Buzz
While the age-old phrase 'the best revenge is living well' may sound appealing, it’s not a belief that resonates with everyone. Regardless of how much wealth you acquire or how many glamorous companions you attract, it pales in comparison to a brilliantly executed act of vengeance. At least, that’s what these 10 individuals likely thought when they decided to take a stand against authority.
10. The Pub Chain Inspired by a Non-Drinking Educator
We've all heard the tale of Albert Einstein's teacher who once declared he would never achieve anything in life. Given how that prediction turned out, one would think educators would avoid such phrases. Yet, one uptight geography teacher from New Zealand apparently missed the memo. Confronted by an unruly teenager, Tim Martin, roughly 50 years ago, he allegedly told him he'd never succeed in business.
Becoming a businessman had always been Martin’s dream, so the harsh words stung deeply. So much so, in fact, that when he opened his first English pub in 1979, he chose to name it after his non-drinking geography teacher. The teacher's name: Mr. Wetherspoon. Today, Wetherspoon pubs stand as the largest chain in the UK, with nearly 900 outlets by 2014, all proudly displaying the words 'a Wetherspoon’s pub.'
9. The Children's Books Written To Insult A Major
Major Hugh Pollock was a man who perhaps ought to have faded from history. A British soldier who was unremarkable, dutiful, and utterly average. However, his legacy took a turn in 1924 when he married Enid Blyton, an emerging children's author.
Enid Blyton, best known for creating *Noddy* and *The Famous Five*, would go on to become one of the most cherished writers of all time. Her books, loved by both children and parents for their optimistic nature and kindness, included a series with a notably darker tone. After her marriage fell apart, Blyton penned the *Mystery* books, with a clear intention to mock Major Pollock.
One biographer notes that P.C. Goon, a recurring character in Blyton’s series, was essentially a thinly disguised mockery of her ex-husband. Throughout the stories, Goon is repeatedly humiliated by children and hated by nearly everyone. The most telling detail? His full name, Theophilus Goon, is an anagram of 'O Hugh, Spoilt One.' Blyton kept Goon's humiliations alive for 15 books, inventing fresh ways to put him down each time.
8. The Pop Hit Written To Trash An Entire School
Even if you're not familiar with British music, you've likely heard of The Smiths. Revered by music fans and compared to The Beatles, the band was named the *most influential band in history* by *NME* in 2003. However, one detail rarely mentioned is that they once penned an entire song dedicated to ripping apart a school in Manchester.
The song, titled 'The Headmaster Ritual,' is a no-holds-barred, five-minute assault on Morrissey's former school. The lyrics include lines like 'belligerent ghouls run Manchester schools' and an entire segment describing a teacher's abuse of Morrissey in the gym showers. The discomfort grows when you learn that Morrissey later claimed this teacher was an abusive pedophile. This track was the first on *Meat is Murder*, The Smiths' second album, which topped the UK charts for 13 weeks—likely not a source of pride for Morrissey’s old school staff.
7. The Monster Created To Parody A Fan Club Leader
The '90s were a challenging time for *Doctor Who* fans. After the show's cancellation in 1989, a small group of devoted followers took on the responsibility of preserving its legacy. This group, which included future showrunners Steven Moffat and Russell T. Davies, also featured Ian Levine, a self-proclaimed 'superfan.'
Having previously served as a consultant on the show, Levine seemingly appointed himself the *de facto* leader of the fan club, and his obsessive attention to detail made life difficult for everyone around him. When Davies took charge of the revived show in 2005, he allegedly decided to take a jab at Levine by designing a *hideously grotesque monster* based on him.
Although Davies has never confirmed the connection, the creature, known as the Abzorbaloff, spends an episode infiltrating a fan club, where it literally devours members who dare to disagree with it. Once revealed, it spends several minutes farting before the Doctor destroys it, scattering its gooey remains across the screen.
6. The Hit Songs Written To Get Revenge On A Snooty Corporation
In 2009, Dave Carroll was an unknown Canadian country-western artist. Everything changed when an encounter with United Airlines sparked a rise in his popularity that would send him into the limelight.
During a typical flight out of Chicago, Carroll and his band witnessed baggage handlers recklessly tossing their delicate equipment. Upon reaching his destination, Carroll discovered that his $1,200 Taylor guitar had been destroyed. Frustrated, he reached out to United, but they refused to compensate or even apologize. As a form of retaliation, Carroll wrote a trilogy of songs called 'United Breaks Guitars.'
If the title rings a bell, it’s because the first song became a viral hit in 2009 on YouTube. In just 10 days, it garnered nearly four million views, earned attention from The New York Times, and caused United’s stock to plummet by $180 million. Even today, the song is referenced whenever United or poor customer service are discussed.
