Do you believe in the Mandela Effect?
Editor’s Note: The following is an opinion-editorial.
Over the past few months, talk about the “Mandela Effect” has been spreading like wildfire through the internet. While some dismiss it, many take this conspiracy theory very seriously.
The Mandela Effect is the idea that each time humanity enters a new universe, some small details are not always brought over exactly as before.
It all started when famous politician Nelson Mandela died. A group of people remember Nelson Mandela passing away in the 1980s while he was in prison. These people even found article and newspaper titles that prove this fact. But, in 2013, breaking news spread that Nelson Mandela had just died. This caused confusion and concern amongst all social media. Following this event, people started noticing small changes in their everyday lives. Some popular conspiracies include different spellings of titles, miscalculation in dates, and misheard lines from movies.
Senior Daniela Vargas, and thousands of others claim that the old children’s book series and animated TV show “The Berenstain Bears” used to be called “The Berenstein Bears.”
Daniela said, “That was one of my favorite shows growing up and I remember calling it the Berenstein Bears! Even my mom says she remembers it that way.”
All over Twitter, people have been arguing this theory. With this conspiracy and others swirling around social media, people have gone to assume almost anything to prove their memory is correct.
Another conspiracy having to do with the Mandela Effect is how a popular fast food chain, Chick-Fil-A, has also been altered over time. People strongly believe that the restaurant used to be spelt like “Chic-Fil-A.” After hearing my peers and the internet argue over this, I decided to take a drive to Chick-Fil-A in the Garden State Mall. I asked an anonymous employee working the cash register about this theory and he stated that this was not the first time someone has asked about this. He continued to explain that he doesn’t believe in alternate universes or any of that “fiction stuff” as he handed me my chicken sandwich.
Conflictingly, popular Youtuber, Shane Dawson has a series of videos proving the Mandela Effect isn’t just another fake conspiracy theory. He claims that as a kid he remembers always asking his mom why the “Chick” in “Chic-Fil-A” was spelled wrong.
Lastly, a theory that personally freaks me out the most is that the board game Monopoly used to look a little different. The main Monopoly character on the front of the box is remembered to have a monocle over his eye. Evidence of old Halloween costumes with the monocle as an accessory has greatly fueled this debate.
Conspiracy theory enthusiast and Senior, Lauren Zablo exclaimed, “One hundred percent the monocle was there. And now it’s not? It was there! I actually used to always wonder what it was called when I was younger”.
Another senior, Kristen Lerch, said, “Doesn’t he have a mustache and a monocle?” While some people swear they disagree, it’s hard to deny the proof of peoples shared memories.
The Mandela Effect continues to shock people all around the world and at Pascack Hills. Social media is able to not only broadcast all of these theories, but bring people together in proving these speculations true. So, what do you remember?
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