Would you ever expect a government to ban a family film from release? Since they are based at a young audience, family films usually do not contain content that would anger film censors. But these films—which certainly look “kid-friendly” on the surface—were prohibited from being screened in certain countries for surprising reasons that don’t always make sense. Is it true that you can find a controversy in everything? Or were these films banned for legitimate reasons? Let’s find out.

SEE ALSO: 10 Beloved Children’s Books Banned For Stupid Reasons

10 Every Marx Brothers Movie (Germany)

The Marx Brothers are a comedy staple. Between 1905 and 1949, they made thirteen feature films, several of which are considered the funniest movies of all time. But between 1933 and 1945, you couldn’t watch any of their films in Germany for one simple reason—the members of the famous comedy troupe were Jewish. However, Germany wasn’t the only country to ban the Marx Brothers’ films. Italy banned their 1933 film “Duck Soup” because Prime Minister Benito Mussolini viewed the film as a personal attack, and Ireland banned their 1931 film “Monkey Business” for appearing to promote anarchism (although they later permitted a cut version of the film).^[1]

9Beauty and the Beast, 2017 (Kuwait and Malaysia)

Controversy found its way to the 2017 “Beauty and the Beast” remake when, prior to the film’s release, director Bill Condon mentioned a “gay moment” in the film. Kuwait and Malaysia (both primarily Muslim countries) banned the film for its homosexual undertones, although the only “gay” activity actually appearing on-screen is a three-second clip of two men dancing. However, Malaysia later gave the green light to an uncut version of the film, released with a P13 rating, with the Malaysia Ministry of Home Affairs saying that “the gay elements in the film are minor, and [do] not affect the positive elements featured in the film”.^[2]

8 The Barnyard Battle (Germany)

Germany censored the 1929 Mickey Mouse short “The Barnyard Battle”, which features an army of cats fighting an army of mice, because the cats’ headgear resembles a German military helmet known as the “pickelhaube”. Both the United Kingdom and Germany banned another Mickey Mouse short, “The Mad Doctor”, for its horror elements.^[3]

7 Little Women (Manila)

In 1998, actress Claire Danes described Manila as “smell[ing] of cockroaches, with rats all over”, and made several other disparaging remarks about the city. Because of this, the Philippine government declared her “persona non grata” and Manila placed a ban on all films starring her, even “Little Women”, one of her best-reviewed films of all time as well as an established family classic. Although Danes later apologized for her comments, the ban on her films remains in effect.^[4]

6 Barney’s Great Adventure (Malaysia)

This one is a bit of a mystery. Malaysia banned the 1998 film “Barney’s Great Adventure” for being “unsuitable for children to watch”. Parents and educators have long criticized Barney for offering children “a one-dimensional world where everyone must be happy”, leading to several offensive parodies of the franchise, some of which resulted in legal cases. However, while Barney is one of the most hated franchises of all time, no reason was ever given for why exactly the movie was “unsuitable”.^[5]

5Abominable (Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia)

Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia all banned “Abominable”, a DreamWorks Animation film featuring the adventures of a Yeti and an adventurous girl. Why? Because the film uses a map which features a variant of the “nine-dash line”, a controversial demarcation line used to claim total Chinese ownership of a section of the South China Sea that multiple countries (including Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia) have territorial claims over.^[6]

4Back to the Future (China)

China banned “Back to the Future” for depicting—of all things—time travel. The State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television explained the ban by saying that time travel in media treats “serious history in a frivolous way, which should by no means be encouraged anymore”. The ban might not make very much sense, but, then again, neither did “Back to the Future”.^[7]

3 Wonder Woman (Arab League)

You probably would not be able to guess offhand why the Arab League banned “Wonder Woman”. Lebanon pulled the film from distribution because Gal Gadot, the lead actress, served for two years in the Israeli Defense Force and has expressed support for Israel on social media. Because of their history of conflicts with Israel, Lebanon bans the purchase of Israeli products (although Lebanon did allow the release of the film “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice” featuring Gadot, despite a movement to boycott it). Rania Masri, a member of the Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel—Lebanon, said releasing “Wonder Woman” in Lebanon would be “normalizing relations with an enemy state”, something they refuse to do. Tunisia and Qatar also banned the film, for much the same reasons.^[8]

