It's been an exhaustive year of trying to find what to do in quarantine. There have been puzzles galore, Netflix show after Netflix show, and an enormous amount of podcasts listened to on neighborhood walks.
It might be time to start looking at some new hobbies. If you're running out of things to do, interested in trying something new, or just plain bored, this is going to be the list for you.
But what's out there? Well, we went to Reddit to find out what are some hobbies or interests that are actually fairly easy to get into that maybe we haven't though of yet.
Redditor The_Pieces_Fit asked:
"What are some ridiculously easy and interesting hobbies that no one knows about?"
Reddit had some excellent answers, and a lot of these aren't expensive hobbies either. Let's see which one becomes your next creative adventure.
Learning is easy, mastery take practice.
"Guitar. People often think learning an instrument is too hard, but it's mastering an instrument that's difficult. If you're just making it a fun hobby you'd be surprised how easy it is to get into."
"This is what I needed to read actually. I should really dust off the guitar I got 6 months ago and practiced probably 2 times since then."
Sea glass collecting.
"Me and my wife collect sea glass. You literally just walk on the beach and collect pretty, smooth glass. It is wonderful."
"Favourite find was probably an almost perfectly preserved bottle of Iodine from like 1920."
"My grandmother had a large collection of sea glass, I always loved playing with the pieces as a kid."
"If you get a UV light you can find uranium glass easily in the dark."
- pab_guy
For those interested in transit mapping.
"I create fake Metro (subway) maps for fictional cities or cities that actually exist but are lacking in a mass-rail transit system. Sometimes if I'm interested enough in the particular project, I go as far as bus routes, ferry routes, and station designs."
- Frites69
"Have you played the videogame Mini Metro, sounds like its definitely up your alley."
- Floh2802
"You might want to check out www.transitmap.net; it's a cool blog about mass transit map design with some really helpful tutorials and tips on the subject."
- SDFDuck
"Check Nimby Rails, that game is for you!"
The art of folding.
"Origami. The paper is cheap and at its simplest the models are so easy almost anyone can make them but if you want to challenge yourself they can get insanely complex. John Montroll's and Robert J. Lang's books are particularly good for providing a range of models from 'so easy I could fold it with my butt' to 'how the hell is it even possible to do this with a sheet of paper?' I spent so much time with their collaborative Origami Under the Sea book as a kid that my copy was literally falling apart."
"[Ryunkin origami] a incredibly complex origami dragon that's notorious in the community for being ridiculously difficult to fold. It involves a lot of tessellation (a repeated pattern) for the scales that needs meticulous attention to detail, and some stupidly difficult collapses (sometimes in origami, you can't fold certain steps one by one. rather, you need to pre-crease your paper and all the folds sort of happen simultaneously to come together in a certain way. they can be really difficult to manage)."
"I'd strongly encourage you to google 'Ryujin origami'; It'll blow your mind. Remember, what you'll see has been made from a single piece of paper, no cutting or gluing, just folding."
"This is one of the rarer models that does involve glue, but it doesn't in any way detract from how incredulous the endeavor to fold one is."
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Treasure hunting in real life.
"Geocaching: a real world treasure hunt that has players finding and discovering containers placed by other players. All you need is a pen and a smartphone, and you're basically set."
"Wife and I started geocaching a couple of months ago. Wish we would have started decades ago, having a lot of fun and it takes us to places we wouldn't normally go. We're up to 42(!) found and only half a dozen dnf's. Mind you, we tried a 4.5(outa 5) difficulty yesterday and gave up after 20 minutes."
"Highly recommend to anyone but especially young families. Kids love the hunt and it's a great outdoor, binding activity. Our daughter got us started!"
Foraging.
"Mushroom picking."
"Hiking with a purpose. And it's not that tough to get into if you only look for a few very distinctive species."
- xmuskorx
"If you're getting into it solely for finding edibles, then sure, you can put yourself at higher risk. But I find enjoyment out of trying to identify different species. Or variants of the same species. Finding a rainbow of colors in one hike is pretty satisfying. As far as I've read, there's no known species to cause poisoning through skin contact in the US (but always wash one's hands afterward anyhow). Goal of mine is to compile enough good photos of personal finds to print and frame."
Maybe it's not as uncommon as once thought.
"Mushroom picking is definitely not unknown 😂 in Czech republic it's something like a national hobby haha."
Juggling.
