Everybody loves an underdog, it's impossible not to right? Those are the kinds of stories professional sports are made for.
Here are 21 inspiring stories of players that picked themselves back up and teams that came from behind for the win. Enjoy! And make sure to check out the sources for more.
From second-string to the Super Bowl
GiphyIt's hard to think of Tom Brady as an underdog these days, but indeed there was a time when he only a lowly backup for Drew Bledscoe. No one thought hed have much of a career. Lightly regarded as the 199th overall pick for the NFL draft and hed only thrown three passes the previous season. However, he was finally forced into the game when the starting quarterback was targeted for a vicious hit by Jets linebacker Mo Lewis.
Despite the lack of confidence, when Brady took the field he played so well that coach Bill Belichick decided to have Bledscoe on the bench. That season, Brady would go on to lead the team through the playoffs into the Super Bowl against the St. Louis Rams. One of the best offensive teams in the league, the Rams were the easy favourite with an offense so powerful it was nicknamed "The Greatest Show on Turf. But the Patriots managed to pull off a stunning victory with Adam Vinatieris 48-yard game-winning field goal.
Not a blind side.
GiphyUnlike some of the people on this list, Michael Oher wasn't an underdog by the time he hit the professional leagues. Instead, he spent his whole life leading up to the start of his career playing Offensive Line for Ole Miss. You might remember his story from the 2009 film, The Blind Side.
Oher grew up in a troubled home that was plagued with drug addiction and run ins with the law. He bounced from home to home until he was eventually fostered by the Tuohy family. With the help of their loving home, Oher progressed at school well enough to put his massive 64 frame to use as a guard and left tackle for the famous Mississippi Rebels.
A standout player, he was the 23rd pick for the 2009 NFL draft and began his professional career with the Baltimore Ravens. He won his first Super Bowl ring in 2010.
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Leicester strikes twice
Like what the Chicago Cubs famous losing streak was to the MLB, Leicester City had experienced 132 years of ineptitude in the English Premier League. The league notoriously has no salary caps, and as a result the title almost always goes to the team that can field the most cash.
Not a rich team, the Foxes football club entered the 2015-2016 season with 5000-1 odds to win the league crown stacked against them. For scale, the odds of being struck by lightening in your life is roughly 3000-1.
But it happened anyway. At a season record of 22-11-3, the Foxes just needed a loss or draw from the Tottenham Hotspurs to finally secure the EPL title. A 2-2 draw against Chelsea they received, and there was much rejoicing.
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Can't Holm me down
GiphyRonda "Rowdy" Rousey was coming into her 2015 match against Holly Holm on a hot streak. She had demolished her last three opponents, winning the fights in 34, 16 and 14 seconds each. She was the easy favourite to defend her UFC Bantamweight title.
But Holm wasn't concerned, because she knew that she had a secret weapon against Rousey. Rondas grapples were legendary, but Holm could sneakily beat her by using her boxing speciality to neutralize her grabs and deliver a brutal knock out kick in the second round.
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Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
Tennis player Goran Ivanisevic was once ranked No. 2 in the world and a three time runner up at Wimbledon. However, he'd never once captured the title. Not only that, but a debilitating shoulder injury put him out for the 2000 season and dropped his rank down to No. 125. He was a wild card in 2001 for sure, but definitely not a favourite.
Ivanisevic battled his way through some of the of toughest opponents in the tennis world to claim the Slam, and now coaches fellow Croatian superstar Marin Cilic to greatness in the U.S. Open.
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The wild bunch.
GiphyWimbledon FC was more famous for their behaviour then their skill during the 1980s. Nicknamed The Crazy Gang, they had a reputation for being unsophisticated and unruly. Words that are usually reserved for soccer fans rather than players.
However, despite their reputation Wimbledon still played hard, and proved to the league they were worth the chance at the oldest football tournament in the world, the FA Cup. Facing off against the more classic Liverpool team in 1988, their outlandish behaviour didn't mean they couldn't outplay them on the field for the win.
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Watch the throne
GiphyNo king rules forever, and Mike Tyson was finally dethroned from his plethora of titles after his fight with Buster Douglas in 1990. With 42-1 odds against him, Douglas became a world-class champion and a household name when he delivered the knockout to Iron Mike.
It was the first fight Tyson had lost in a long series of consecutive matches and cost him his WBA/WBC/IBF and lineal heavyweight championship titles.
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Started from the bottom, now we're here
GiphyIn a feat that hasn't since been repeated, the massively favoured No. 1 seed in the 1998 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament was defeated by the lowly 16th seed. The Stanford Cardinals were on 59 game winning warpath when they faced off against the Harvard Crimson.