5. The Band's Name Mockingly Pays Tribute To An Enthusiastic Teacher
In the 1960s, Robert E. Lee High in Jacksonville, Florida witnessed a surge of hippie culture. Students were growing their hair long, which irritated the teachers who disapproved of the rebellious vibe it created. The one teacher who was most upset by this was Leonard Skinner.
A staunchly conservative gym teacher, Skinner dedicated himself to ensuring all the boys had crew cuts. While other educators were more lenient, he sent numerous students, including those from the emerging rock band One Percent, to the principal's office. Frustrated by his refusal to understand their style, the band decided to mock Skinner by renaming themselves Lynyrd Skynyrd.
In the 1970s, Skinner’s name became synonymous with long-haired Southern rock. The band even included his name and phone number on one of their album covers, causing Skinner to receive a flood of calls. Despite the tension, by the time of his death in 2010, Skinner had become close friends with the surviving members of the band.
4. The Painting Created to Challenge a Patron
Frederick R. Leyland was a British shipping tycoon in the 19th century who also had a passion for supporting the arts. Among all the artists he aided, the most renowned was James McNeill Whistler.
However, the relationship between the painter and his benefactor wasn’t without conflict. When Whistler designed the famous Peacock Room for Leyland’s residence, Leyland disliked it so intensely that he refused to pay the full amount for the work. Three years later, when Whistler lost a libel lawsuit and his fortune, Leyland, as his creditor, took possession of Whistler’s home.
But Whistler had a trick up his sleeve. Just before the creditors arrived to claim his assets, Whistler managed to paint one last masterpiece. Titled the Gold Scab, it portrayed Leyland as a grotesque peacock-like figure perched over Whistler’s home like an egg. When Leyland’s agents arrived to seize the property, they were met first by this painting.
3. The Book That Denounced An Entire Society
In 1301, Florence, a powerful city-state in modern-day Italy, exiled a local poet, confiscated his wealth, and decreed that he would be executed by fire if he ever set foot in the city again. Seven years afterward, the poet began creating a grand epic about the afterlife—comprising heaven, purgatory, and hell. As he ventured into writing about the torments of hell, he found inspiration from real-world events and figures.
Today, The Divine Comedy by Dante is widely celebrated as one of the finest works of literature ever created. It left an indelible mark on our shared imagination, notably with its depiction of ironic punishments in hell. The entire first section of the work, in particular, could be seen as a daring and pointed critique aimed squarely at 14th-century Florence.
As the narrator journeys through the inferno, he encounters numerous souls enduring excruciating tortures, many of whom were real individuals responsible for Dante's own exile. The reader witnesses Dante's adversaries enduring punishments for sodomy, being devoured by serpents, and frozen up to their eyes in ice. One character even suffers the horrific fate of being submerged in mud before being shredded to pieces by demons. The narrative pauses to delight in detailing the reasons behind their awful demise. That’s how revenge should be written.
2. The Painting That Sent A Vatican Official To Hell
You’ve likely heard of the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo’s renowned fresco is often hailed as the pinnacle of painting. However, this wasn’t always the case. When Pope Paul III and his master of ceremonies, Biagio da Cesena, toured the almost finished work, Cesena was shocked by the extensive nudity depicted. He publicly criticized Michelangelo, suggesting the piece belonged more in a 'roadside wine shop' than a place of reverence.
When the painting was revealed in its entirety, Cesena was taken aback by a personal revenge from Michelangelo. The artist had inserted Cesena into the fresco, but not in a flattering light. The master of ceremonies was depicted in hell, complete with donkey ears and a serpent biting his groin. Upon requesting the Pope’s intervention, Cesena was allegedly met with a nonchalant response from Paul III, who remarked, 'I may have freed you from purgatory, but I have no authority over hell.'
1. The Essay Crafted to Discredit a Headmaster
In 1911, St. Cyprian’s was a semi-selective English school that sometimes accepted boys from less privileged backgrounds. It was governed by headmaster Mr. Wilkes and his wife, Cicely, and was notorious for its heavy use of corporal punishment, particularly aimed at the poorer students. One such pupil, singled out for punishment, would later gain fame under the pen name George Orwell.
For the remainder of his life, Orwell seethed with anger over the mistreatment he endured at St. Cyprian’s. This intense resentment culminated in the essay “Such, Such Were the Joys,” a scathing critique that dismantled the entire institution and its abhorrent headmaster. In vivid detail, Orwell lambasted the school’s revolting meals, the nauseating odors that permeated the air, and the hypocritical behavior of Mr. and Mrs. Wilkes.
The essay was so deeply offensive that Orwell’s publishers deemed it potentially libelous, preventing its publication during his lifetime. Nevertheless, some believe Orwell may have taken his revenge twice. It has been theorized that the dystopian, authoritarian world of 1984 might have been covertly inspired by St. Crispin’s.
