Polling serves as a vital barometer for gauging the public’s sentiment on a wide array of topics, and it’s supposed to be both scientific and impartial. Yet, as we’ll see, the numbers can sometimes take wildly unexpected turns.
10 Jesus and Ric Flair Nearly Won a Time Person of the Century Poll
In the nascent era of online voting, many organizations hadn’t yet realized the pandora’s box they were opening by allowing participants to submit free‑form answers. A simple yes/no poll is one thing, but inviting write‑ins invites a whole new level of chaos.
Approaching the millennium, Time magazine conceived a grand poll to decide who would be named Person of the Century. Millions cast their votes, yet Time failed to anticipate coordinated groups that could flood the system with duplicate ballots, deliberately skewing the results.
Die‑hard fans of former wrestling legend Ric Flair mobilized en masse, pushing his name into the upper echelons of the tally. More than 310,000 votes were logged for Flair, slotting him into second place behind an even more surprising contender: Jesus.
A third‑place finish, with over 100,000 votes, went to Adolf Hitler, underscoring just how far the poll had drifted into absurdity. Time’s editors eventually stripped Jesus from the list for not being born in the century and removed Hitler for obvious moral reasons.
Flair’s removal was justified on the grounds that the name represented a character—Richard Fliehr—rather than a real individual, rendering him ineligible as well.
9 Astronomers Polled The Public to Choose the Name of the Color of the Universe
Scientists sometimes need a splash of creativity to draw the public into their work. At Johns Hopkins University, astronomers took a playful approach when they revisited their calculation of the universe’s average hue.
Initially, the cosmic canvas was labeled aquamarine, but a mathematical slip‑up forced a recalculation. The revised computation yielded a far more muted shade—beige. To add a dash of fun, the team opened the floor to the public, asking for a catchy name for this universal beige.
After gathering suggestions, the winning moniker emerged: cosmic latte, a whimsical nod to the color’s coffee‑like tone.
8 Kurt Russell Was Polled as Having Zero Unlikeability
If you’re a fan of Kurt Russell, you’re probably not alone—statistics once showed that essentially everyone liked him, at least for a period of time.
Pinpointing his absolute favorite film is a challenge, yet his résumé boasts classics such as The Thing, Escape From New York, Big Trouble in Little China, and his iconic turn as Captain Jack O’Neill in the 1994 blockbuster Stargate. That movie sparked a successful TV franchise, cementing Russell’s connection to one of sci‑fi’s biggest legacies.
Back in 1994, a poll revealed that Russell was the sole Hollywood actor to register zero unlikeability. The logic was simple: the role he was cast in wasn’t particularly likable, so producers wanted a universally beloved star to carry it.
The result? He negotiated a salary boost—essentially doubling his pay—thanks to the favorable poll numbers.
7 Mountain Dew Polled Users for a New Name That Resulted in Chaos
In 2012, Mountain Dew launched a cleverly titled “Dub the Dew” contest, inviting fans to suggest a fresh name for an upcoming flavor. The plan was straightforward: the most‑voted name would become official.
Predictably, the top entries turned out to be wildly inappropriate, including “Hitler Did Nothing Wrong,” “Diabeetus,” and an offensive reference to grandmothers. One mischievous user even hacked the site, inserting a thank‑you note to the Israeli Mossad for orchestrating 9/11, plus links that led to classic rickroll videos.
Given the offensive nature of the leading suggestions, Mountain Dew scrapped the entire poll and abandoned the naming initiative altogether.
6 Only 15% of Americans Polled Thought We’d Reach The Moon By 1999
Polling can reveal fascinating snapshots of public imagination, especially when the methodology is scientific yet unmoored from strict logic. One striking example comes from a 1949 Gallup poll that asked Americans to forecast future scientific milestones.
Only 15% of respondents believed a human would set foot on the moon by the year 1999. In stark contrast, the same poll showed that 88% of participants expected a cure for cancer to be achieved by that same deadline.
The public’s optimism didn’t stop there—an impressive 63% of those surveyed also anticipated the advent of nuclear‑powered automobiles and aircraft by the close of the 20th century.
5 A Poll To Choose the Best Rock Supergroup Ever Picked a Band That Already Exists
Fan‑casting isn’t limited to movies; it even extends to music. In 2005, a British poll asked rock enthusiasts to assemble their ultimate supergroup by selecting the finest vocalist, guitarist, bassist, and drummer from any era.
Participants could nominate legends like Freddie Mercury, Jimi Hendrix, or Keith Moon. The outcome, however, was surprisingly unoriginal: the poll crowned Robert Plant as the top singer, Jimmy Page as the premier guitarist, John Paul Jones on bass, and John Bonham on drums—all members of Led Zeppelin. In other words, the imagined supergroup already existed.
4 Polling Showed Justin Bieber Was More Hated Than Convicted Murderers
If you grew up in the 2010s, you probably remember the intense backlash against pop star Justin Bieber. The disdain went far beyond typical fan fatigue, reaching near‑viral levels of animosity.
In a 2013 musician‑focused poll, Bieber earned a staggering 54% unfavorable rating and a mere 20% likability score. Only Chris Brown, amid his own legal troubles, fared worse.
A year later, a broader poll that encompassed all public figures placed Bieber as the fifth most hated man in America. Shockingly, he ranked above convicted murderers such as Phil Spector, who was serving a life sentence, and Aaron Hernandez, recently arrested for triple homicide.
Only a handful of individuals outranked him: O.J. Simpson, Bernie Madoff, Dr. Conrad Murray (Michael Jackson’s physician), and the outright most‑hated figure, former LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling, whose racist remarks earned him the top spot.
3 A Japanese Poll Chose Ramen as the Country’s Greatest Invention
Japan is renowned for its technological breakthroughs, but when asked to name its single greatest invention, the public’s choice was delightfully culinary.
In the year 2000, the Fuji Research Institute surveyed 2,000 adult Tokyo residents to determine Japan’s most iconic creation. The clear winner: ramen noodles, with karaoke taking second place.
While Japan has gifted the world with the Walkman, VHS, emojis, and LED lighting, it turns out a comforting bowl of noodles earned the top spot in the hearts of its own citizens.
2 17% of AirPod Users Wear Them During Sex
Do you keep your AirPods in at all times? Since their debut, these wireless earbuds have become a staple for millions, offering a personal soundtrack that shields wearers from surrounding chatter.
A recent survey of just over 1,000 participants, conducted by a ticket‑selling platform, explored the intersection of music and intimacy. The startling finding: a full 17% of AirPod owners admitted they never remove the earbuds during sexual activity.
The study didn’t specify what, if anything, the respondents were listening to, nor did it clarify whether their partners were also plugged in. Nonetheless, the statistic highlights a quirky overlap between technology and private moments.
1 4% of Americans Said They’d Been Decapitated
Not every poll yields reliable data; researchers know that a certain percentage of responses are bound to be bogus, whether due to malicious intent, misunderstanding, or sheer inattentiveness. Estimates suggest that between 4% and 7% of online poll answers are essentially nonsense.
A striking example: 4% of Americans reported in a poll that they had been decapitated at some point in their lives. Medical science confirms that surviving a full decapitation is virtually impossible, casting serious doubt on the validity of that result.
Such anomalies fuel sensational headlines. For instance, a separate poll claimed that 7% of Americans believe chocolate milk comes from brown cows—another humorous illustration of how misleading or poorly worded questions can generate absurd answers.
Whether caused by joke‑responses, misinterpretations, or deliberate sabotage, these outlandish figures remind us that poll data must always be scrutinized for accuracy and context.