TV shows constantly make stuff up that doesn’t reflect reality, so when we see something in a show that doesn’t seem real, we naturally assume that it was made up. But sometimes it turns out that the show was actually referencing something or some event from the real world that was real, just not that commonly known, or at least not known to you.

For example, many people first found out about the Tulsa race massacre from the Watchmen TV series, and at first assumed it was an invention of the show. It was a huge indictment on the American education system that such a horrific event was so obscure until then.

So what other things that seemed like they were made up did you later find out were actually real?

  • Cadeillac
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    382 days ago

    There are rocks that slide across the sea floor. Sponges attach themselves to rocks

    His ancestors DID ride those babies for miles (presumably)

    • @Crackhappy
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      242 days ago

      What’s wilder than rocks sliding on the seafloor are rocks sliding across the desert with clear and visible tracks.

      • @shalafi
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        32 days ago

        They figured it out!

        The movement of the rocks occurs when large, thin sheets of ice floating on an ephemeral winter pond break up in the sun.

        • Cadeillac
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          12 days ago

          That’s cool as fuck

      • Cadeillac
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        2 days ago

        Unpopular opinion maybe, but I am much more interested in what happens on Earth and in the sea than space

        • @Crackhappy
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          32 days ago

          Who said anything about space?

              • Cadeillac
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                2 days ago

                We were speaking of land and sea, and to express my curiosity of them, I compared them to people’s fascination with space

    • @shalafi
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      22 days ago

      That one’s funny because we had one growing up. It was the bomb for little kids.

    • @MimicJar
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      42 days ago

      Which is now owned by the South Park creators (since 2021).

  • @[email protected]
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    82 days ago

    Napoleon’s penis is something actually auctioned off and purchased by the rich (Succession)

  • @Chip_Rat
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    42 days ago

    Capoeira or however it is spelt. Thought it was made up by Bob’s Burgers to make fun of all the different fighting/exercise/dance crazes until my coworker mentioned he was taking his kids to class one day.

  • @[email protected]
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    2 days ago

    IHOP

    …and then I visited Houston, and drove past one every day for two weeks. Sadly I didn’t find the time in my schedule to visit