Scrunchies Have People Believing They're Experiencing A Mandela Effect

Who knew a ponytail had so much history?

TikTok users have recently been wondering if they're experiencing Mandela effects. Like this Lilo and Stitch scene where Lilo runs into the laundry room and hides from Nani:

Disney

The scene above was proven NOT to be a Mandela effect, though! The first edition of the DVD shows the scene with a dryer, but the later editions were edited to address safety concerns. Basically, Disney didn't want to set the example of children crawling in dryers — so their solution was to change the dryer into a pizza box.

Anyway, there's more! TikTok user @haleygloverr17 recently discovered that scrunchies are called "Scünci" on the packaging:

But it's not a Mandela effect because they have always been named "Scünci." It's time for a little history lesson on why an "r" was added. Pull up a seat, my friends.

tiktok.com

The scrunchie was first invented back in the '60s by a man named Philips E. Meyers...but it didn't take off.

Instagram: @slummythomas

Fast-forward to the '80s, when a nightclub singer named Rommy Revson basically created the same thing. She wanted a more gentle version of hair ties that used metal. Her design was inspired by the waistband of her pajama pants. She named it a "Scunci" after her pet toy poodle.

Fotojagodka / Getty Images

She had it patented and people LOVED it. I mean, have you seen pictures from the '80s?!

NBC

The patent was later licensed to Scunci International, where they altered the name to include a diaeresis over the "ü." However, people eventually started calling the "Scünci" a "Scrunchie" because — you guessed it — the fabric scrunches up! Scunci International has claimed it was a natural evolution. So, there you have it. That's why we call the "Scünci" a "Scrunchie."

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