The game was coming down to the wire on free throws, and in the last seconds of the game an intense back and forth down both sides of the court resulted in a victory for Harvard. Co-captain Allison Feaster was responsible for some of the most memorable plays, including a record sprint and leap to shut down a potentially game losing lay-up.
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A miracle in the making
GiphyThe 1969 New York Mets weren't nicknamed the Miracle Mets without good reason. When they started the season, pretty much nobody expected them to do much never mind win the World Series. However, when the end of the season came around they had an astonishing 100-62 record and destroyed the massively favoured Baltimore Orioles in a 4-1 series.
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No bark, all bite
GiphyThe Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team entered the 2008 NCAA tournament with a relatively unimpressive 37-27 record. They were lucky to have made the tournament, only eligible because of their victory in the WAC Conference.
But sometimes a shot at the title is all you need, and the Bulldogs punched above their weight against teams like the Arizona State and North Carolina. The dogfight came to a head against the Georgia Bulldogs in the championship game. Fresno State became the first fourth seed ever to take him the title, outscoring Georgia 31-18.
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One for the glory
GiphyThe 1966 Texas Western Miners were underdogs many more ways that just the basketball court. They were the first team to use an all Black line-up, something that was unheard of at the time and earned the ire of management and fans.
But coach Don Haskins had faith in his players, and that season the Miners took the NCAA title from the Kentucky Wildcats. Finishing the season with a 28-1 record, they triumphed handily against their rivals and doubters. In 2007 the team was inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as well as inspiring the book and film Glory Road.
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The devil is in the details.
GiphyDespite their almost losing record of 22-18-8, the 1994-1995 New Jersey Devils managed to make the playoffs as the fifth seas. The road to the Stanley Cup would be an extremely difficult one, facing teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers who featured star players like lead scorer Jaromir Jagr and MVP Eric Lindros.
But the Devils made it to the final round against the dominating Red Wings anyway. The resulting 4-0 series sweep was totally unprecedented, and it was the first Stanley Cup for the Devils.
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The Greatest Show on Turf
GiphyQuarterback Kurt Warner was the kind of player that just wasn't being given the shot he needed to prove himself. Playing football at Northern Iowa, Warner didn't get a chance to hit the field until his senior season. He quickly proved his talent, but it still wasn't enough to earn him a place in the 1994 NFL draft.
So instead he went to the Arena Football League, playing from 95-97. He was finally going to be given a chance in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams, but instead they shipped him off to NFL Europe to play for the Amsterdam Admirals. He was more than impressive overseas, and when Trent Green was knocked out during the 1999 preseason he went from backup to starting QB with St. Louis.
With Warner at the centre the Rams had a record breaking offence nicknamed The Greatest Show on Turf. Winning the Super Bowl in his first year, Warner threw for 4,353 yards and 41 touchdowns that season alone.
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No glass slipper
GiphyJames "Cinderella Man" Braddock has the kind of gumshoe rags to riches tale that only boxing can produce. He became a professional boxer early in his life, but struggled to win matches [despite his iron chin and wicked counterpunch]. Things took a turn for the worse when the Great Depression hit and Braddock was forced to and was forced to find a different way to support his family when the Great Depression hit.
But he loved boxing, and after a year away from the sport he was finally given another chance to fight. At that time, Braddock was seen as little more than a glorified punching bag, a stepping stone for the real contenders to move past. However he stood his ground and took on all comers, denying them the easy opportunity they thought they had in the bag.
Even when he got a shot at the heavyweight title, reigning champ Max Baer saw Braddock as little more than an easy chance to keep his title. It was probably that attitude that cost him the match. With his iron chin and wicked counterpunch, Braddock won the fight by unanimous decision and was crowned heavyweight champion of the world.
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No messing with the wolf pack
GiphyJimmy Valvano and his NC State Wolfpack etched themselves into NCAA history when they claimed the 1983 Mens title. Fighting in the final four, they were able to beat Georgia 67-60 before facing No. 1 seed Houston in the finals.
The extremely close game came down to a legendary dunk by Lorenzo Charles, just barely beating the buzzer.
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The road warriors.
GiphyWhen the 2005-2006 Edmonton Oilers entered the Western Conference playoffs they were the worst seed with a record of 41-28-13. That meant they would have to go through some of the best teams in the conference, and do it all on the road without the hometown advantage. Something like that would spell death for most teams, but the Oilers actually had a much better road record than they did at home during the regular season.
In the first round against the currently No. 1 Red Wings, the Oilers surprised everyone by winning a 4-2 series. They continued the hot streak, winning four straight games against San Jose and going 4-1 against the Mighty Ducks.
They lost the Stanley Cup to the Carolina Hurricanes after an intense seven game series, but the story of their playoff comeback made them the most memorable part of that years NHL season.
