Every day, companies bombard us with information. From new product launches and appealing adverts to very big statements and generous promises backed up by questionable research at best, they still manage to earn our trust up to a point we don’t question them.
But this illuminating thread from Ask Reddit challenges the things we take for granted and debunks the myths created by big corporations. “What do most people believe that is actually a myth created by corporate companies?” someone asked and the eye-opening responses started pouring in.
From big pharma to the sugar industry, it’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that we may be believing in stuff that benefits no one except the ones who are earning big money.
#1
The McDonald’s Hot Coffee woman wasn’t some kind of trashy scammer, she was an elderly woman who had incredibly bad burns and could have possibly died as a result of health complications. McDonald’s launched a covert campaign to make it seem like she was just trying to make some quick cash as part of a trend of frivolous lawsuits.
Edit: For anyone who says “It was just a little burn that she is responsible for” The coffee gave her 3rd degree burns and literally melted her flesh, fusing part of her genitals to her leg which required massive reconstructive surgery and hospitalization.
Image source: CryptidCodex, Mike Mozart
#2
That the public is responsible for all the plastic pollution.
Anybody remember that ad campaign with the crying Indian guy? Before then soda companies were selling their soda in nice easily wash-n-reuse glass bottles. When they made the switch to plastic because it was cheaper, and the garbage started to collect, they decided to shift the blame onto YOU the consumer.
Image source: anon, Magda Ehlers
#3
“detoxing”, and **any** product that promotes it.
Image source: goldfishpaws, Polina Tankilevitch
#4
That it’s in YOUR best interest to keep your rate of pay a secret, when in fact it’s exactly the opposite. If it’s taboo to talk about how two employees doing exactly the same job can be paid wildly different wages.
Image source: warrantyvoiderer, Karolina Grabowska
#5
“Buy our split end repairing shampoo and conditioner! It’ll get all of those pesky split ends!!!”
Once the end is split it’s split. How is a shampoo supposed bring the ends back together? The only way to get rid of split ends is to cut your hair.
#6
That diamonds are actually rare making them expensive and that an engagement ring should be 3 months salary. Screw you Debeers.
Image source: thanto13, TranStudios Photography & Video
#7
That you should devote 5 days a week to the company you work for and only 2 days a week for yourself. You should be spending the majority of your life with family and friends, doing what you enjoy. Not slaving away for someone else.
Image source: nicsaweiner
#8
That Vitamin Water is actually healthy for you. 120 Calories, most of that sugar.
Image source: JayTrim, g,young shin
#9
That the HR department is here to help the employees.
Image source: GooberMcNutly, Tima Miroshnichenko
#10
Apparently big Sugar companies pushed the agenda that Fat is the cause for all your health and weight problems.
Image source: poopellar, Alexander Grey
#11
The alpha and beta wolves thing showing a hierarchy of people. No, they were actually just wolf parents parenting their pups. The researcher even went back in a book and explained he was wrong. So next time you’re called “alpha” or “beta” it doesn’t actually exist.
Image source: deltacaboose
#12
If you truly loved them, than it is absolutely *essential* to spend an outrageous sum of money on a box to bury in the ground. The average price in the U.S. for a coffin in $2,100.
Image source: renoCow, Pavel Danilyuk
#13
That expiration dates on food products are this black and white rule as to whether something is good or bad. The FDA doesn’t require expiration dates and are completely up to the discretion of the manufacturer.
It’s a tactic to get you to buy/consume more.
Image source: muSICKK__, Communications Office
#14
Scented feminine hygiene products are needed because you smell bad.
Image source: drunky_crowette
#15
That the ink cartridge is actually empty.
Image source: ImOverThereNow, Cartridge People
#16
That you look like s**t without makeup.
Image source: juustforthis, Emma Bauso
#17
that “organic” label doesn’t mean it’s actually “healthy”
Image source: piinkcactus
#18
Natural, healthy human teeth are more yellow than white. This is because teeth appeared whiter on Black and White film, and stars began to dye/bleach them whiter to match how they appeared on film.
In 1918, it was discovered that a heated lamp in conjunction with hydrogen peroxide would lighten teeth. A dentist in the late 1960’s discovered that after prescribing an overnight soak in carbamide peroxide, the teeth were significantly whiter.
Image source: CryptidCodex, Skinny Tie Media
#19
Valentines day
Image source: tricks_23, Kayla Speid
#20
When someone dies their family has no legal reason to pay their debts. It is a myth that the banking industry isn’t about to correct.
Image source: ChokingTermite, Mikhail Nilov
#21
The food pyramid.
Image source: HeyT00ts11, bigbrand .
#22
People forget that college is a business. To make money.
It has its place, of course, but the intense pressure for EVERYone to attend is completely insane to me, especially considering the need for tradespeople.
Image source: heatherkan, Charles DeLoye
#23
Gluten free is better than with gluten for everyone. Physiologically it only helps coeliacs or those with mild sensitivity to gluten. According to the research so far doesn’t make a difference in anybody else. And yet the gluten free market went up like crazy
Image source: LoveThatShirt
#24
Here in Sweden there is an extremely persistent myth that you *should* eat 6-8 slices of bread every day.
That was a commercial campaign by a bread manufacturer. Some way they managed to get the Public Health Institute to pass that myth on. It was like 50 years ago, and that myth still lives!
I’m so sick and tired of that myth.
I also think the “6-8 slices of bread a day” campaign has been one of the most successful examples in world history of myths created by corporate companies.
Image source: anon, Charles Chen
#25
We actually don’t need a lot of toothpaste on the brush, but companies advertise using a whole bunch in commercials to make you run out faster.
