Buzz
Let’s be honest: Wikipedia is a treasure trove of oddities. Today, I dive back into the depths to share more of my favorite quirky Wikipedia lists. Get ready for some truly eccentric content!
1. Compilation of Imaginary Ducks
The Imaginary Ducks list features a (somewhat limited) section on Ducks in Video Games. For example:
Deadly Duck is the titular character from the Atari 2600 game Deadly Duck (1982). The retro game Duck Attack! (2010) introduces a mallard named Bruce, along with variants like Mandy (grey), Pat (gold), Groucho (blue), and Clarice (ruddy).
However, my all-time favorite fictional duck is John D. Roderduck, described as "an adversary duck from the Donald Duck universe." I firmly believe musician John Roderick shares a distant lineage with this feathered character.
2. Compilation of Individuals Who Have Been Pied
This list is straightforward, though its header bluntly states: "This is an incomplete list, which may never meet specific standards for comprehensiveness." It features columns such as "Victim" and "Perpetrator." Notable entries include:
Willie Brown - San Francisco Mayor - "During a speech" - by the Biotic Baking Brigade William F. Buckley, Jr. - Conservative political commentator - "Unknown event" - by Aron Kay King Carl XVI Gustaf - King of Sweden - "During a visit to Varberg" - by a "16-year-old boy" Bill Gates - Microsoft Founder - "At a European Union meeting" - by Noël Godin (who reportedly quipped, "My work here is done.")
Additionally, a series of New York Yankees were pied by teammate A.J. Burnett during several 2009 victorious home games. It’s a celebrated tradition!
3. Compilation of Premature Death Announcements
Individuals whose demise was inaccurately reported. Examples include:
Mark Twain (twice) Abe Vigoda (actor): In 1982, People magazine mistakenly called him 'the late Abe Vigoda.' He later posed for a photo sitting in a coffin, holding the magazine. Vigoda claimed the false reports of his death in the 1980s harmed his career. The recurring joke about his death even appeared in TV sketches. Neil Young: On August 25, 2012, NBCNews.com erroneously reported his death with the headline, "Astronaut Neil Young, first man to walk on moon, dies at age 82." In reality, Neil Armstrong had passed away. NBC corrected the error after seven minutes, with some attributing the mistake to confusion with astronaut John Young, who is still alive.
4. Compilation of Imaginary Bars and Taverns
25 imaginary bars and pubs that exist only in our fantasies, such as:
Moe's Tavern (The Simpsons) Mos Eisley Cantina (Star Wars) Rick's Café Américain (Casablanca)
5. Compilation of Unique Sports
You might be surprised to learn that these are recognized sports:
Throwball Deaf Basketball Danish Longball (requiring "optional safety pads") Mountain Unicycling Noodling
6. Compilation of Television Spin-Off Series
This compilation kicks off with an unexpectedly thorough exploration distinguishing a spin-off from crossovers and remakes. Highlighted below are several significant spin-offs alongside their original series:
Shows like Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, Checking In, Archie Bunker's Place, Gloria, and 704 Hauser all trace back to All in the Family (a remarkably fertile series!) Pinky and the Brain originated from Animaniacs Frasier branched off from Cheers (which also led to The Tortellis, a short-lived series of only thirteen episodes) The Facts of Life evolved from Diff'rent Strokes Empty Nest was a derivative of Golden Girls
The roster of intriguing spin-offs is exceptionally extensive. The quantity of series generated by Popstars is astonishing.
7. Compilation of Films Deemed the Least Favorable
These films are widely panned by critics. Here are some of the most notorious:
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964) Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) The Garbage Pail Kids Movie (1987) Bio-Dome (1996) Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2008)
The synopsis of Manos: The Hands of Fate starts with: "A low-budget horror flick created by Hal P. Warren, an El Paso insurance and fertilizer salesman, the story follows a family on vacation who are captured by a polygamous pagan cult." And it somehow manages to get even more bizarre!
8. Compilation of Sesame Street Muppets
Discover the backstories of some of your beloved Muppets! Among them is this unfortunate professor, who was axed for being too dull:
Professor Hastings - Frank Oz - A bespectacled, elderly Fat Blue Anything Muppet with white hair, known for delivering hilariously muddled lectures. He frequently loses his train of thought and dozes off mid-sentence. Kermit often steps in as his assistant, nudging him awake and steering him back to the lecture topic. Despite his charm, he was eventually written out of the show for being too monotonous.
9. Compilation of Fictional Universes in Film and Television
Hey everyone, let’s dive into my beloved fictional universe, the Fringe universe. Wait, no—I mean the alternate Fringe universe. Or are both parallel universes considered a single entity? Now I’m completely lost. Also worth exploring:
Tommy Westphall Universe - A theoretical universe linking St. Elsewhere with a multitude of other TV shows (mostly from NBC) through direct or indirect crossovers and spin-offs. Whoniverse - The central setting for Doctor Who, Torchwood, Sarah Jane Adventures, and other related series within the Doctor Who franchise.
10. Iconic Planets in Science Fiction
Who could possibly overlook these legendary sci-fi planets?
Erna - A geologically unstable world from Celia S. Friedman's Coldfire Trilogy, inhabited by semi-sentient natural forces known as the Fae. K-PAX - A seemingly perfect planet featured in both the novel and film of the same name, though it might just be the imaginative creation of a man who insists he hails from there. Tralfamadore - The home of the laid-back Tralfamadorians, as depicted in Kurt Vonnegut's works. Zarkon - The native planet of Philo, the TV-station engineer in the movie UHF.
11. Compilation of Cryptids
Cryptids are creatures believed to exist, though their existence is often supported only by anecdotal or inconclusive evidence, which mainstream science deems insufficient. Here are a few to fuel your nightmares, along with brief descriptions from Wikipedia:
Devil Monkey - Unverified, with only one carcass ever discovered - Resembles a baboon with kangaroo-like legs; highly aggressive Flatwoods Monster - Unverified - An alien with a spade-shaped head Hellhound (also known as Barghest, Black Shuck, Dip, Gwyllgi, Gytrash) - Unverified - A massive, black, ghostly dog with glowing red eyes Kelpie - Unverified - A flesh-eating aquatic horse