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A beautiful moment in the beautiful game
GiphyDespite the popularity and skill of football across Europe, Greece was always overshadowed by teams like Germany and Spain in the UEFA Euro Cup. So when they entered the cup in 2004 there wasn't much hope for them to be a contender.
In the qualifying stage they lost their first two matches, but kept hanging on anyway and came away with victory in their final six games. The group stage was even harder, but the team prevailed and earned themselves a spot in the quarterfinals facing off against reigning champion France.
Amazingly Greece was able to beat the favourite, and took that energy straight to the top against the Czech Republic and a final 1-0 shut out against Portugal to win the tournament.
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The Miracle on Ice
GiphyThe Miracle on Ice will always remain the top underdog story in the hearts and minds of sports fans. The 1980 USA Mens Olympic hockey team had been playing great so far, but it was made up of amateurs and college stars at best. Meanwhile the Soviet Union team had been playing together for years, one of the most developed teams in the word with luminaries among them like goalie Vladislav Tretiak. So yes, it was exactly like Rocky IV.
The first game in the medal round was settled at 2-2 by the end of the first period. The Soviet coach decided to give Tretiak a break and benched him, a move which is unanimously agreed as the turning point of the game to the Americans favour. They went on the offensive for a 4-3 lead, and with seconds left in the game the Soviets panicked and went wild for the tie. Only barely being stopped by the equally tenacious American offence.
Do you believe in miracles? YES! After the final buzzer rang coach Herb Brooks sprinted to the locker room and cried, joined shortly by his players as they broke out into a chorus of God Bless America. Was this the first event in the collapse of the Soviet Union? Probably.
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No one bites like a bulldog
GiphyA tiny school from Indianapolis defeated the odds two years in a row when the appropriately named Butler Bulldogs went to the NCAA title game back to back. Despite losing to the Duke Blue Devils and UConn Huskies in 2010 and 2011, the tenacity of the Bulldogs proved to the league that the well-funded mega teams couldn't dominate without a fight from the little guy.
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The prodigal baller
GiphyJeremy Lin faced rejection through his entire career, starting with being denied a chance to play college basketball in his home state. He took his skills to Harvard Crimson instead, but continued to remain undrafted until he was reluctantly picked up by the Golden State Warriors. After spending his 2010-2011 season with them, Lin was dropped before the 2011-2012 season even began.
He had another failed shot with the Houston Rockets, but it wasn't until he found his way to the New York Knicks that his career became recognized. With star players injured and the team in despair, they had to look to the bench. Which is where they found Lin.
He took full advantage of his opportunity, outscoring heavyweights like Kobe Bryant in the process. He returned triumphantly to the Rockets to the tune of a multi-million dollar contract.
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Bouncing back with vengeance and a smile
GiphyIt's a prove yourself thing. Thats how outfielder Josh Hamilton describes the roller coaster of a career he's had in the MLB. It started with nothing but promise, the 1999 first pick for the Tampa Bay draft and USA Baseballs pick for amateur of the year. However, Hamilton didn't make his major league debut until 2007.
While he was in the Minor Leagues, he suffered debilitating injuries that kept him from playing the game he loved. Hamilton began hanging out at tattoo parlours and impulsively spent money on ink, later becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol as well. In 2005 he collapsed on his grandmothers doorstep and began the long, painful road to recovery. He got his second chance playing for the Cincinnati Reds, under the condition that he take three drug tests a week. Despite the pressure, Hamilton has developed a jovial attitude towards his past. When a St. Louis fan heckled him by yelling "My name is Josh Hamilton, and Im a drug addict!" Hamilton turned around, raised his palms to the sky and said, Tell me something I don't know, dude!
The entire section laughed and cheered for him for the rest of the game.
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People Share The Biggest Red Flags They Noticed In Their Partner
A Reddit user asked: 'What's your biggest red flag in a partner?'
When going on a first date, we are often on the lookout for "red flags", the key indicators that whoever is sitting across from us couldn't possibly be the love of our life.
More often than not, these red flags, be it something they said or did, are often a firm deal breaker in finding a partner.
Sometimes, however, there might be enough to make you overlook the glaring red flag you just had waved in your face.
And much to your surprise, you might find yourself falling head over heels in love with them, in spite of their one, obvious flaw.
"What's your biggest red flag in a partner?"
The Wisest Admit When They've Made A Mistake...
"Inability to recognize or admit when they've made a mistake."- UniversityEastern542
My Way Or The Highway...
"Using ultimatums to get their way instead of compromising."- Whed1956
And That Concerns Me, Why?...
"No respect for your interests or your time."- ElNakedo·
Bored Over It GIFGiphyIt's Can Be Easy To See Clearly Through The "Gaslight"...
