Normally, I read these silly-ass "best/worst/interesting n items/stories/people" lists from Cracked with a grain of salt, but, damn - William Addis did not "invent" the toothbrush. Common fallacy.

He did design the first toothbrush for mass production, however. We'd been using all sorts of brushes, both makeshift and manufactured, for at least a friggin' millenium or so. The Chinese had been using manufactured brushes for tooth cleaning at least 500 years before Addis' design.

Apparently, Nelson Mandela should have invented a machine gun.

You know who else changed the world from inside a prison...

i was going to say Henri Charriere and especially Rene Belbenoit, responsible for closing down Devil's Island prison, but hey, I might be playing this wrong

snuff3r: Also, where the hell is Mandela???

in South Africa somewhere?

Yeah, before I clicked all I could think about was Nelson Mandela. I am outraged.

//Also, Hitler.

GAT_00: Vampire_Blues: Apparently, Nelson Mandela should have invented a machine gun.

Seriously. An article about how people changed history from prison, and they leave off Nelson farking Mandela. And Hitler. Gandhi maybe too, though I'm not sure how much he was actually arrested.

Well I think the list centered around people who's claim to fame almost solely revolved around being in prison. People like Hitler and Gandhi were more famous for what they accomplished after they got out. I'll have to review Mandela's life to be sure, but I do know he did a lot outside of prison too.

Go to prison, change the world.

The correlation is without counterexample.

What, no Andy Dufresne?

snuff3r: I worked for Addis Australia for like 6 years and during that time they always claimed they were the inventors of the toothbrush. I was under the impression it was complete bollocks.

And so it is.

you've probably heard of the M1 carbine. It was basically the first iteration of the modern war rifle, and it absolutely revolutionized the way battles were fought from then on.

Holy crap the writer has absolutely no clue about the M1 carbine, it's use, or it's impact.

I've never heard of the guy, but I know enough about the M1 carbine to know if that's his best contribution he shouldn't be in the top 5.

For those who won't bother to read TFA:

5. The man in the iron mask
4. Hannibal Lecter (the REAL Hannibal Lecter)
3. Johnny Cash
2. Isaac Newton (referring to "prism," I believe)
1. Colonel Hogan

Dick Cheney should be given the opportunity.

HONDOWAYNE: Maybe Barry Obama will be #6 when he gets put in there for lying about his citizenship in the USA

Oh, come on. You're not even trying. Go back to breathing Dow fumes.

Vampire_Blues: Apparently, Nelson Mandela should have invented a machine gun.

I came here to say something similar, probably not as witty, but nonetheless, leaving Nelson Mandela off that list automatically makes it a FAIL.

What do you all expect from a hack writing for Cracked? Accuracy? Research? Comprehensive and in-depth reporting? Jeez.

Pincy: I came here to say something similar, probably not as witty, but nonetheless, leaving Nelson Mandela off that list automatically makes it a FAIL.

You know who else was left off the list? That's right...

rcain: You know who else changed the world from inside a prison...

you suck

DingleberryMoose: What about this joker? (new window)

He didn't really do fark all, and he didn't change the world from inside prison. All he did was rape a few girls, get in some bar-fights and end-up bleeding out on a table somewhere.

His *lawyers* changed the world, or at least the US part of it, by arguing the dumb bastard was too thick to know he had certain rights and that the Police never bothered telling him.

He didn't do anything really though.

[Don Quixote] is largely regarded as the first modern novel.

This is a blanket statement cribbed from wikipedia and a favorite argument among grad students. The writer knows as much about literature as he does about the M1 carbine.

The toothbrush was invented in West Virginia. If had been invented anywhere else it would have been called the teethbrush.

Wizard Drongo: All he did was rape a few girls, get in some bar-fights and end-up bleeding out on a table somewhere.

Sounds like a full life to me.

How does Hitler, given free reign and political martyrdom in prison to write "Mein Kampf" not make the list?

/Never trust a book that goes on for 10 pages about syphilis that isn't a medical reference book.
//List was kinda crap

Gandhi was just a super-calloused fragile mystic plagued with halitosis.

Ken VeryBigLiar: /Never trust a book that goes on for 10 pages about syphilis that isn't a medical reference book.

Or a Heidi Fleiss biography.

Ken VeryBigLiar: How does Hitler, given free reign and political martyrdom in prison to write "Mein Kampf" not make the list

*looks at headline*
five people who changed the world from inside prison

Well, for once, it's not a top ten list, maybe that's why. Or maybe it's because HITLER AND MANDELLA ARE FARKING OBVIOUS.

/hot like her slave girl outfit
//which doesn't count cause slavery isn't the same as prison

GAT_00: Vampire_Blues: Apparently, Nelson Mandela should have invented a machine gun.

Seriously. An article about how people changed history from prison, and they leave off Nelson farking Mandela. And Hitler. Gandhi maybe too, though I'm not sure how much he was actually arrested.

This. Thread over.


-----snip here------

Came into say Mandela? Hitler? Nice to see other people felt that way as well.

AppleOptionEsc: Ken VeryBigLiar: How does Hitler, given free reign and political martyrdom in prison to write "Mein Kampf" not make the list

*looks at headline*
five people who changed the world from inside prison

Well, for once, it's not a top ten list, maybe that's why. Or maybe it's because HITLER AND MANDELLA ARE FARKING OBVIOUS.

Like that's ever stopped a Cracked list before? You can even get snarky with the by line. Hitler- the guy who made 20th Century history interesting.

rcain: You know who else changed the world from inside a prison...

made me lol

Pushkin?
Mandela?
MLK?
Paul the Apostle?

Instead they showcase someone who didn't really invent the carbine, but was cast in a horrible James Stuart movie to make you think that they did.

Cracked is crock. Have they even opened a history book?

Vampire_Blues: Apparently, Nelson Mandela should have invented a machine gun.

Craftsmen rule.

Winnie had a talent for necklacing (new window).

Anyone?
...Anyone?

Another 'Cracked' article. When will 'Family Circus' start being green lit?

Cracked is terrible. Anyone they think is semi-cool is labeled a 'pimp.'

What did Mandela do in prison other than break rocks?

Also, de Sade practically invented modern nihilism which is currently the proud foundation of our collective worldview (not to mention all that kinky stuff). And he was jailed like what, since birth? Doesn't that earn him a point or two?

Writing great literature? From prison? How quixotic.

Barakku: Writing great literature? From prison? How quixotic.

Oh, Henry. Such a wit.