Image source: eroder11, Ron Lach
#26
Telling people your salary will make people think less of you. In reality sharing your salary especially with coworkers with the same/similar positions will allow you to negotiate for a higher wage or even form a union with ease
Image source: Lundy98, Tima Miroshnichenko
#27
Eating carrots does not improve one’s vision.
The British government put this out as an explanation as to why their (supposedly carrot-eating) RAF pilots were able to shoot down enemy Luftwaffe fighters before being detected by the enemy.
The truth has nothing to do with carrots. The British had invented a primitive form of radar and didn’t want the Nazis knowing about it.
Image source: nitr0smash
#28
You lose your warranty if you break the tamper seal (ie. “Warranty void of seal is broken” stickers).
“… warranty conditions that forbid consumers from opening or repairing their devices are illegal under a provision of the 1975 Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act”
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/gv5ddm/warranty-void-if-removed-stickers-are-illegal
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2018/04/ftc-staff-warns-companies-it-illegal-condition-warranty-coverage
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/16/700.10
Image source: impressiver, Luis Villasmil
#29
That eating fat (as in the macronutrient in general) makes you fat. This is why we have so many low-fat or reduced-fat versions of foods where the fat is just replaced with cheap sugar, and sugar actually makes you fat.
It all boils down to the marketing. The issue lies within foods being sold as low-fat substitutes of the original and being marketed as healthier options, when really, the fat is substituted for sugar, which can be even worse for you.
To all the people saying what do you mean? fat is 9 calories per gram and sugar is 4. Correct. But do you think it’s better to eat 9 cals of fat, or sub it with 9 cals of sugar. Eating fat is actual required for your body to burn fat, and is vital for all types of bodily functions. Sugar, on the other hand, skyrockets your blood glucose, resulting in the secretion of insulin, and when insulin is high, it’s much harder to burn fat.
If you cut all the fat from your diet, you can have hormonal issues, potential joint pain, s**t digestion, no libido. Cut all the sugar (not carbs in general, just processed sugar) and you’ll probably lose some weight and feel awesome!
We can go on for days here. The point is, if you’re going to opt for a low-fat version of a food, take a peek at the ingredients and see what you’re consuming instead!
Image source: muchostouche, Mike Mozart
#30
That GMO is bad, courtesy of the organic farming industry.
Image source: Beninoxford
#31
‘Drink 3 litres of water per day’ is a complete myth with no scientific backing, created by water bottle companies. Yes, it’s important to drink water, but once you get past a certain point all you’re doing is spending money for something that goes in, does nothing, and then gets excreted.
Image source: anon
#32
That if you work hard, keep your head down and do the right thing – corporations will reward you as being a valued member of the company.
about 15 years after you’ve joined the grad programme you realise that is the ultimate way to get exploited by a company and not how (m)any bosses got their positions :-)
Smart people should work for themselves or creative industries …
Image source: ThisMansJourney
#33
There’s this weird idea among some women that pads are inferior to tampons, or that only young girls or virgins use pads. This was actually perpetuated by tampon companies in the 60s or 70s I believe, when the link between Toxic Shock Syndrome and tampons was made. Pad companies latched onto this and started marketing their product as cleaner, so tampon companies countered by marketing their product as for mature, professional women. This was particularly effective at the height of Second Wave feminism when women were struggling to be taken more seriously in the workplace. So effective that this perception still exists today even though there’s no logical basis and no one even really knows WHY they think this way. You can sort of still see it in commercials today, where pad commercials are usually just someone pouring blue liquid on a pad while in tampon commercials there’s usually a woman dancing around or playing a sport or something equally not fun to do while you’re on your period.
Image source: sappharah, Natracare
#34
“When you care enough to send the very best,” you’d better make it a Hallmark card.
Hallmark wants you to believe that sending their expensive greeting cards somehow proves your feelings for someone else.
Image source: Back2Bach, Michael Lehet
#35
Change your oil every 3,000 miles or 3 months. Was created by car repair shops to gain more business. Motor oil companies say you can go 5000-7500 miles or 6 months. Owners manuals even say it.
As a mechanic here is my 2 cents. Change that oil and filter twice a year, first week of spring and first week of fall. Do a motor flush once every 2 years. Splurge on tires when it’s time to replace and try to get ethanol free gas if you can, if you can’t, use a fuel additive once a month. Don’t forget about your spark plugs, they are the most underrated component on your engine.
Image source: spotweld
#36
That you can shrink your pores.
Image source: sellerofstuff116
#37
Christmas and Easter as we know it were mostly designed in the 1950s.
Image source: anon, Jill Wellington
#38
“We’ll stand by our warranty” —Circuit City one week before they closed.
Image source: kilogears
#39
This has already been stated, but milk is not good for bones nor does it have amazing health benefits. I love milk but it was all created by the big milk companies to push out more milk. They even did a study back in like the 50s or 60s where they had women lose weight with healthy diet that included milk and tried to say it was the milk that helped the weight loss… Pretty sure it was the low calorie, veggie based meals they had with that milk.
Along that line of thought, most “diet” foods or processed foods designed to be “healthy” usually aren’t healthier at all. They just wanted to Target both health concious and non health concious people at once. If it comes in a box, it probably still kinda bad for you. The best option is always gonna be whole foods with the least processing. But that doesn’t make people money.
Which leads to another big corporate lie: the fad diets that sell things like detox teas and diet pills. A lot of people may claim that “diets never work” and “you can’t lose weight by just eating less and exercising” but that’s just cause that kind of weight loss doesn’t lead to profits for them. So they try to make you think you can’t do it yourself, you have to pay money for pills and plans and drinks that will do the work for you.
Image source: Kaibii
#40
That fats are generally bad for you.
Image source: IlluminationRock
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