"Manipulation on any level."- xfalinex
"Manipulating, gaslighting, 'winning'."- umbrex
Is It Really So Difficult To Say "I'm Sorry"?...
"Inability to apologize."- theregoesthevillage
Sorry Taylor Swift GIFGiphyHonesty is ALWAYS The Best Policy...
"My biggest red flag in a partner would be their inability to communicate effectively and be honest with me."
"Trust is key."- Proper_Ad5123
What You See Is What You Get
"Wanting to change my style and look."
"First girlfriend wanted me to wear button up shirts, colored my hair brown, and even wanted me to wear brown colored contact lenses."
"Coincidentally these were all features of her cousin who she later married."
"A good partner helps you grow and become the best version of you."
"They don't try to mould you into their own vision."- AdmiralClover
"Someone who wants to change you."- helloiamnat
Alicia Silverstone Makeover GIF by filmeditorGiphyWritten In The Stars
"Blames their sh*tty behaviour on their star sign."
"Yeah, I ain't buying the 'it's because I'm a Scorpio" bullsh*t."- A_Direwolf
...Or Maybe A Scratched Cornea?
"An eyepatch. It's a sign of dangerous living, possibly pirate or rustler but certainly an outlaw."- beathelas
Temper Temper...
"Can't control their anger and/or hits and breaks stuff when angry."- LilleSmurfine
There Is Nothing More Important In Life...
"Your significant other restricting you from hanging out with your friends."- AagamAaghnya
There Is So Much More To Life...
"If their political views are their whole personality."- V1p3rzach
brooklyn nine nine politics GIFGiphyIt's fair enough to have deal breakers when it comes to finding a partner.
Always remember though, first impressions can be misleading.
And love has a way of helping you overlook the imperfections of others.
Some people absolutely love spicy foods.
Spice is also closely related to culture. Some cuisines are well-known for their spiciness, with many of them from tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
Bringing the heat to the heat?
Whereas other cuisines are known for a lack of spice—many being in Europe. Denmark was declared the country which uses the least spices, although a lot of Scandinavia gave them stiff competition.
And the UK?
Why so bland?
As the saying goes, Britain invaded and colonized over half the world for spices, but decided not to use any of them.
Imported spicy dishes are extremely popular in some of these regions—tikka masala and various other curries are takeout favorites in England.
But somehow the spices they enjoy from Asian foods, African foods or foods of the Western Hemisphere were never incorporated into their own traditional recipes.
This is interesting given chilies originated in the Western Hemisphere—along with other European staples like potatoes and tomatoes—then spread around the world and into multiple cuisines within only the last 500-600 years.
Maybe those regions have more people on average who can't tolerate spicy foods? Because for some people even a speck of chilies is excruciating.
Reddit user corgiman3000 asked:
"What's the lowest spice tolerance you've seen in someone?"
Was it at least whole wheat?
"My brother-in-law complained dinner was too spicy and, upon questioning, it was because he'd seen me dredge the chicken in flour before frying it."
"Flour."
"Flour was too spicy for him."
- purplhouse
Ketchup's the limit.
"Mom can’t eat anything spicier than ketchup. I grew up on very very bland food"
- -Firestar-
"Same, discovering spice changed it all"
- SculptedSoul
"I'm certainly making up for it. Indian, Thai, whatever I can get my hands on. Anything with super flavor. And heat. Husband taught me how to eat spicy food and now I'm a heat fiend and must make up for lost time before I get too old to enjoy true spicy."
- -Firestar-
Phantom Garlic
"My dad tastes garlic in everything, even if it doesn’t have garlic in it."
"An example: I offered some of my macaroni salad to him. He takes a bite. 'I can’t eat this, it’s too garlicky.' No garlic."
- Old_Army90
"I once cooked for a couple of hundred university students who were on a get-to-know-eachother trip. We made a curry with lots of garlic and a little bit of green Thai curry. A kid would have eaten it with no trouble, but one of the students - a grown man - rushed out into the kitchen with tears in his eyes, shouting at us that we were insane."
"He was the type of person who thinks that garlic and black pepper is way to spicy to add to food.
It was a blast"
- KosmonautMikeDexter
Then why go to Nando's?
"Lemon and herb chicken at nandos was too spicy for them, they had to have plain."
- ambigulous_rainbow
"One of my friends did this. I was so dissapointed in him after that. wHat a waste of money"
- cutdownthere
"When Nando’s came out with their new 'Plain-ish' flavour that’s below Lemon and Herb, I was wondering why anyone would order that. I guess I know now…"
-TjMoore
Literal Ranch Dressing
"When I worked at Tim Hortons a guy complained that out ranch dressing was 'too spicy' and it 'burnt his tongue'"
- FunkyKong147
"I wonder if he was just allergic to something in the ranch. I’m always wary of spicy foods bc biting into something that I’m allergic to often results in it tasting spicy. So if idk it’s supposed to be spicy, I get anxious."
