“Magic, Mirror, on the wall- who is the fairest one of all?” is an iconic line from the 1937 Disney classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. But are you sure the line was this? Or was it actually “Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who in this land is fairest of all”? This fact has not been refuted since the movie’s release. But like many other Mandela Effect examples, this misquoting of dialogues stems a common misconception of facts and events that has rooted itself deeply within modern culture. It is colloquially referred to as the Mandela Effect since many people wrongly conceived that Nelson Mandela died way back in the 1980’s when he died in 2013.
An interesting fact; there is even a movie starring Julia Roberts, released in 2012 and titled “Mirror, Mirror” based on the classic which proves that both the lines mean one and the same. It is just how people make the reference that differs and creates this huge gap. Hundreds of sources of this effect exist because of the original story. Disney made their own version of it by taking creative freedom and heavily expanded on many aspects some of which were not there in the story. Only those who have read the story and watched the movie will strongly feel the difference when referencing it.
The Mandela Effect
The Mandela Effect is unique in a way because the fact is actually correct or incorrect depending on the context. In this case “magic mirror” and “mirror, mirror” are correct depending on the source. Many people continue to insist that the line was “mirror, mirror” as numerous sources including the original story indicate this. The Disney movie is the only source containing the “magic mirror” line and people refuse to believe it. This misattribution of memory and incorrect internalization of ideas is what has led to the conceptualization of the Mandela effect.
Lack of Information or Creativity?
The age and sound quality of Disney movies back then could also be a reason. If one was told that the line was “mirror, mirror” before watching the Evil Queen’s mirror scene, one could almost hear it as “mirror, mirror” instead of “magic mirror” as it is supposed to be. It is very hard to make out even on the best quality versions of the movie. Many notable Disney brands and attractions in popular theme parks like Disney Land also get it wrong by quoting “mirror, mirror” instead of “magic mirror” for their attractions and references. Even they get it wrong! Many people still get confused when this fact is pointed out to them and what is more unsettling is that Disney has not given reasons as to why they changed the original text. Most fans assume it is because of the ‘Slave in the Magic Mirror’ but this has not been clarified. The lack of information on this and the uncanny similarities of the lines has resulted in people’s heads swirling.
Pop culture has more evidences of using “mirror, mirror” for making Snow White references. Even Star Trek used the “mirror, mirror” reference in the 2009 reboot of the well-known classic. It is maybe because of this that the use of “magic mirror” has been outright by many. On the other hand many ardent fans have panned the use of ‘mirror, mirror” in culture and claimed that it was unfaithful to the original movie. The evidence is merely anecdotal and it does not mean anyone is tampering with history. It can be just one big misunderstanding due to media errors, bias and propaganda which people have perceived in different ways.
Fiona Broome’s Mandela Effect
The term ‘Mandela effect’ was coined by Fiona Broome when she herself experienced false memories. She has observed that these aren’t simple errors in memory but surpass the normal range of forgetfulness. The most baffling thing is that other people seem to have identical memories of the same event. The collective misremembering could be because of similar exposure to bits of information which alter memories. But for the most part the idea of a parallel universe sounds more interesting.
Do people misremember things the same way or is there is some anomaly out there? The answer is tricky as there isn’t a plausible one. A proper assumption is that memories can be distorted by bias, imagination and peer pressure. The list of psychological factors that can disrupt and twist recollection is exhaustive and can pose a practical explanation to this effect. There are two sides to the coin with one side having a logical answer to the problem and the other side leaning towards something unknown lurking beneath the surface. Until it is figured out people will have to keep speculating as to the ultimate nature of reality.
Sounds really cool right? To know more about this mind-bending phenomenon, check out the e-book on the Mandela effect.