2 Shrek 2 (Israel)

While Lebanon banned “Wonder Woman” based on its lead, Israel banned a film for a completely different reason. Israel blocked the sequel to DreamWorks Animation’s popular film “Shrek” for a joke in the Hebrew dub about popular Israeli singer David Daor. Apparently because of the singer’s famed falsetto, a character threatens to emasculate another by saying “Let’s do a David Daor on him”. “This film intends to present me, in perpetuity, as a eunuch, a man with no testicles, and turn me into a laughing stock,” Daor said to an Israeli newspaper. A Tel Aviv District Court had the film removed from a handful of theaters before the distributors of the Hebrew dub decided to change the line to “let’s take a sword and neuter him”, satisfying Daor’s lawyers.^[9]

1 Christopher Robin (China and Taiwan)

This incident takes the number-one spot because it remains the only case in which a country blocked a film from release because of an Internet meme. That’s right, after a slew of memes spread by PewDiePie (banned for the same reason) in July 2017 comparing Chinese leader Xi Jinping to children’s book character Winnie-the-Pooh, China blocked references to Winnie on social media. This led to “Christopher Robin”, a film adapted from the Winnie-the-Pooh stories, being denied a release in China.^[10]

About The Author: Izak Bulten is an animator and amateur film historian who loves writing articles about conspiracy theories, pop culture, and “crazy-but-true” stories. He’s created logic puzzles for World Sudoku Champion Thomas Synder’s blog, “The Art of Puzzles“, and the e-book “The Puzzlemaster’s Workshop”. More recently, he’s been writing animation news for his blog, “The Magic Lantern Show“.

Declaring war is normally considered to be an act of last resort. After all, we reason, no one would risk the safety of their people over a trivial slight.

Would they?

We may hope that all governments would put the interest of their people first, but, if we look to history for examples, we can see that people have declared war on their enemies, their neighbors and even their friends for the most trivial of reasons, and sometimes for no reason at all.

Here are 10 times battle was fought over absolutely nothing.

See Also: 10 Incredible Historic Sites We Lost Forever (Due To Stupidity)

10 Cake Wars

In 1821, Mexico achieved independence from Spain, and, as always in times of political change, this caused a certain amount of civil unrest. In the years that followed, there was often fighting between government forces and rebels, which resulted in damage to the properties of the Mexican people.

One of these properties, near Mexico City, belonged to a French pastry chef.

The chef was unhappy that his bakery had been ransacked and his petit fours stolen by sweet-toothed looters. He applied to the Mexican government for compensation. The government had bigger problems to worry about than his buns, and sent him packing.

The chef, however, was a man of resolve. He decided that, as a French citizen, he would appeal directly to the King of France for help. As it happened, the French government were none too pleased with Mexico over something or other.

They demanded that the Mexican government pay hefty compensation to the baker.

Mexico refused.

In 1838, the French navy began to blockade ports all along the Gulf of Mexico, and the United States lent France a hand in case they ran out of ships. When the blockade did not produce results, the French began to bomb Mexico.

Mexico declared war on France and ordered that all able men be conscripted.

The French, however, were better organised and within days they had captured the entire Mexican navy. Mexico rallied and began to drive the French troops from Mexican soil, back to their ships, and the fight went on.

In all, the Pastry War lasted 4 months until, finally, Mexico agreed to pay compensation to the chef, and the French forces withdrew.

To eat cake.

9 The War over a Pig and Some Potatoes

The Oregon Treaty of 1846, which marked the boundary of America along the 49th parallel, caused something of a problem for the island’s around Vancouver, especially for the island of San Juan, which lay at the mouth of the channel and which was, therefore, strategically important. Both America and Britain laid claim to San Juan, but, for a while, British and American settlers coexisted peacefully on the island.

