‘Round the Square: ‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall,’ right?
Round the Square
September 16, 2025

‘Round the Square: ‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall,’ right?

MANDELA: Nelson Mandela, the first president of South Africa, died in 2013. He did not die in prison in the 1980s. Does that mess with your head?

It’s the Mandela Effect, the psychological phenomenon where people collectively misremember events, historical facts or pop culture.

How did Darth Vader reveal to Luke Skywalker that he was, in fact, the father? It wasn’t on Maury with a DNA test and a manila envelope. And it wasn’t with the sentence, “Luke, I am your father.” What?

The real wording was “No, I am your father.”

Curious George the monkey never had a tail.

The cereal is Froot Loops, not Fruit Loops.

The Monopoly Man — Uncle Pennybags — never had a monocle. That’s Mr. Peanut.

Shaggy in Scooby Doo never had a prominent Adam’s apple. That one is confusing. We remember it.

What about Mickey Mouse? We can’t possibly remember him wrong. He had suspenders back when he was Steamboat Willy, right? Nope. He’s wearing shorts, but no suspenders or shirt.

What about Bugs Bunny and friends? No matter what you think you know, they are actually the Looney Tunes. It might make sense to think of them as “toons” for cartoons, but that has never been the name. It was a companion to Merrie Melodies.

Mister Rogers Neighborhood, we know that one for sure. “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…” As it turns out, we don’t. It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood, the host sings.

This one has been around since the 1930s. Could generations of us be getting wrong what the Evil Queen says when she addresses her looking glass? “Mirror, mirror on the wall” isn’t correct. It’s actually “Magic mirror, on the wall.”

How fun.

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