15 Now-You-Know Facts That Blew Our Doors Off
![15 Now-You-Know Facts That Blew Our Doors Off](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/2/834672_320x180.jpg)
There's no denying the influence Mr. Rogers has had on generations of people. Whether it was his kind, calm demeanor, or the sweater he wore everywhere, the man seemed to embody everything it meant to be a great person -- one who loved and understood the people around him. The knowledge of his loss may sting, but he's certainly left us with more than enough memories and stories to keep the legend of Mr. Rogers alive. His show is fondly remembered by millions who were inspired by the kindness of Fred Rogers and his quietly persistent message of love.
And that message came not only from the benevolent innocence Mr. Rogers radiated in his on-screen appearances, but also from a fact about his body that he chose never to alter – because altering it would, in fact, mean he'd erase that message. Yes, we're talking about how many pounds Fred Rogers weighed.
A doctor went to his Zoom court appearance during surgery.
![A doctor showed up to virtual traffic court in the middle of a surgery. V - unc AH Dm XD TO Om Z Одга OA M OZ OD His surgeries that day were running behind, and the court called his case earlier than he had expected. So he showed up for traffic court in full surgical scrubs, from the operating room. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/7/834677.jpg)
4 Unbelievable Courtroom Situations (That Happened Thanks To Zoom)
Steel drums were created as a loophole.
![Steel drums were created as a way around a ban on traditional skin drums. After a riot in 1881, Trinidad authorities flat out banned native music. Metal instruments were devised to replace the banished ones, forged out of tin cans, oil drums, and other rubbish. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/8/6/834686.jpg)
Duke University made a real horny text book, for science.
![A Playboy photographer shot softcore models for an anatomy textbook. 1971's The Anatomical Basis of Medical Practice from the University of Duke used pin ups and Playboy Bunnies to ready their students for the shock of the likely event that, as a medical professional, they will eventually have a good looking patient. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/8/4/834684.jpg)
Anime artists in Japan are grossly underpaid.
![The average junior animator in Japan earns around $12,000 per year. The anime industry itself is worth an estimated $24 billion to Japan's GDP, but entry-level animators earn as little as $2 per frame, even though they regularly take an hour or more to complete. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/8/2/834682.jpg)
Japan attacked the US during WWII, in part, because of a cactus sticking someone's butt.
![The first attack on the mainland US during WWII was revenge against a wounded butt. Kozo Nishino visited the Ellwood Oil Fields before the war. But while walking from the beach, Nishino slipped and landed butt-first on a prickly-pear cactus. As soon as war broke out, he took his submarine back to Ellwood and shelled the oil refinery. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/6/834676.jpg)
There's a real "Fortress of Solitude," and only Superman could hang out in it.
![The real Superman Fortress of Solitude is a gorgeous, inhospitable cavern of giant crystals. It is so close to an enormous underground magma chamber that air temperatures reach up to 136 degrees Fahrenheit. This, combined with constant humidity that hovers near 100 percent, renders much of the magnificent site unexplorable. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/8/3/834683.jpg)
Simpsons writers didn't know "steamed hams" were a real thing when they wrote the episode.
![Steamed hams are a real food item that predate the Simpsons episode. Ted's Restaurant in Meridian, Connecticut, claims to be the original home of the steamed cheeseburger and celebrates steaming hams since 1959. Ted Oakley, who wrote the now immortal sketch, had no idea that steamed hamburgers were a real thing. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/8/5/834685.jpg)
The "Robin Williams" cut of Mrs. Doubtfire is not for kids.
![There is an R-rated cut of Mrs. Doubtfire somewhere. Chris Columbus, the film's director, alleges that due to Robin Williams' improvisation, there exists a PG rated version of the film, PG-13, R, and NC-17. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/4/834674.jpg)
An R-Rated Version of 'Mrs. Doubtfire' Exists Somewhere Thanks To Robin Williams
Someone had to have surgery while wearing a monster costume.
![An actor in a Godzilla movie had to have emergency surgery while still in costume. During 1971's Godzilla vs the Smog Monster, actor Kenpachiro Satsuma, who was playing Hedorah, had to have an emergency appendectomy. Time was of the essence and it would have taken too long to get him out of the suit. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/8/834678.jpg)
McDonald's spies on their employees if they try to get better pay.
![McDonald's has intelligence units based in Chicago and London tasked with monitoring Fight For $15 activities. McDonald's M ماكدونالدز البيال В Bim 2 G SO parten King Fal A The units use social media monitoring tools to track McDonald's employees sympathetic to the movement. This included using fake Facebook profiles to befriend workers involved in protests in order to reconstruct their friends lists and networks. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/9/834679.jpg)
The Wiggles were actually rock stars.
![The Wiggles used to be known as the Cockroaches, and were huge in the '80s. The Cockroaches were a huge deal in Australia in the '80s. They weren't very well known outside of the country, but in 1987, they had a top 10 platinum album and played 300 shows a year. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/5/834675.jpg)
Blue's Clues almost replaced their host with John Cena.
![John Cena auditioned for Blue's Clues. After Steve's replacement on Blue's Clues, Donovan Patton, left, the show went off the air for 13 years until it was rebooted in 2019. One of the thousands of replacements considered for Patton was John Cena. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/8/7/834687.jpg)
One elephant can use his trunk to mimic words.
![An elephant taught himself Korean. Scientists studying a male Asian elephant named Koshik discovered that he learned to imitate certain human sounds by putting his trunk in his mouth to change the shape of his vocal tract. Не could reportedly say Korean words like annyong (hello). CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/7/3/834673.jpg)
King Kong was going to be about real animals fighting.
![The original King Kong idea was bananas. King Kong director and screenwriter Merian C. Cooper originally proposed flying to Africa, capturing an actual live gorilla, and then taking it to the island of Komodo where they would force it to brawl with a giant lizard while the cameras rolled. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/8/1/834681.jpg)
5 Stories That Prove King Kong Movies Were Fueled By Madness
Mr. Rogers' weight was a coded message.
![Mr. Rogers always weighed 143 pounds. In Mr. Rogers' mind, 143 was the number of letters it takes to say I love you. Journalist and longtime friend Tom Junod described this commitment to 143 as a gift, as a destiny to be fulfilled. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/6/8/0/834680.jpg)