Until one day in 1859, when a pig wandered over from the British side of the island and helped himself to some potatoes planted by a neighboring farmer on the American side of the line.

The American farmer shot the potato-rustling pig, which happened to belong to an employee of the Hudson Bay company.

The pig owner demanded justice.

The farmer offered him $10.

The pig owner, however, was not satisfied. He reported the ‘murder’ to the British authorities, who threatened to arrest the farmer.

Then things got really weird. The American got up a petition demanding the protection of the US Military, and a company of the 9th Infantry Battalion was sent to the island.

The British countered by sending 3 warships, and a tense stand-off ensued, a Bay of Pigs type incident, involving actual pigs.

The stand-off lasted a month.

By this time, the warring parties were said to number 3 warships, 84 guns and over 2,600 men. The British were then ordered to land their troops on San Juan island, and engage the Americans in battle. At which, finally, common sense prevailed. Admiral Robert Baynes refused to obey orders, saying, he would not “involve two great nations in a war over a squabble about a pig”.

8The ‘Hey, That’s My Chair’ War

The Ashanti Kingdom, now part of modern-day Ghana, was once coveted by the British Empire. King Prempeh, in 1896, refused to become part of the British Protectorate, and so the British forcibly ‘protected’ his kingdom. The Ashanti people did not give up easily however, and fought bitterly against their invaders.

The Golden Stool was a symbol of power in the Ashanti Kingdom. It was supposed to have descended from the sky to land at the feet of the first King of Ashanti, and was believed to hold the soul of the Ashanti nation.

Made from solid gold, the stool was only 18 inches high and 24 inches long, and was considered so sacred, that no one was allowed to sit on it. It was an artifact of immense cultural significance. And then, in 1900, the British Governor of the Gold Coast, Sir Frederick Hodgson, decided that he would quite like to sit on it.

In fact, he demanded to sit on it.

The Ashanti people were outraged, and a fierce war broke out, during which 2,000 Ashanti people and 1,000 British troops died. The war raged for 6 months, until Yaa Asantewaa, the Queen Mother and Gate Keeper of the Golden Stool, was captured.

The stool, however, was not found. It was hidden from the British for many years before it was finally restored to its ceremonial home.

7 There’s a War in My Bucket

Italy, in 1325, was a divided country, divided into those who believed in the supremacy of the Holy Roman Emperor, and those who submitted only to the Pope. That struggle had been ongoing for 200 years, and outbreaks of violence between the 2 sides often started over trivial matters.

The clash of 1325, which resulted in the death of thousands of men, however, was particularly notable, as it began over a wooden bucket. The neighboring towns of Modena and Bologna, held opposing views in the Emperor vs Pope debate. The ruler of Modena encouraged attacks on Bologna. The Pope declared him to be an enemy of the church and offered indulgences to anyone who attacked him.

There were several border skirmishes, where each side would raid an area, slaughter the inhabitants, burn fields and crops and retreat back to their own side.

And then the Modenese soldiers made it to the center of Bologna, where an oak bucket sat next to a well. The bucket was filled with goods which the Bolognans were in the process of hiding from the invaders.

The Modenese stole the bucket, and its contents, took it back to Modena, and displayed it next to their well.

Bologna declared war on Modena. At once the Pope and the Emperor joined the fight. The Pope sent 30,000 soldiers and 2000 knights on horseback. The Emperor sent 5000 soldiers and 2000 mounted knights. In a war that lasted several months, 2,000 men died, until Modena finally won.

The bucket was displayed in the Cathedral at Modena, as a symbol of their victory.

Despite this display of magnanimity, skirmishes continued to break out for another 200 years. Can’t think why.

6 The Soccer War 1969

Every 4 years the soccer World Cup intensifies local rivalries. Usually this is friendly rivalry, or is, perhaps, confined to singing rude songs about the opposition. In 1969, however, things got just a little bit more serious when Honduras and El Salvador fell out while trying to qualify for the 1970 World Cup.

The first leg was played in Honduras, and the Honduran’s won 1-0. The second leg was played in El Salvador, which the El Salvadorians won 3-0.

