We are all familiar with the concept of The Mandela Effect, and more than a few of us have fallen victim to it. The site Simply Psychology defines this phenomenon as "a popular and heavily debated type of false memory. It refers to the situation in which many people thought that an event occurred when it did not."
Common examples include the false recollection that The Berenstain Bears were actually The Berenstein Bears and that Oscar Mayer was spelled as "Meyer", the Star Wars quote "Luke, I am your father", or the famous "mirror, mirror, on the wall" quote. Perhaps the most famous of all, however, is about a collective memory we have about a film that NEVER EXISTED.
How does this movie not exist because I’m positive I suffered through it when I was a kid. Mandela effect is real. Who else remembers the Shazaam movie? https://t.co/UwI9KQoIhM
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) November 29, 2023
The origin of this term and the phenomenon it describes began back in 2009 when a woman named Fiona Broome attended a conference and was talking to other attendees about the death of Nelson Mandela in the 1980's while in a South African prison.
The only problem is that Mandela did not die in prison in the 1980's. He died in his home in 2013. Nevertheless, she and others had very distinct and clear memories of news coverage following his "death", and even a speech given by his widow.
Like this false memory about Nelson Mandela, there never was a movie called "Shazaam!" where Sinbad portrayed a magic genie. This has come as a shock in social media circles, once again, and it never stops being funny.
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I saw it with my own two eyes. What the heck?
— Dr. Jebra Faushay (@JebraFaushay) November 29, 2023
I ALSO saw Kazaam and it felt like a total ripoff of Shazaam.
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) November 29, 2023
We totally remember the movie with Shaquille O'Neal, too!
Bruh, wth.
— Lamassu Liberty 🇺🇸🗽 (@LamassuLiberty) November 29, 2023
This movie definitely exists.
And all those saying it was Shaq’s Kazam, both exist! I have seen both.
RIGHT??
I know 1,000% it EXISTS, and have watched it several times…😳🫣
— Trevor Thacker (@trethack24) November 29, 2023
This is MIND CONTROL, from Big Brother folks…🤷🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️
This is tripping me out. That movie is the only reason I knew who Sinbad was as a kid.
— Willy Kennon (@WillyKennon) November 29, 2023
Movie is real, this was all a mass experiment in gaslighting. I'm not kidding.
— Joseph Schuster (@internofdoom) November 29, 2023
It's time for the tin foil hats, folks. This is not a drill. We repeat, this is NOT a drill!
Not everyone has succumbed to this phenomenon, though. Plenty of naysayers can be found on X.
I did and it was not by Sinbad https://t.co/L6XckoDK2y pic.twitter.com/33fE6M2tAb
— seabass067 🇵🇷🇺🇸 (@seabass7006) November 29, 2023
you saw kazaam with shaq
— joefis (@joefis) November 29, 2023
Is this what you’re thinking of? pic.twitter.com/XReVOmdSq6
— Andy - 🚫 Digital ID 🚫 Digital Currency (@nowoolovreyz) November 29, 2023
Some explanations of this effect require a functional knowledge of quantum physics and string theory, which we obviously won't get into here, but it's a fascinating rabbit hole if you're so inclined.
Where do you stand? Do you share these memories?
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