them because it's convenient for teaching. CRACKED.COM — Sex Myths You've Probably Believed Your Entire Life

34

CRACKED.COM MYTH: Human traffickers are almost always men. REALITY: Female traffickers make up a large part of all human traffickers. 37% of traffickers are female, which is a pretty large share when compared to other crimes. Female traffickers mostly target women and children, because there's more trust there. Females are also often used to recruit other female traffickers. — Source

33

MYTH: SHAVING OFF HAIR MAKES IT GROW BACK DARKER AND COARSER. FACT: SHAVING Doesn'T CHANGE HAIR TEXTURE. Facial and body hair is slightly tapered at the end. When you shave it, you're chopping it mid-strand and giving it a blunt tip. That tip might feel coarse or rough for a little while as your hair grows out. But even though the hair might be more noticeable and look darker or thicker, it isn't. CRACKED.COM http://www. mayoclinic org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/hair-removal/faq-20058427 — Source

32

CRACKED MARIE ANTOINETTE SAYING LET THEM EAT CAKE Marie Antoinette supposedly said this when she heard peasants were very hungry. But it's likely that something like this phrase was actually said by Maria Theresa, the Spanish princess who married Louis XIV a century before Marie Antoinette's time. — Source

31

Beef myths THE McCOYS The Hatfield-McCoy feud is often remembered as a story of two families fighting each other, but it's really about how Eastern capitalists caused a lot of upheaval in the region and affected the lives of the people living there. THE HATFIELDS CRACKED — Source

30

MYTH: A PeRSon IS eITHeR LeFT- OR RIGHT-BRAINED. FACT: YOUR BRAIN ISN'T DIVIDED UP THAT WAY. The myth that right-brained people are creative and artistic and left-brained people are logical and mathematical is so pervasive that teachers are instructed to balance the brained-ness of their teachings. The brain does indeed have some specialized structures, but the idea that they cluster on opposite sides of the brain like rival gangs is ridiculous. CRACKED.COM http://www.livescience.com/655-lefty-myths-mysteries-persist.html — Source

29

MYTH: BREAD GeTS STALE BECAUSE IT DRIES OUT. FACT: STALeness comes FROM TOO MUCH MOISTURE. When bread gets too much moisture, the starches in the bread start to crystallize, making the bread tough and stale. And refrigerating bread won't keep it fresher. Low temperatures actually speed up the crystallization process. CRACKED.COM https://kitchen-myths. com/2011/11/19/myth-bread-becomes-stale-by-drying-out/ — Source

28

Hollywood Rumors and Myths Did Harrison Ford land Star Wars because he was a handsome carpenter? Ford was offered Han Solo after helping George Lucas audition other actors for the principal parts. Не accepted because it would allow him to pick and choose from the acting jobs that were being offered at the time, as well as giving him money to invest in tools for carpentry. CRACKED — Source

27

Tesla’s genius recognized, even by Edison.

Beef myths NIKOLA TESLA Tesla's accomplishments were quickly acknowledged, and he was even given the Edison Medal in 1917. This was a big deal, since Edison was on the committee that gave out the award and could have stopped it from happening. THOMAS ALVA EDISON CRACKED — Napoleon Sarony/Wiki Commons,
Louis Bachrach/Wiki Commons
OpenMind

26

Friendship over Fisher?

Beef myths ELIZABETH TAYLOR Reynolds and Taylor's friendship was not ruined by Taylor's marriage to Eddie Fisher. They managed to patch things up, and Reynolds said that her friendship with Taylor was more important than Fisher. DEBBIE REYNOLDS CRACKED — Dr. Macro/Wiki Commons,
Bob Beerman and Beer Parry/Wiki Commons
Showbiz CheatSheet

25

Hollywood Rumors and Myths EMERGEN Did Heath Ledger DENT improvise the hospital explosion scene in The Dark Knight? While Ledger's improvisational skills have been widely praised, the scene was actually planned and rehearsed. Special effects supervisor Chris Corbould worked with Nolan to come up with a scenario that would allow for the destruction of the building while keeping Ledger safe. CRACKED — Source

24

Rivalry, drama, and a few liberties taken: ’Hamilton.’