The Hondurans did not take defeat well. The large Salvadorian communities in Honduras came under attack with many people dragged from their homes and beaten. Shotguns were even fired into supporter’s coaches, and similar incidents had occurred in El Salvador against the Hondurans. It was clear that both sets of supporters bore a grudge.

A play off match was due to take place in Mexico.

Tensions were running high. The match was tied at the final whistle, but, after extra time El Salvador won 3-2.

Which should have settled the matter. However, El Salvador, angry that Honduras “has not taken any effective measures to punish these crimes which constitute genocide” severed diplomatic ties and attacked several Honduran targets via their Air Force.

And, for good measure, they invaded Honduras.

After 4 days of fighting, El Salvador was persuaded to withdraw its troops. It is estimated that each side had around 2,000 dead and injured and some 300,000 of the Salvadorans who had been living in Honduras had been displaced in the unrest following the match.

A soccer match.

5When Someone Got the Hump Over a Camel

Some neighbors just don’t get on. Take the tribes of Taghleb and Bakr, for example. They fought The Basus War for 40 years, over a camel.

It began when the leader of the Tagleb tribe killed a camel which strayed onto its land. Unfortunately, the camel belonged to the wife of the other tribe leader. A small matter, you might think, but when pride and honor are at stake, things can get heated quickly. The Tagleb leader was killed in retaliation, and the 2 tribes were instantly at war.

The Bakr leader, realizing that things had, perhaps got a little out of hand, sent his son to negotiate a truce.

The Taghleb’s killed him.

The Bakr leader swore vengeance and, neither side trusting the other, the fighting continued for 40 years.

4 The Poetry Battle

The Kurukshetra War is said to have broken out in the Indian kingdom of Kuru somewhere around 3000 BC, although estimations of the dates of the war have ranged widely. But no matter when it occurred, the events were recorded in one of the most famous Hindu epic poems, so we can rest assured that we know exactly what happened.

The Pandavas and the Kauravas were neighboring, and rival tribes. The trouble began over a game of dice between the sons of the reigning tribe leaders, which was always going to cause trouble. The trouble got worse when the Kauravas son decided to cheat. When he ‘won’ the right to rule the entire Pandavas kingdom for 13 years, all on the throw of a loaded dice, feelings ran high.

According to the poem, the Pandavas honored the dodgy bet and went into exile, at the end of which the Kauravas refused to hand back the territory, denying all knowledge of the agreed terms. The Pandavas were left with no choice but to declare war.

So far, so plausible.

A full-scale war ensued, which, according to the poem at least, resulted in a death toll that made World War I look like a skirmish.

Perhaps the casualty rate of 2 million was slightly over-inflated, but, the Kauravas did insult Lord Krishna, who had condescended to try and mediate the dispute. Annoying a deity is always good for pushing up the death toll. (And it wasn’t just soldiers that died. There were, apparently, also 390,000 elephants and over a million horses)

The two sides drew up detailed Rules of Engagement to ensure fair play, which included, no fighting after dark, only one-on-one fighting allowed, and both fighters having equal weaponry. There was also some guff about not killing women, the wounded, or animals, but it was all pretty irrelevant because neither side stuck to the code.

The war lasted 18 days, at the end of which there was almost no one left. The Pandavas, with the help of Lord Krishna, technically won, though by that time it must have all looked a bit moot.

Although not all the details of the war can be verified, and some are almost certainly exaggerated, it is generally accepted that some sort of war took place between the two tribes, and quite possibly as a result of the crooked game.

3 The War of the Stray Dog

Greece and Bulgaria have had an historically difficult relationship, and in the early 1920s tensions were at their height. Gangs of men from both countries would cross the border to steal property and livestock from their neighbors, and these raids would often end in bloody violence.

Sometimes it is difficult to identify a single inciting incident in a conflict, but in October 1925, there could be no doubt. The ensuing war was caused by a stray dog. At a border crossing, a playful dog, oblivious of nationality, managed to get off his leash went for a run around. His owner, a Greek soldier, took a few steps into Bulgarian territory to catch his dog, whereupon a Bulgarian sentry shot him.

