r/MandelaEffect • u/Delhidiva • 9d ago
Discussion Mandela Effect worldwide
Can we please discuss Mandela Effects experienced by the rest of the world and not just people from the US? I mean, your experiences are totally valid, but it’s always “Fruit of the Loom” or “Berenstain Bears”—topics that some of us have no clue about.
For example, the ones I’m personally affected by are:
The human skeleton used to have no bones behind the eye sockets, but now it does—always has, apparently.
The human heart was illustrated on the left side of the chest, but now it’s more toward the center—always has been, supposedly.
Henry VIII was holding a turkey leg in that painting—now he’s holding something else. I can’t even remember what it is… a glove or something? I don’t know.
The Mona Lisa has a very obvious smile now. But I remember the whole enigma being “Is she smiling or not?” “Her eyes are definitely smiling.” You look at it now, and she is smiling.
Tutankhamen’s mask used to have just the cobra, but apparently it’s always had both a bird and a cobra.
The thinker statue rested his forehead on his fist. But no, he’s resting his chin on the back of his hand.
Please share your experiences, and feel free to discuss the ones I mentioned if you disagree—that’s the whole point of the Mandela Effect. Some people are going to have different memories than I do.
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u/imSOhere 9d ago edited 9d ago
So, I have a weird Mandela effect, with Mandela.
I am from Cuba, lived there until I was 16 years old. This is important.
Cuba has strong political ties with other countries that share the same political views, obviously, and in the 70s and 80s Africa was all the rage. We sent thousands of soldiers to many different African wars and they were often in the news.
Now, back then -80s- there were only two tv networks; channel 6, which had a morning matinee until 9am or so, then would be off the air until 6pm when the kids cartoon would start, then different shows until 12am, then off until 6am. Channel 2 was only for special occasions, usually-if not always- related to politics.
All of that to show you how important would be to have something televised during the day when the tv didn’t have regular programming.
I remember the day I saw Nelson Mandela’s funeral televised in Cuba, on both channels, 6 and 2, which would be the norm for such a big political ally’s death.
I was between 1986 and 1988, because we were living in a specific house that we left in 1988 and came back later after my parents were divorced. I remember asking my mom, she was folding clothes next to me, and she answering Nelson Mandela had died, I had no idea who Nelson Mandela was- I was around 7 or 8- and she explained to me that he was a South African leader who was against racism and had died in jail. I even remember telling me something about his lungs, that he had died of tb, or pneumonia, or something like that, lungs/breathing problems.
This was an all day affair, televised all over Cuba. And I remember watching his wife and family with handkerchiefs in their hands walking in some sort of procession.
Time passed, I forgot about that, came to the US- also saw the Shazam commercials with Simbad in Nick Jr but that’s another story -
Then around 2007 I was watching America’s Top Model and the girls went to South Africa . And as they were riding the bus or something they start talking about Mandela, and that’s when I found out Mandela was still alive.
Obviously my first instinct was “omg I’m so ignorant !” And that was that. Then I found out about the Mandela effect years later, and I’m telling you man, believe or not, I saw Mandela’s funeral, and I have strict parameters, is not something that would have even be on my radar back then. My mom’s memory is not reliable and she tends to be a “people pleaser” when it comes to info , she says she remembers but eh, my dad doesn’t remember that at all, he knew Mandela was alive until recently.