"I once bit into a chocolate protein bar that tasted very spicy. It was not spicy, I was simply allergic"
- InsomniacAcademic
Bell Peppers
"I’ve seen someone argue that bell peppers are spicy. Not black pepper. Bell pepper. Which are a kind of sweet pepper with zero Scoville units. They aren’t even tart or acidic."
- TerribleAttitude
"My spouse and I have a bizarre ongoing argument over this. He is always trying to tell me to be careful when I collect seeds from the bell peppers. I'm like, uh, why? Because of the capsaicin, he says. I say, there is none in here."
"We have this conversation over and over. I could literally stick my finger in my eye, that's how zero spicy bell peppers are. Also I'm deathly allergic to capsaicin so I would know as soon as I ate the dang pepper. (We didn't know I was allergic when he started this weird argument.)"
"I don't know why he continues to think there's spicy anything in sweet peppers, and why he will never ever believe me! I guess it keeps marriage...spicy."
- KiloJools
Tartar Sauce
"I CAN ANSWER THIS."
"I was married to this guy for awhile. His parents were VERY spice-adverse. I had never seen anything like it. I only actually visited their home once, because they lived in a state far away from us, and they usually visited us instead."
"My ex-MIL was always going on about how many spices I had in my collection and how unnecessary it was. When I went to their house I found out she had a spice collection of: dehydrated onions, pepper, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. That was literally it. I didn't even see cinnamon."
"Iwent to pick up some fried fish once when we were there. Got the tartar sauce on the side."
"His mother tried the tartar sauce and then said, I sh*t you not, "Oh my, that has some kick to it".
"IT ABSOLUTELY DID NOT. IT WAS F**KING TARTAR SAUCE."
- DoomDamsel
"Hooo boy. If she thinks tartar sauce has a kick she is gonna lose her mind when she learns about mustard."
- Fimpish
Low spice tolerance shouldn't be your whole personality.
"My aunt thinks having a low spice tolerance counts as a personality trait. It's so integral that as a goof my spouse once started to describe a chicken soup they were all having at a diner as 'really peppery' and despite my aunt having already ate like half her bowl suddenly couldn't eat it anymore."
- Ralfarius
Plain avocado
"Had a kid immigrate from Poland to Colorado. We were making guacamole for a school class and he tasted it and immediately said it was too hot."
"It was only avocados at that point, we hadn't added anything else."
"He ended up LOVING spicy food, but we never stopped giving him sh*t for that.... good dude, hope he's doing well for himself."
- DETRITUS_TROLL
Even half is too much
"I bought one of those curry sauces that come in a jar for my father who 'loves a good curry'. Knowing my father, I bought the mild version and used half the sauce recommended, figuring I could pepper my own plate up."
"He tucks in, but sure enough, half way through 'It's nice but maybe we could only use half the jar next time?' I looked him in the eye and said 'I did. Do you want me to maybe just wave the jar over the pan?'"
- joalheagney
Doritos
"Probably me from a long while back. Let's put it this way.. even nacho flavored Doritos used to be hot for me."
"Not anymore at least! Not sure why I used to be so sensitive to spices.. oh well lol."
- WispyCiel
Creative Vengeance
"I grew up mostly in Asia, my mother used to take the British executives who came for meetings who were disrespectful or misogynistic to her to the local places she loved."
"As the only person who spoke Bahasa she’d order the spiciest dishes (which she loved) and watched them sweat and struggle through the meals because losing to her would have humiliated them. They often spent the next day locked in their hotel suites"
- RxDuchess
Raw Onion
"Onions, f**king onions. once went to get lunch with a manager I worked with and we went to quiznos and I ordered a sandwich and got jalapenos on it.
he was like 'whoa you can eat those?'
'...yeah you can't?'
'no, even raw onion is too spicy for me.'"
- BronchialChunk
Do you love, hate or have a mixed reaction to spicy foods?
Or is there another flavor profile you can't tolerate, like sweet or sour?
Let us know in the comments.
When we think of children's movies, we may think of harmless fun.
But that doesn't mean there isn't some seriously messed up content in those films.
Like ever notice at least one parent is almost always dead—or dies!—during every Disney animated film?
Don't even get us started on Old Yeller.
Anyway...
Redditor Inflatabledartboard4 was curious about others' childhood cinematic trauma and asked:
"What is the most f**ked up kids' movie?"