Both sides immediately opened fire, before a Greek officer waving a white flag, crossed into no-mans land to appeal for calm. The Bulgarians shot him too.

The skirmish was the first test of strength for the new Greek military dictator, and he responded decisively. He gave Bulgaria 48 hours to apologize, arrest the snipers and compensate the families of the victims. Then, without waiting the 48 hours, he invaded Bulgaria anyway.

The Greek army were not restrained. They looted and pillaged their way across Bulgaria, burning villages in their path.

Bulgaria pushed back.

Greece decided to call on its allies, and invited Serbia to join them in defending the honor of the dog.

Bulgaria went to the League of Nations for protection.

The war escalated quickly, and at least 50 people were killed as a result. The League of Nations judged Greece to be the aggressor and demanded that they pay compensation. The Greek dictator was humiliated and soon found himself overthrown.

The entire incident served to demonstrate how a small incident can have unintended and far reaching consequences and why it is extremely important to always keep your dog on a leash.

2 The Bird Poop War

When thinking about precious commodities, bird poop isn’t usually the first thing that springs to mind. Most people find it more of an annoyance than anything else. But in 1864, Spain attacked Peru (not for the first time), in order to get their hands on Peruvian bird poop.

This particular bird poop, or guano as it was also called, was discovered to be excellent fertilizer, and 30 times more potent than cow manure. The Spanish couldn’t get enough of it.

However, the Peruvians had been beaten by the Spanish before. They may have lost the gold, but they were determined to keep the dung. They knew all about its miraculous growing properties.

Spain decided to occupy the Chinca Islands, where the roads were, literally, paved with guano, until they could come to an agreement.

Peru called in its navy, and its neighbor, Chile, joined in the fight, which lasted 2 years, after which Peru managed to take back control of the Poop Islands, which are still rich in, er, natural resources and which you may, or may not, like to know, you can still visit today.

1 The Never-ending War

The Hatfields and the McCoys were two families who lived along the border between West Virginia and Kentucky around the time of the civil war.

The Hatfields and McCoys did not like each other.

The families had been on opposite sides during the war and it is probably fair to say that both families were as bad as each other.

The real trouble, however, began with the murder of a McCoy by, it was suspected, a Hatfield.

The feud simmered on, and a McCoy claimed that a Hatfield had stolen his pig. The McCoy claimed to be able to identify the pig by the markings on his ear. The Hatfields claimed that the mark was, in fact, a Hatfield mark.

A judge ruled in favor of the Hatfields.

1-1.

Then a witness who had testified at the pig trial was found murdered. Two McCoys were tried, but acquitted, of murder on the grounds of self-defense.

Still 1-1

Then one of the McCoy women went to live with a Hatfield, which would have been 2-1 to the Hatfields, but the woman soon returned to her own family. When the two lovers tried to reconcile in secret, the Hatfield boy was arrested on the say-so of the McCoys on a bootlegging charge

2-1 to the McCoys.

The McCoy woman, distraught at losing her lover, rode through the night to warn the Hatfields, who rescued him from the McCoys.

2-2.

Despite the McCoy woman’s courage in rescuing her lover, the lover turned out to be not worth the effort, and he abandoned her when she became pregnant.

3-2 to the Hatfields

Then he took up with her cousin, also a McCoy

4-2

And so, it went on.

A Hatfield was stabbed 26 times, his McCoy assailants were tied to a tree and shot.

Another McCoy killed another Hatfield.

Another Hatfield returned the favor

Then, on New Year’s Eve 1888, several members of the Hatfield clan surrounded the McCoys’ cabin and opened fire on the family while they slept. They set the cabin on fire, killing 2 of the children, and they beat a woman almost to death.

Some McCoys escaped into nearby woods, only to succumb to frostbite.

By this time, no one knew the score.

A posse, which included some of the few remaining McCoys, set out to track down the Hatfields. They shot and killed one Hatfield and several supporters before cornering the rest of them at Grapevine Creek.