Beef myths AARON BURR The election of 1800 didn't cause the Hamilton-Burr duel, but it was due to Hamilton's supposed bad-mouthing of Burr when Burr was running for governor of New York in 1804. ALEXANDER HAMILTON CRACKED — John Vanderlyn/Wiki Commons,
John Trumbull/Wiki Commons
PolitiFact

23

THOR'S HAMMER In Marvel's comics and movies: Mjolnir is a big hammer with a long handle. OUT In Norse myths: Mjolnir's handle is a bit too short, as a result of Loki's sabotage of the dwarves' work. — Source

22

There's an urban legend that if you look closely, you can see a Munchkin hanging themselves during one scene in 'The Wizard of Oz.'

Hollywood Rumors and Myths Did an actor hang himself on the set of The Wizard of Oz? There's an urban legend that if you look closely, you can see a Munchkin hanging themself during one scene. However, this myth is most likely just a combination of poor resolution and people seeing what they want to see. CRACKED — MGM
Little White Lines

21

Fingerprinting Myths

CRACKED.COM MYTH: Found fingerprints at the crime scene? Bingo! REALITY: There are no true consensus as to how and if fingerprint forensics really work. The precision and methodologies of fingerprint forensics have been questioned and opposed by a lot of experts (even entire countries). The claim that no two fingerprints are identical has still not been proven, but the error rate has. Point is that it's not an exact science, and shouldn't be believed to be. — Source: 14 Myths About Crime We Believe (Thanks To Pop Culture)

20

CRACKED SPARTANS AS ANCIENT SUPER-SOLDIERS. It's a common misconception that Spartans were the best warriors in ancient Greece. In fact, there's no proof that they were particularly good at fighting in the Archaic period. Their fame mainly comes from their victory at the Battle of Thermopylae. — Source

19

Salem Witch Trials

CRACKED BURNING AT THE STAKE AT THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS People often think that witches were burned at the stake during the Salem Witch Trials, but that's not true. In reality, 19 of the accused were hanged and one was pressed to death with heavy stones. — History / Britannica

18

Brain usage: 100%, not 10%.

You use 10% of your brain. It's a common misconception that we only use 10% of our brains. In reality, research has shown that we use almost all of our brain, and that most of it is active most of the time. CRACKED — sutadimages/Shutterstock
Scientific American

17

There's a 123456789 misconception that stairs are safe and elevators are death traps. Yes, taking the stairs is healthier, but it's not safer. Number of deaths per year in U.S. elevator accidents: 27 Number of deaths per year, for stairs: 1600 CRACKED.COM — Source

16

CRACKED VIBRATORS AS TREATMENT FOR HYSTERIA It's a common misconception that Victorian doctors used vibrators to treat female hysteria, but there's no proof that this was ever a regular medical practice at all. — Source

15

... TELL US NOW. MENTAL HEALTH NURSES CHALLENGE YOUR MISCONCEPTIONS. People with mental health issues aren't what's portrayed in movies,' says Debra M. People diagnosed with schizophrenia are funny, sweet human beings that are held hostage by this disease. CRACKED.COM — Source

14

CRACKED You-had- -to-be- borna knight. It's a common misconception that knights were born into their title. In reality, knighthood was a privilege that was earned through brave acts or service, and could even be bought or granted as a reward. — Source

13

Harmful bacteria can survive being frozen. CRACKED COM Common misconceptions are that ice is too cold to harbor bacteria, but bac- teria that can cause seri- ous harm to humans are able to survive the freez- ing process. — Source

12

Vikings

CRACKED ALL VIKINGS WORE HORNED HELMETS Actuallys the misconception came from a painter who had drawn the Vikings with horned helmets. He was inspir