"It's really just practice, takes a bit but I'd guess most people can do it to some degree, and at that point is almost like meditation."
"Yeah it's a lot of fun. Got to 7 balls at one point. You can impress people just by learning one or two tricks though."
"I am by no means a good juggler, but during covid I have learned a lot more than just the regular 3 ball cascade that I have known for years."
"In my opinion, balls are the easiest. Not just any balls, but get something with a bit more weight, that are easy to grasp and not very bouncy. (Don't learn with petanque balls, like I did. Almost broke my fingers. :D) Tennis balls are too light and too bouncy. I guess base balls, soft balls or cricket balls would work, or just get some actual juggling balls. Bean bags or hacky sacks (is that the word? Foot bag?) are good alternatives and can be made easily."
"I would not recommend scarves as some one mentioned, or balled up socks. Socks are too light and bouncy. Scarves are of course possible, but that would not translate well to juggling anything else, since they are so light and fly like scarves. ;) Starting with balls makes it easy to move on to other objects that do not spin when thrown. Juggling pins is an other matter all together."
"Also, look for Taylor tries from YouTube. She has some really good basic juggling tutorials."
Making your own chainmail.
"I make chainmail. Think of the shirts of metal rings that medieval knights used to wear."
"Modern mailling can make pretty much anything. There's also tons of different weaves that you can do. Right now, I'm making a scalemail purse for my wife, but I've also made tons of chainmail draw-string bags (dice bags), I've made pieces of art for my kids, and I've also made myself a steel vest."
"All you need to get started is some rings, and 2 pairs of pliers. If you want to start right now, head to your local hardware store, buy some 18 gauge copper wire. Wrap that wire around a circular rod, then cut it the wire so that it creates little rings. You can make copper chainmail by hand because it's so soft."
Disc golfing.
"Disc golfing doesn't get the attention it deserves. Low entry threshold with a high skill ceiling."
"Damn near free, too. Like fifteen bucks for a 3 disc starter pack, cheaper to buy used, and usually zero or five bucks to park at the course."
Foreign coin collecting.
Collecting foreign coins is a hobby that's forgotten nowadays, so maybe it counts as a hobby that no one knows about?
- yaspino
"The extent of it for me is a small tea tin in my closet with a handful of random foreign coins I somehow ended up having, all from places I've never been. Indeed, I tend to forget that I have that tea tin."
When's the last time you just did nothing?
"Chilling on the couch and doing (physically) nothing while going on an adventure in your mind. I love to let my mind wander and have some in depth thoughts about ideas, scenarios, creating "mind" music etc. Its like playing with what your mind is capable of."
- t_o_o_l
"I used to put a record or tape of something instrumental on and make 'movies' to go with the music. Spent a lot of time flaked out on the couch staring at the ceiling doing that as a teen."
If the idea of being alone with your thoughts sounds scary or unpleasant, you're not alone. This Redditor has some first hand advice:
"I couldn't imagine being alone with my thoughts most of my life. It was unbearable sad and dreadful and harmed my self worth. I'm still recovering from this 6+ year long severe depression, but I'm slowly climbing up. There are days where I make a step back or get a hit by truckload of emotions of my past, but that's okay, I'm a recovering human being."
"That being said, I recently discovered that being inside my head can be very entertaining, funny, interesting and wholesome. Not just sad, bitter, angry and anxiety."
"Its hard and it demands a lot of strength, but that's what molds your character and identity with time."
"We can do it :)"
Rock painting.
"Painting rocks is a sweet hobby for people who love being creative, and who like a more quiet way to spend their free time."
"Painting rocks can be done in a variety of ways - from faces, landscapes, shapes, and patterns."
"Just find some nice rocks - river stones work well - to paint some stones in whatever way you like."
If you're looking to get into some painting to make extra cash, you could try restoration.
"I've been restoring old faded lawn ornaments. Gnomes, statues, etc.."
"Same concept, really, acrylic paints...let it all cure then seal with a clear enamel."
"I get about $70 to $100 per, and I've got 2 cowboy statues in the wings that will bring $1500 each."
Magic.
"Learning magic tricks off the internet is so much easier now and its really neat to impress your friends or kids. And most tricks all you need are a deck of cards or some coins!"
"This is an odd one but here me out. Go to www.findagrave.com. This site has over 190 million graves documented by volunteers. Odds are many of your relatives are there. People go to graveyards and take pictures of the grave stone or marker. The inscription on the gravestone is also listed. In addition, people can send a request to find a grave of one of their loved ones that are buried near where you live."