But the Hatfields were prepared.

A vicious battle ensued, and at its conclusion, the few Hatfields and McCoys
who had survived the battle were arrested. Some were sentenced to life in prison, and one was hanged.

Final score: Nil—Nil

About The Author: Ward Hazell is a freelance writer and travel writer, currently also studying for a PhD in English Literature

Some criminals are meticulous in their planning. They will stalk a victim and commit their nefarious deeds with a mind to how they will escape authorities and never be tied to the scene of the crime. There have been killers that actually shaved their bodies and wore clean suits ahead of time just so they would leave no evidence that they were involved. But for all the planning that some killers do ahead of time, it’s the stupid mistakes that they make afterwards that often end up being their downfall. 

10. Ted Bundy Stole a Car

During Ted Bundy’s reign of terror, the serial killer was responsible for at least 30 murders over a span of about 5 years. It’s very likely that he committed many other crimes that we’ll never know about. Bundy was known to be a charming man, and he was considered handsome as well. These were two traits that helped him gain the confidence of many of his victims. His M.O. was used as a part of the movie The Silence of the Lambs. He would approach his victims during the day, in public places, pretending to be disabled and in need of help. Seeing such a charming but helpless man lulled a lot of people into a false sense of safety. Then he would knock them unconscious and kidnap them before sexually assaulting and murdering them.

The full details of exactly what he did are widely available and also remarkably disturbing and gruesome. He had been a psychology student in University and was well-liked by other students and his professors.  He even got into law school in the early 1970s. It seems like the only reason he didn’t finish was that he was too busy committing murders. When authorities turned their eye to Bundy in 1975 after he was charged with assault and kidnapping, he left Colorado in favour of Florida and continued his crime spree. 

Bundy was initially caught because he was driving with no lights on in the early morning. When the police inspected his car, it was full of what we consider today to be a host of creepy items including a ski mask, an ice pick, and handcuffs. Unfortunately, all that they charged him with was kidnapping. He managed to escape from prison later, and then was caught again when he made an illegal turn in a stolen vehicle. Once again he managed to escape from prison, and once again he was caught in a stolen car.

Had he not chosen to steal a car for the second and third times he was caught, he might have gotten away with everything for an indefinite time.

9. Golden State Killer Left Old DNA

Tons of people get suckered into the allure of sites like Ancestry.com or 23andMe. Who wouldn’t be excited to find out that they are 11.6% Atlantean, 35.6% Scottish, and 0.4% French Canadian? If you’re a serial killer, however, then these online DNA registries could be your undoing.

Law enforcement use the site called GEDMatch to upload a DNA sample they had from the Golden State Killer left at a crime scene from the 1980s. that site is a free online database where anyone can post their genetic data that they received from a site like 23andMe or Ancestry.com. Most people use it to help find distant relatives they didn’t know about who also uploaded their DNA results. But the police used it to track down anyone who was genetically related to the Golden State killer, a serial killer who had been at large for decades. They ended up finding a few cousins.

Using the other information available to them, law enforcement was able to narrow down who the killer was based on approximate age and the location of the crimes. They subsequently caught and arrested Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. The former police officer had committed 13 murders, 50 rapes, and well over 100 burglaries between 1973 and 1986. 

The DNA that the killer has left at the scene was utterly useless to law enforcement before this. While it’s a great way to identify a suspect, you do need to match it to a suspect. Since the police had none, the DNA was like a fingerprint with no finger to match it to. But the killer’s family members had at some point in time had their DNA tested. Had it not been for the novelty of modern DNA testing, the killer might have never been caught.

8. Randy Kraft Drove Drunk

Randy Kraft was known as the Scorecard Killer among other colorful mantis the media gave him for his murder spree that lasted nearly a decade from the early ’70s into the early 1980s. He killed at least 16 young men, but it’s thought that’s the true number may get well over 50.

Kraft got the nickname Scorecard Killer after he was caught, and it was discovered that he had literally kept a kind of scorecard that was written in code referencing various aspects of his victims. Some of them included initials for the victims that he killed while others detailed the various ways he had mutilated their bodies.