11

T. Rex Could See For Miles & Miles RASSI CRACKED.COM In Jurassic Park, when T. Rex escaped from his cage, Dr. Alan Grant told everyone to be completely still because the T. Rex's vision was based on movement. If Jurassic Park had been real, this misconception would've gotten everyone killed. In fact, these king dinos had binocular vision which allowed them to see three-dimensional objects with incredible clarity, even if they're motionless or camouflaged. — Source

10

THe STEREOTYPE... GOSSIP IS A WOMAN'S GAME. BUT in REALITY... MEN CAN'T RESIST IT AT ALL. When men and women hear a juicy secret, many men will share it with someone almost immediately after learning about it. Polled women, on the other hand, keep it to themselves for at least three and a half hours. CRACKED.COM — Source

9

THE STEREOTYPE... BODY DISORDERS? THAT'S A WOMAN THING. BUT in REALITY... THEY'RE JUST AS COMMON IN MEN. The difference is that in men, it usually means scarfing protein rather than bingeing and purging. But even if we're just talking about bulimia and anorexia, a quarter of sufferers are men. CRACKED.COM — Source

8

Gain muscle, not bulk – lift weights.

Get toned, not bulky: Weight lifting can reduce body fat. CRACKED COM Weight lifting is often misunderstood to lead to a bulky physique, but in reality it is body fat accumulation that causes this look. Lifting heavy weights can actually help to reduce body fat percentage and create a good physique. — Therapeutic Associates / Muscle and Fitness

7

Austin Powers

THE STEREOTYPE ... BRITISH TEETH ARE TERRIBLE. BUT in REALITY ... BRITS HAVE THE BEST TEETH IN THE WORLD. The British aren't that into bbraces, so you — For details, read The 5 Most Statistically Full of Sh!t National Stereotypes

6

THE STEREOTYPE... BLUE IS FOR BOYS! PINK IS FOR GIRLS! BUT in REALITY... THOSE USED TO RUN THE OPPOSITE WAY. A 1918 editorial from Earnshaw's Infants' Department said pink was a more decided and stronger color ... more suitable for the boy; while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl. CRACKED.COM — Source

5

THE STEREOTYPE... MEN ARE PLAYERS, WOMEN ARE PRUDES. BUT in REALITY... SOME PEOPLE JUST LIE. Research says women underreport their sexual activity. Hook them up to a lie detector, and they suddenly claim to have had more sexual partners than even men do. CRACKED.COM — Source

4

The Dumb Blonde Stereotype

THE STEREOTYPE ... BLONDES ARE DUMB. BUT In REALITY ... THAT'S A MYTH ... INVENTED BY SUFFRAGETTES. A specific troupe of blonde burlesque performers m — For details, read 6 Terrible Stereotypes (That Came From Positive Things)

3

THe STEREOTYPE... RUSSIANS ARE THE WORLD'S DRINKERS. СЛАВЯНСКАЯ - УКААССИЧЕСКАЯ и Русский ПУТИНИ НАСТО СТАНДАРТ - INS КЕДРОВАЯ Boyka IT THE FREE self BE PUTINK - VIDRA BAAA ВОДКА WITH MAR UNA ОСОБАН mame BUT in REALITY... THEY DRINK THE SAME AS AMERICANS. The average Russian drinks 2.77 gallons a year, not much more than the average American's 2.42. In fact, it puts Russia at number 23 on the list of countries ranked by alcohol consumption. CRACKED.COM — Source

2

THE STEREOTYPE ... WOMEN ARE BAD AT MATH. MEMORY A FC sinx ax a 3+6 me? Ls 4 BUT in REALITY ... EVEN THOUGH GIRLS AREN'T? You don't see that many wome — For details, read 6 Things Everyone Knows About Women (That Aren't True)

1

Europe isn't as socially liberal as you think. People seem to think Europe is some kind of liberal haven, but in reality it's not much different than

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