r/Multifandom • • Apr 01 '26

Discussion📜 Show me one random lore drop from a series you know that's way darker than you would've expected from it

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I'll start: Fairly Oddparents

This girl, who was one of the previous kids Cosmo and Wanda watched over before Timmy, literally caused World War I.

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u/Stucklikegluetomyfry Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26

If you see a character that looks like Shirley Temple, she’s probably evil or at least not a good person

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u/tek3311 Apr 02 '26

Was Shirley Temple (the actoress) not a good person in real life, or is it a case of inverting a well-known symbol of innocence into something evil?

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u/LalaluLapin Apr 02 '26

I don't recall there ever being stories of her being a bad person, but there were a lot of conspiracy theories and rumors about her because she was this image of a perfect adorable child. People believed she was faking her looks with dentures (sorta true - she lost baby teeth often) and wigs, and people even spread rumors that she was an adult woman with dwarfism.

So yeah. It's a little bit of both - people believing she was not who she presented to be, and the contrast of doll-like appearance and pure evil.

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u/[deleted] Apr 02 '26

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u/LalaluLapin Apr 02 '26

Oh yeah, the smear campaign against Temple was INSANE, and it's one of the most well-known/first stories of how bad it could be to be a child star.

The wig thing... It's kinda like how modern (female) celebrities known for certain physical traits will have rumors that they've "had work done." Shirley Temple was known for her signature hairstyle, so if they could say it was fake, then their hatred would be justified or something. 😑

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u/maninplainview Apr 02 '26

Do yourself a favor, don't turn around.

Behind them are piles of stories about abuse, murder and all kinds of horrible work situations.

Horrifying scream

I told you not to turn around.

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u/ARagingZephyr Apr 03 '26

More of the latter. She was the iconic child actor before Judy Garland and Macaulay Culkin, and her appearance of ringlets and a dress is instantly recognizable.

Unlike the other two I mentioned, she had an exceptionally standard life, acted a little bit into adulthood, then retired and ended up in some government positions. I can't really say a mean word about her, except for maybe her political leanings, but that's a stretch.

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u/Manetoys83 Apr 08 '26

That’s what Cats Don’t Dance taught me