"After my wife passed away from pancreatic cancer I started volunteering my time to go out and do this. For whatever reason, I find it peaceful to walk the graveyards and I especially like going to the really old cemeteries. Its also good exercise! If you are a genealogy buff you should visit this site even if you don't want to actually document anything."
Hobbies that don't cost a lot and allow others to join in are a great way to spend quality time with yourself and your loved ones. We hope this helped you get away from the Netflix specials and endless timeline scrolling and into something you've never tried before.
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People Who Actually Died And Were Revived Share Their Experiences
"Reddit user AlaskaStiletto asked: 'Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?'"
Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.
Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?
But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.
It would be so great to be sure there is something else.
But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.
Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:
"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"
Sensations
Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."
PeachesnPain
Recovery
"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."
"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."
"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."
good_golly99
Take Me Back
"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."
"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."
rayrayrayray
Free
The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."
TooReDTooHigh
This is why I hate surgery.
You just never know.
Shocked
Giphy"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."
Admirable_Buyer6528
The SOB
"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."
"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”
1-cupcake-at-a-time
Colors
"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"
Hannah_LL7
"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"
huntokarrr
The Fog
"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."
"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."
Fluffy-Hotel-5184
Through the Walls
"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."
"She's quite alive and well today."
Hot-Refrigerator6583
Well let's all be happy to be alive.
It seems to be all we have.
People Explain Which Overly Hyped Foods They Just Don't Understand
We all have our favorite foods, food preferences, and even foods that we don't like.
But there are some popular foods out there that just don't make sense. Nonetheless, we keep seeing them advertised, included in movies and TV shows, and of course, our loved ones ordering them while we look on in confusion.
Curious about others' food preferences, Redditor YarnSpectre asked:
"What's one food everyone seems to go crazy for, but you just don't understand the hype?"
So Much Sugar
"Nutella. It’s just okay."
- Former-Finnish-4653
"Way too sweet for me, I’d probably love it with one-fifth of the sugar."
"Unfortunately that's true of a lot of desserts, though. Most would benefit from a cut of at least 25 percent of the sugar."
- Mindful-O-Melancholy
Not-So-Chocolate Cake
"Red velvet cake. I've had ones that were supposed to be excellent but it's just red cake."
- dedmuse22
"Most red velvet cakes are just s**tty vanilla cake with red food coloring. Get one (or make one) the correct way with non-Dutch-processed cocoa powder, buttermilk, and vinegar. It's an incredibly smooth, very different type of chocolate cake."
- whiskeyclone630
Mastery Makes a Difference
"Those multicolored cookie things that everyone was making into cakes or something for a while? Macaroons? Macarons? I don't think I've ever had one that tasted good. They're pretty, but that's it."
- TensionShift9576
"Macarons. I never cared for them either."
"I had one yesterday at a potluck, homemade ones. They were seriously something else, with some sort of butter cream and jelly inside. Never had anything quite like it. Now I wish I had grabbed a few to take home."
"I still won't eat store-bought ones, though."
- Totally-A-Banana
The Wrong Kind of Spice
"Hot Cheetos or Takis. Anything with the artificially colored spicy powder."
- jadziasonrie
"Takis texture is my issue. They’re like semi-stale rolled-up Doritos."
- addvalue2222
The Sugar Cookies of the Midwest
"Those dry-a** Walmart sugar cookies."
- ComiNotub
"They taste like play-dough cookies came to life."
- Significant_Potato29
For Garnish
"I mean, people go crazy in both directions, but cilantro. There’s the whole 'does it taste like soap or not' thing, but it’s usually presented as 'people either think it tastes like soap or they find it amazing.'"
"I am neither. It doesn’t taste like soap to me, but I also don’t love it. Meh."
- Whiteums
"I don't think it tastes like soap, but I do think it tastes weirdly metallic. I don't go out of my way to avoid it in pre-prepared food, but I usually leave it out of things I'm preparing myself."
- caffeinated-tea
Fancy Decor Only
"People like how fondant LOOKS. I refuse to believe a single soul wants to EAT it."
- sorandom21
"It's like eating a candied raincoat."
- BlueShirtGuy
Back for a Limited Time
"Every time it comes back, I’m SUPER excited for the McRib at McDonald's. I bite into one and then… the spongey texture hits me and makes me remember why I don’t need to buy it ever again."
