Wikipedia has established itself as a valuable research tool for Internet users — but one that must be taken with a grain of salt.
Although the online encyclopedia has improved in style and accuracy over the years, questionable "facts" still pop up every now and then.
The creators of Tumblr blog Citation Needed have set out to discover the craziest claims within Wikipedia's more than 22 million articles.
Citation Needed is maintained by Josh Fruhlinger and Conor Lastowka, both writers for RiffTrax, a continuation of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Needless to say, the two spend a lot of time on Wikipedia looking up oddball facts and old pop culture references.
"Spending half an hour going down a rabbit hole about old toys or old pro wrestlers could be classified as 'research,'" says Lastowka.
They found that many Wikipedia articles have an odd tone of encyclopedic seriousness and hyper-detailed descriptions, even when explaining something absurd, like a box of Boo Berry cereal.
"The people writing these Wikipedia articles tend to treat subjects like the Smurfs or the the song 'Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookies Jar' like they're as important as the reformation or the Normandy Invasion," says Lastowka.
The initial office joke eventually turned into a book deal: The Best of Wikipedia's Worst Writing.
The side job has consumed hours, maybe days, of their time. Lastowka has bookmarked the Wikipedia randomizer, but says the hyperlinks drive endless clicking, leading to ridiculous topics.
"If you're stuck, the pages for the Air Bud series of movies are inevitably a good place to start looking," recommends Lastowka.
(Un)fortunately, Wikipedia's real-time editing system often alters their unveiled facts, especially when they're inaccurate. Many of the passages included on the Tumblr do not stand the test of time.
"If you're moved to correct these entries, we're powerless to stop you," the two write in their book intro. "They've already given us joy, and we're just happy to have encountered them."
Citation Needed: The Creator's Commentary
1. General Mills Monster-Themed Breakfast Cereals
Wikipedia entry: "Franken Berry was very popular when first introduced possibly because the initial batches of the cereal used a dye that didn't break down in the body, causing many children's feces to be bright pink, a symptom sometimes referred to as 'Frankenberry Stool.'"
Fruhlinger and Lastowka: "You can imagine the marketing team having their first meeting after the cereal's release: 'We have good news and bad news. The good news is, your latest cereal is very, very popular. The bad news is, it's not in any way due to the character you came up with, the box design you slaved over, the costly ad campaign, or the hours you put in coming up with free toy ideas. Gentlemen, you should probably sit down…'"
2. Center, Kentucky
Wikipedia entry: "The mayor of center is Marty Pennington a very well respected man and his son Austin well lets just say hes took after his father."
Fruhlinger and Lastowka: "Austin, get the hell off of Wikipedia! Your dad is cutting the ribbon at the new Applebees!"
3. Vampire Pumpkins and Watermelons
Wikipedia entry: "According to tradition, watermelons or any kind of pumpkin kept more than ten days or after Christmas will become a vampire, rolling around on the ground and growling to pester the living. People have little fear of the vampire pumpkins and melons because of the creatures' lack of teeth."
Fruhlinger and Lastowka: "It's amazing how vastly the Twilight movies would instantly improve if Edward Cullen were played by a watermelon."
4. The Smurfs
Wikipedia entry: "There has been much debate over the actual size of a smurf. Animated references to their size are arguably fanciful — often referring to them as being 'three apples high.' Realists who compare their size to their 'mushroom' homes surrounded by towering blades of grass, choose to reference the smurfs to these indicators, believing that smurfs are between 2-5 cms. Alternatively there is a school that references the size of smurfs to their hunter, Gargamel and his cat Azrael. Disciples of this school consider smurfs to be at least 30 cms tall. In summation it seems that the creators gave little thought to the believability of their size and more thought to the artistic interpretation of the cartoon."
Fruhlinger and Lastowka: "The idea that there is a 'realist' faction in the debate over the size of the Smurfs ought to chill you to your very core."
5. Air Buddy (Dog)
Wikipedia entry: "He was one of the top ten most well-known dog actors from the United States of America [citation needed]."
Fruhlinger and Lastowka: "An elite group, the former top-ten most well-known dog actors from the USA (FTTMWKDAFTUSA). Conspiracy theorists whisper that they summit every year to influence national policy, and like our ex-presidents, they put aside their differences to solemnly attend each others' funerals. Only with slightly more humping, butt-sniffing and gravestone urination."
6. Hamburger Helper
Wikipedia entry: "Tuna Helper is designed to be used with tuna."
Fruhlinger and Lastowka: "Never overestimate the intelligence of someone who is reading the Wikipedia article for Hamburger Helper."
Images courtesy of iStockphoto, EricHood, Flickr, chrismetcalf, silkegb, Sarah Elizabeth Simpson
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