Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down Which Pieces Of Propaganda Did The Most Damage

Nearly 30 years ago, Rwanda's Hutu population initiated perhaps the most successful genocide campaign in recent history, systematically murdering more than 800,000 members of the Tutsi population over a three-month period.

The period before the genocide began was marked by heightened political tensions. Hutus and their supporters would take to radio broadcasts to brand Tutsis "cockroaches," which normalized animosity toward them. It was successful propaganda that altered the lives of millions.

This isn't the first time that people have used propaganda for nefarious reasons – far from it. People shared their thoughts with us after Redditor fitboy15 asked the online community,

"What piece of propaganda did the most damage?"

"That Oxycontin..."

"That OxyContin had a low rate of dependency."

No-Discussion6480

If Dopesick didn't send you down a rabbit hole learning about the Sackler family, then you did something wrong.

"Kids lost..."

"In the 90s, child abduction fear porn was all the rage on the nightly news. And they were always the 1 in a million, crazy stories with horrific deaths and would play weekly. Chris Hanson's "To Catch a Predator" didn't help."

"However, these kidnappings were extremely rare in reality. Kids lost almost all unsupervised play time, which as it turns out is very helpful for learning how to socialize."

[deleted]

Not to mention most kidnappings were done by close relatives of the child rather than complete strangers.

"When Coca Cola..."

"When Coca Cola paid off doctors to say that fat was what caused fatness rather than sugar. This has destroyed the health of generations. It was the total converse of the truth, pushed to all American children (and many internationally) about their health."

andycambridge

There's a looming crisis in Mexico just because of this. The commoner is so brainwashed about sugar that the drink is almost consumed ritualistically/ceremoniously.

This dude!

“Dr.” Andrew Wakefield and his false study."

Xboarder84

People talk a lot about the harms Wakefield did by spreading distrust in vaccines, and that's huge and unforgivable, but the harms he caused to the autistic community are huge and unforgivable too. So much unnecessary hatred.

"When big tobacco companies..."

"When big tobacco industries made doctors endorse cigarettes."

Sandracotta

Made? They gave them kickbacks and direct payments.

Dr. Robert Ho Man Kwok's 1968 letter..."

"Dr. Robert Ho Man Kwok's 1968 letter in New England Journal of Medicine talking of Chinese restaurant syndrome caused by MSG without any scientific evidence."

doesntcareatall

Indeed, this added a lot of content to preexisting stigma towards East Asians. However blinded experiments could not prove his claims.

"It might not be the worst..."

"It might not be the worst, but when the woman spilled hot coffee on herself from McDonald's. She ended up with 3rd degree burns because the coffee temperature wasn't regulated correctly and McDonald's paid people to make fun of her, and people still do to this day."

mksports

Her burns were so severe that her labia were fused together. She suffered horrifying, debilitating and expensive burns and she was mocked and painted as irresponsible. All she wanted from McDonalds was the cost of her medical expenses, too.

"The United States..."

"The United States FDA Food Pyramid."

yawmush

One of the biggest lies ever told. Grain is more important than vegetables? Yeah, right.

"The War..."

"The War on Drugs."

[deleted]

"Perhaps..."

"Perhaps not the most damaging, but certainly a vile example… when Pope Benedict XVI told the people of sub-Saharan Africa that condoms would actually make the HIV/AIDS crisis worse."

PosterNutbag

It was largely rooted in a belief that birth control goes against the word of god. "Go forth and multiply" taken to the extreme.

Yeah... if you walked away from these not feeling at least a bit ambivalent about the human race, then I don't know what to tell you.

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Cami Clune sings O Canada as Buffalo Sabres fans join in after her microphone cuts out at KeyBank Center.
@mark_slapinski/X

New York Hockey Fans Step Up As Singer's Mic Goes Out During 'O Canada'—And Everyone Had The Same Thought

It only took a few seconds of silence for thousands of hockey fans to realize what was happening, and without hesitation, they stepped in. Fans at KeyBank Center took over during the singing of O Canada before Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round on Tuesday after anthem singer Cami Clune’s microphone cut out.

Once the crowd caught on, they didn’t miss a beat, singing in sync while filling in the lyrics together in a moment that quickly grew into something bigger than the game itself. So, what could have been an awkward pause turned into a full-arena singalong, with voices rising in sync across the building.

Keep ReadingShow less
Shannon Elizabeth
Christopher Polk/Variety/Getty Images

'American Pie' Star Shannon Elizabeth Reveals Staggering Amount She's Made In Her First Week Since Joining OnlyFans

Rumors have been circulating that American Pie and Scary Movie star Shannon Elizabeth started an OnlyFans account and that she's been making bank while doing it.

Early reports claimed that Elizabeth started the account on April 16, 2026, and that she brought in "more than seven figures" in the first week on the platform alone.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jamie Ding
Sony Pictures Television

'Jeopardy!' Champ Speaks Out To Rip ICE After His Impressive 31-Game Winning Streak Comes To An End

Jeopardy! champ Jamie Ding has had quite an impressive winning streak on the show, but it's his statements about current events that may have the greatest impact.

Ding had an extraordinary 31-day winning streak, the fifth-longest in the show's history.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mike Johnson
Newsmax

Mike Johnson Just Gave A Mind-Numbing Reason Why Voters Should Keep Republicans 'In Charge'—And The Delusion Is Real

During a Monday appearance on Newsmax, GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana told host Greta Van Susteren why voters need to keep Republicans in power, but the self-proclaimed Christian nationalist's reasoning went over like a lead balloon.

The discussion on Newsmax's The Record with Greta Van Susteren turned to the continuing partial government shutdown that began February 14, 2026—now the longest in history, surpassing 68 days.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sam Neill
Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

Sam Neill Shares Hopeful Update After Five-Year Battle With Blood Cancer—And Fans Are Thrilled

It's time to rejoice: everyone's favorite on-screen paleontologist and velociraptor expert, Sam Neill, is officially cancer-free.

The Jurassic Park actor was diagnosed with blood cancer five years ago, and he admitted to believing that he was "on his way out" when his immune system stopped responding to chemotherapy.

Keep ReadingShow less