All Dogs Go to Heaven
"Our hero is released from prison, only to be MURDERED by his former boss via vehicular homicide. Then that dog eventually winds up being continuously tortured by demon dogs in Hell."
"The giant demon dog filling the town with blood red smoke at the end is some pretty terrifying imagery."
‐ Diwari
GiphyBrave Little Toaster
"Suicide and abandonment all around."
- SkuzzleJR
"The air conditioner haunted my nightmares."
- Longjumping_Fold_369
"For some reason the part when the vacuum tried to eat its cord really freaked me out as a kid."
- ThoriatedFlash
"There’s a lot of scary stuff in that movie but the flower might be the worst."
"I remember feeling like, despair for the first time as a child seeing that."
- purplefirefly6102
"The blender getting killed onscreen. I first saw Brave Little Toaster when I was around six, but I knew from the atmosphere of that scene what was really going on when you see the shadow of that wire getting cut."
"I was kind of horrified, and the the very next scene is another customer coming in asking for radio tubes and Radio is put on the chopping table but survives at the last second."
- EeSeeZee
GiphyMonster House
"The movie is literally about a man living in a house possessed by his dead wife and the house literally eats living creatures so I'd say that's what f**ked me up as a kid."
- Supa_saint
"Not just that, the dead wife was a circus freak and hated kids because they would always taunt her. So they move into this house and she dies."
"The husband who actually loves kids, now has to keep everyone away from the house or his wife will kill them."
"And then at the end the husband has to kill his wife aka the house."
"Too f**ked up for a kids' movie."
- whskid2005
Coraline
"Coraline scares me so much more as an adult than it ever did when I was a kid."
"I still love the movie and watch it several times a year, but somewhere between childhood and adulthood I got way more scared of dolls and puppets and sh*t, and I don’t actually know why."
"Like nothing happened to make them scarier."
- Writing_Nearby
"I loved Coraline as a kid. I still do!"
"And the books are actual nightmare fuel, but I highly recommend giving them a read because the lore is really interesting and the story is different."
- SimplyAurallz
GiphyPinocchio - Disney animated version
"I'm surprised I was never traumatisedby Disney's Pinocchio as a child, because watching it as an adult, there are moments that are straight up nightmare fuel."
- neohylanmay
"When the boy who is with Pinocchio turns into a donkey, he cries out for his mother. I can’t."
- MLAheading
"Ugh, watched it for the first time with my partner and two kids, during that scene all I could do is look at the two kids and wonder how they were not crying while I was on the brink of tears..."
- NurseJessisStressed
Peter Pan - Disney animated version
"The racism in Disney's animated Peter Pan is pretty f**ked up."
"Princess Tiger Lily and the song 'What Made the Red Man Red?' is just gross if you're an Indigenous kid watching it."
- LakotaGrl
GiphyThe Cat In The Hat
"The Cat in the Hat is something out of a back rooms nightmare in my opinion."
- hbombgomer12
"I literally just watched this, and I’m still questioning if I actually saw a movie, or just tripped out for 2 hours."
- LaMorak1701
The Last Unicorn
"Is The Last Unicorn even a kids movie? It's super scary."
"BTW I loved it as a kid and I still do. The whole Mommy Fortuna part was really dark, though."
- horschdhorschd
"I watched it in the last couple years. I never understood Molly Grue’s meltdown at realizing she was with a unicorn. That scene hit hard as an adult. Missing out on the things you wanted in your youth only for opportunities to come by too late. I cried."
- cats_and_vibrators
"Super scary and way more sexual than I remember from when I was a kid."
- lovemyneighbor
The Last Unicorn Skeleton GIF by MauditGiphyThe Fox And The Hound
"The Fox and the Hound. Still traumatized to this day."
- asayle88
"That move absolutely wrecked me as a child, and I refuse to watch it ever again."
- droopingcactus25
"My best friend and I wept in that movie."
- CraftyRole4567
E.T.
"E.T. The scene where Elliott watches E.T. die is all kinds of traumatizing. Never mind the Christlike resurrection afterward, the damage is still done."
- Brilliant_Tourist400
"The bit where the kids find him in the ditch looking like a piece of fine Italian deli meat.."
"Also the feds in biohazard suits crashing through the kid's house scared the f**k out of me at 7 years old"
- feeb75
"Having your home invaded is terrifying enough....seeing it through the eyes of the kids and the mother screaming 'This is my home!' Sends chills down my spine."
- LaCroixBoy89
Sci-Fi Movie GIF by MANGOTEETHGiphyWhere The Red Fern Grows
"Where the red fern grows. My grade 5 teacher made us read it then watch it. I remember thinking she was an absolute b*tch before the movie. As an adult I’m 100% sure she hated children."
- DesperateFunction179
"My 5th grade teacher made us read the book and watch the movie too. She cried during the end of both."