"Then, somehow, McRib season rolls around again two years later, and there I am in line…"
- the_yellow_jello
"I'm convinced this is why they only bring it out every once in a while. Nobody actually likes it, but they wait just long enough for you to forget that it's no good and then hit you with a combo of nostalgia and 'limited time only' FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)."
- FiveAlarmFrancis
A Seasonal Tradition
"Pumpkin spice. It’s fine, but absolutely not anything to make a fuss about."
- AdMaterial9419
"There is a car parts place in a small town I drive through to visit family, and last year on their reader board, they had: 'THEYRE BACK! PUMPKIN SPICE BRAKE PADS.'"
"And now I can never see anything pumpkin spice and not think about it, might have been my favorite reader board sign ever."
- deadcomefebruary
Pure Caffeine Addiction
"Energy drinks like Red Bull or Monster."
- DishIntelligent5645
"I'm an avid Monster drinker, but I totally get it. I'm always trying new and interesting energy drinks I see, but so much of it is just garbage."
"The white Monster tastes like 90s Fresca to me and is the only energy drink I love."
- broniesnstuff
Overly-Complicated Drinks
"Can it be a beverage? Because I kind of hate IPAs but everyone else seems to love them. And I like beer, just not IPAs."
- AngelOvTeOdd
"I have nothing against people who want complex beers. It's just not for me. I want an easy as f**k to drink fizzy yellow beer for when it's hot out. And a nice smooth stout for all other times. When I want more complex flavors, I'll go for wine or scotch."
- I_will_be_me_Arsenal
Just Too Expensive
"What about lobster? I can dig it with drawn butter and I ain’t mad at it. But f**k me if I’m gonna pay $29.99 for a lobster. I’d rather eat shrimp."
- nosaj23e
Questionable Value
"Truffles. I paid $60 this weekend at an Italian restaurant for eight slivers on my pasta shaved in front of me. I barely tasted anything. I don't get the hype."
- heybuddy
Improved Gut Health?
"Kombucha."
- Tiny_Wasabi2476
"Ah, yes, dirty pond water."
- meteorguy
Rich Tastes
"Caviar."
- malYca
"Everyone goes crazy for caviar? Most people seem to dislike it."
"Though admittedly, people who do like it tend to like it a lot."
"That all being said, I really don't like it, either."
- Heathen_Mushroom
When it comes to food, to each their own, but it was interesting to see some undeniable fan favorites like pumpkin spice hit this list.
It just serves as a great reminder for a larger picture idea: Don't be unkind about the things that might bring someone else joy.
Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.
The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.
Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.
Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:
"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"
Redditors didn't see these coming.
Shiver Me Timbers
"I’m always cold now!"
– Telrom_1
"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."
– r7ndom
"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."
– mr_remy
Drawing Concern
"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."
– dee-fondy
"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"
"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."
– LizardofDeath
Unleashing Insults
"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”
"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."
– alanamablamaspama
Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight
"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."
– KeltarCentauri
"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."
– KatMagic1977
"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."
– Jaew96
These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.
Shopping
"I can buy clothes in any store I want."
– WaySavvyD
"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."
– ganache98012
No More Symptoms
"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."
– colleennicole93
Expanding Capabilities
"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."
– Ramblonius
People Change Their Tune
"How much nicer people are to you."
"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"
– LiZZygsu
"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"
"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"
– awholedamngarden
It's gonna take some getting used to.
Bones Everywhere
"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."
– Princess-Pancake-97
"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."
– bekastrange
Knee Pillow
"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."
– snic2030
"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."
– Strongbad23
More Mobility
"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."
"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."
– dma1965
People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.
But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.
That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.
In 2017, I returned to my office after my lunch break to hear my supervisors discussing Tom Petty. This seemed like a random topic to me until one of my supervisors told me Tom Petty had passed away. He was a huge fan of Petty and spent the next hour or so combing through the internet to get more information.
He came back into the room my other supervisor and I were working in and announced that Tom Petty wasn't dead after all. News outlets had jumped the gun to announce his death, but he was actually still alive.
The next day, I came in to find out that Tom Petty was dead; the news may have been premature, but true.
This is a classic example of the rumor being started on the internet. Sometimes, like with the news of Tom Petty's death, the rumor can run wild and appear everywhere. Other times, the rumor can be seen by just a few people and dismissed. However, a lot of times, these rumors turn out to be true.