- BadBackNine
"I read and watched this in 5th grade also. Shudder sobbed through most of it. Added it to my list of things that made me an overly empathetic adult"
- maiden-of-might
Dumbo — Disney animated version
"Dumbo. The animal abuse, neglect, and let's not forget the 'Elephants on Parade' scene when Dumbo gets drunk. Have not been able to watch this movie as an adult."
- ArtisanalMagi
"I have a friend who made the mistake of showing it to a kid she was babysitting overnight. The moment the Baby Mine scene came up the kid was done. I think the night was unsalvageable."
- lowercase_underscore
"I was a really sheltered kid and never picked up on how awful it was. So then I have a kid and I’m like “oooo let’s watch Dumbo!” What in the actual f**k?!? I turned it off. I honestly don’t know if my kid ever watched the rest of it."
- littlescreechyowl
GIF by tomcjbrownGiphyBridge To Terabithia
"One of a few movies that have actually made me cry. I went in expecting some Narnia like thing and I was wrong. I still get mad thinking about that movie"
- KickittoHester
"My mom has still not forgiven me for asking to see it in theatre’s as a kid. We all bawled our eyes out. Same damn thing with Marley and me being shown on Christmas Eve, why did we go and why did they think that was an appropriate release to make people cry 😅"
- Troll101Catz
"I was having a terrible depression a few years ago, and decided to put on and watch a kids film to cheer me up. It couldn't have gone any worse tbf."
- BobbOShea
Watership Down
"This god forsaken movie was literally the source of ALL of my childhood nightmares. Deadass. Grandparents brought it over when I was 4. I was not ready."
"I don't blame them though, they didn't know lol"
- Flaminmallow255
"I've always been fascinated by this because I read the book quite young (I think I was seven or eight) and loved it instantly. I don't recall finding it upsetting at all, and it's remained my favourite novel into adulthood through many rereads (I've obviously come to appreciate the themes more as I've gotten older). The movie, alternatively, while pretty faithful to the book, I've always found pretty unsettling, even though I didn't watch it until I was an adult. I don't want to say it's not an appropriate story for kids, but there's just something about that movie..."
- VictoriaBells
"I saw it in the times before my memories form. Just uttering the title gives me chills."
- Sensitive_Ladder2235
GiphyWhile no one was hoping to traumatize kids with these films—we hope!—there were some really messed up moments described here.
So what's your most f*cked up kids' movie?
GiphyBack before we became self-conscious adults many of us sang our hearts out. But we weren't all singing the greatest hits of Barnie or Disney.
Probably more than a few of us belted out what we heard on the car radio, home stereo or streaming music services our parents or older siblings listened to.
Which led more than a few of us to expand our vocabulary beyond our years.
Reddit user Ok_Way_2341 asked:
"As a child, what’s a song you sang loud and proud, only to find as an adult it’s super inappropriate for a child to be singing?"
His Purple Majesty 👑
"'Gett Off' by Prince. My mother heard me sing '21 positions in a one night stand' and took the disc off me."
"It unfortunately belonged to my older sister."
"Got punished twice in one week."
"I still love that song."
- Cherrianje
Giphy"I was very very very old before I realized what 'Little Red Corvette' was about. Like mid-century old."
- Street_Roof_7915
"She had a pocket full of horses..."
- heatherbyism
"Trojan and some of them used…"
- Ferraenz
"I guess I should've closed my eyes, When you drove me to the place where your horses run free, 'Cause I felt a little ill when I saw all the pictures, Of the jockeys that were there before me."
- heatherbyism
"That line was so confusing to me as a kid."
"Toy plastic horses, maybe?"
- absentbusiness
GiphyMaybe not on that car ride.
"In the car, riding shotgun with my dad driving… 'I’ll make love to you, like you want me tooooo' - Boyz II Men."
- ADrunkenBotanist
"That’s in that weird intersection of 90s R&B that was tender and not necessarily nasty, but still definitely about sex.
"And sometimes, the songs were nasty, but if they were smooth, you could get away with it. 'Freek’n You' by Jodeci and 'Too Close' by Next come to mind."
- bearded_dragon_34
Who was it?
"'It Wasn't Me' by Shaggy"
- AnimeTattooChick1836
"My classmate told me when she was younger she thought it went 'we were both butt-naked, banging on the bathroom door'."
"Seems a little strange that she didn't question the fact that they were naked, but yeah."
- No_Location854
"Oh no, I still thought it was floor."
"But for some reason my innocent little brain legit imagined just two naked people on their knees banging their fists on the actual floor."
"Ahhh simpler times."
- mikehawksux
GiphyMmmm... candy.
"The particular song that mentions 'I'll take you to the candy shop and let you lick my lollipop' left me completely unaware of its underlying meaning back then, as I blissfully enjoyed its melody."
- dimarikl
"That song is 'Candy Shop' by 50 Cent."
- Zcoombs4
We blame Austin Powers.
"'I Touch Myself' by Divinyls"
“I don’t want anybody else. When I think about you I touch myself.”
- Sorry_Rhubarb_7068
"I still remember the day my early 20’s self figured it out, that holy crap! moment."
- MyOldGurpsNameKira
"I figured it out when I was 14."
"To be fair, that’s a major hobby of pretty well all 14-year-old kids."
- dagbrown
Giphy"I forget what year that song came out, but I think I was around 15 when it did. (so about 1990, I guess?) I remember getting what it was about, but thinking I had to be wrong because it'd be 'illegal' for someone to release a song like that, so it must be about something else and I'm just too dumb to understand what it's really about."
"I had this weird idea as a kid that I was only one of the people on the planet who knew what sex was, so I assumed almost everything sexual related was an accident (as in, they didn't mean to make it sound like it's about sex) and it was actually about something else and I was too dumb to understand the true meaning."
"I actually made up a number once of people who knew what sex was and that number was 7. I thought myself + 6 other people on the entire planet knew what sex was."
"I honest to God thought this, by the way. I never stopped and wondered where all these kids came from if only 7 people knew what sex was."
- temalyen
Mini Monster
"My 11 year-old, completely innocent niece: 'let's have some fun, this beat is sick, I wanna take a ride on your disco stick' [from 'Love Game' by Lady Gaga]."
"Me: 'Let's play a different song'."
- 314159265358979326
"Skyrockets in flight" wasn't about NASA?
"Apparently 'Afternoon Delight' [by Starland Vocal Band] wasn’t about getting out of school."
"I did not know that."
- HuellMissMe
Giphy"My mum told me it meant having cake in the afternoon, which made perfect sense to me because that IS delightful."
- HelpfulName
"My aunt told us 'Afternoon Delight' was about going to get ice cream. 🙃"
- Truecrimeauthor
"I thought it was about a picnic!"
- MoonLoony
"I thought it was about a picnic too!"
"In 3rd grade we were each allowed to bring in our favorite record and play it for the class."
"That’s the one I brought."
- _ThisIsOurLifeNow_
GiphyIgnorance is bliss.
"My friend's daughter used to loudly sing Katy Perry 'Peacock'."
"Literally Everyone: 'Ummm...'."
"Friend: 'It's a song about a bird, and you will not say otherwise'."
- domestic_omnom
Got milk?
"'My Humps' - Black Eyed Peas"
"Apparently they were not just talking about milk and Cocoa Puffs."
- happygolucky226
"No, that's that 'Milkshake' song [by Kelis]."
"She makes really good milkshakes, right?"
- CatOfGrey
Giphy"My cousin (4 at the time) loved singing the 'Milkshake' song."
"Then she and her sister were gently told not to sing it so they moved onto 'My Humps'!"
"I couldn’t bear hearing about lovely lady lumps, so I tried to find another song more appropriate."
"They settled on another Peas one 'Shut Up!'."
"Slightly more tolerable I guess, but there was no telling the girls to shut up because they’d just start repeating it back in song at you."
- 3rdslip
GiphyBut Uncle Luke was so subtle...
"'Me So Horny' by 2 Live Crew."
"My Dad once said 'It’s your mom’s favorite song'."
"Thanks Dad."
- Geriatric_Sloth
"When I was a kid, my little brother came into the room singing [from 'We Want Some P***y' by 2 Live Crew] 'Just nibble on my d*ck like a rat does cheese'."
"My mom in outrage said, 'what did you say!'"
"He calmly looked at her and spoke confidently, 'All I said was just nibble on my d*ck like a rat does cheese'."
"He was like 4 or 5 years old, that tape [Is What We Are by 2 Live Crew] was confiscated immediately."
- Tweedbreak
Uncle Luke of 2 Live Crew
GiphyAnd now for something completely different...
"In about 3rd or 4th grade I came home from playing at a friends house…said friend had been singing some weird song that got stuck in my head."
"So I stroll in and take my seat at the dinner table and start singing as loud as I can: 'Sit on my face and tell me that you love me! I’ll sit on your face and tell you that I love you too!!'…my parents damn near choked."
"They couldn’t stop laughing and then told me never ever to sing that again. Luckily they were huge Monty Python fans…nothing I knew about at the time."
- roygbiv_87
*WARNING: NSFW*
Ah, to be young and innocent again.
Did you learn anything new about what a song really means?
Or did you sing something as a child that didn't make the list?
Share your story in the comments.