Redditors know a lot of internet rumors that turned out to be true, and are eager to share.
It all started when Redditor strakerak asked:
"What started out as an internet rumor that ended up being infamously true?"
The King Of Pop
"Michael Jackson writing the music for Sonic 3."
"He actually did, but was never credited on the game because it would breach his contract with his record label."
– -WigglyLine-
"He did the same when he appeared on The Simpsons. He appeared under a pseudonym, and the Producers said it was an impersonator."
"Only years later they confirmed it really was Michael."
"His singing voice was actually done by an impersonator, though."
– given2fly_
The Truth Comes Out
"In 1998, US Men’s National Team captain John Harkes was shockingly cut from the team right before the World Cup. The coach claimed it was because Harkes wouldn’t fit into his new preferred formation, but rumors flew on the early internet that it was actually because he had slept with his teammate Eric Wynalda’s wife. The rumor was so well-known in soccer circles that Harkes expressly denied it in his autobiography the next year."
"Fast forward 12 years to 2010 and Wynalda admits it’s true. The coach then came out and admitted it was why he dropped Harkes, but that he’d planned to keep the secret as long as Wynalda did."
– guyfromsoccer
Video Evidence
"The Tim Burton Hansel and Gretel that aired once on halloween in the 80's."
"I heard for years that it was fake but I knew it was real because my dad recorded everything in the 80s and he recorded that. We let a good friend of ours borrow it and switch it over from VHS to DVD and soon after that it made its way on to the internet , and there it is now. I know it's our copy because the tracking in the beginning is screwed up. Still have the VHS."
– Frozenthickness
"There was a similar story with a Nickelodeon movie called Cry Baby Lane. It was supposed to be so scary that Nickelodeon got complaints and denied its existence for years. Someone uploaded a taped copy to youtube about a decade ago."
– PattiAllen
The Movie Business
"That North Korea hacked Sony Pictures because of The Interview movie."
"I worked in the movie business at the time and the account managers at Sony all basically needed to get new identities as all of their personal information got leaked online."
– OldMastodon5363
"My partner worked on that movie and the production bought all the crew 1 year of an identity theft tracking service."
– CMV_Viremia
Keep Away From The Ears Of Kids
"Some banned episodes or scenes of cartoons."
"For example, I remember there was a Dexter’s Lab cartoon where he clones evil versions of DeDe and himself and they swear like every other word (censored of course), and people debated whether it even existed cause they only aired it like once. Now it’s pretty accessible online."
– Spledidlife
Yes, It's True
"Echelon, a massive electronic espionage system by the US and allies to intercept all electronic messages, especially emails."
"In the mid-nineties it was a topic on conspiracy BBS boards. A lot of people in my bubble at the time (mainly uni students in Europe) were including fake threats to the US in the their email signatures as a way to "protest" and "fill the system with false alarms" (obviously useless)."
"Then, in 1999-2000 came out to be true and a lot of security service agencies from UK and other US allies started to admit they were part of the espionage network."
– latflickr
How The Mighty Fell
"John Edward’s love child."
– ACam574
"A reminder that he was cheating on his wife while she was hospitalized for cancer treatment."
– Fanclock314
Ugh...
"Carrie Fisher's heart attack. Some a**hole who was on the same flight was livetweeting the whole medical emergency and justified it by insisting she was just making sure the family was informed."
– everylastlight
It Actually Happened
"Every year around her birthday there was a rumor that Betty White died. When I heard she died, I scoffed, saying that dumb rumor is back.... then saw it on the news. I was in shock."
– Known-Committee8679
"The fact that Betty died literally right before she turned 100 is such a Betty White way to go out."
– Paganigsegg
Big Actor, Small Roles
"I distinctly remember some rumors about the reason why Bruce Willis was taking so many roles in sh*tty movies before it was announced he has dementia."
– KampferMann
"RedLetterMedia did a deep dive on his recent movie activity to try and work out why exactly he was taking part in basically scam-movies. They noticed he had an earpiece in one of the scenes and joked that the director was feeding him lines. I remember they even disclaimed over the rumours at the time, and possible made a follow-up vid when it was revealed to the public."
– CardinalCreepia
What To Do Next?
"That the writer of LOST were making it up as they went."
"Turned out to be absolutely true."
– homarjr
That last one was kind of obvious!
Do you have any to add? Let us know in the comment below.