Kraft had long been a suspect in the murders and had even been arrested before. Authorities were not able to make any charges stick, as there was little evidence tying him to the murders. In fact, when police did try to charge him with a murder, the Los Angeles District Attorney dismissed the request of the investigating officers because the coroner had concluded the particular victim in this case had died of accidental drowning and not murder. That was in 1975.

It would not be until 1983 after Kraft had murdered several more victims that the California Highway Patrol caught sight of him driving erratically down Interstate 5. After he performed an illegal lane change, the officers pulled him over on suspicion of drunk driving. They discovered that there was actually a dead body in the passenger seat at the time. Police uncovered a mountain of forensic evidence including blood from other victims, numerous Polaroids of victims, and the affirmation scorecard detailing his crimes.

7. Alexander Bychkov Robbed a Store

Russian serial killer Alexander Bychkov was convicted of murdering nine men. His victims were typically older, sometimes homeless men, and Bychkov is known to have cannibalized the victims.

Many of Bychkov’s crimes were committed in the same way. He would meet an older man at a bar who was either homeless or an alcoholic and invite them back to his place after a night of drinking. He would then kill them and dismember their bodies.

Bychkov caught a break in 2010 when police arrested another man for the crimes and managed to get a confession out of him. The man was mentally ill, and it’s believed the confession was coerced.

Two years later, Bychkov robbed a hardware store of several knives and about $300 worth of cash. After he was arrested, police searched his home and found a diary in which he details the life and murders. If not for the robbery, he might have been able to continue for quite a while.

6. Arthur Shawcross Returned to a Body to Have Lunch

Arthur Shawcross was known to the media as the Genesee River Killer. From 1972 until 1989, he is known to have killed at least 14 victims. He was drafted into the army to serve in Vietnam and used to boast about the horrible crimes he committed there, including beheadings and more, all of which turned out to be false since he was never in active combat.

Once he was out of the army his crime spree started with burglary and arson. He was sentenced to 22 months in prison and actually got out early after saving the life of a prison guard during a riot. The next year he killed his first victim,  a 10-year-old boy. Shortly thereafter he murdered his second victim, and eight-year-old girl and was arrested the very next day for the crime. Lawyers let him plead down to manslaughter for both murders. He was released after serving 14 years, deemed to be no longer dangerous.

In 1988, Shawcross killed again, and continued to do so for at least 11 victims. Police were able to catch him in 1990 when he was captured on camera from a surveillance helicopter parked near the body of his latest victim, eating lunch and pleasuring himself. Shawcross tried to plead insanity at his trial, but no one bought it. He was sentenced to 250 years and died in prison in 2008.

5. Jeffrey Dahmer Let His Final Would-Be Victim Use the Bathroom

One of the most famous and terrifying serial killers in modern memory, Jeffrey Dahmer’s downfall is that he decided to put some trust in one of his would-be victims. That misplaced trust saved the victim’s life, and who knows how many potential future victims as well.

From the late 70s into the early 1990s, Jeffrey Dahmer murdered, dismembered, and in some cases ate parts of 17 victims.  The full breadth of his crimes horrified the world and have been the subject of numerous documentaries and movies ever since.

Although Dahmer had experienced some near misses with law enforcement in the past, including one case in which a victim got away, and police actually brought the victim back to his home because he convinced the cops it was just a domestic dispute it wouldn’t be until 1991 when he made what ended up being a fatal mistake.

Dahmer had convinced a man named Tracy Edwards to come home with him. Once they were at Dahmer’s apartment, his intended victim was handcuffed and Dahmer explained that he wanted to take pictures of him and then eat his heart. Edwards assured Dahmer that he had no interest in running away from him and they could do whatever he wanted, but he wanted to go to the bathroom and maybe have a beer. Dahmer, for whatever reason, thought that was a good idea, so they went back to the living room together. Edwards proceeded to punch Dahmer in the face and run out the front door. 

Edwards returned to the apartment with police who discovered photographic evidence of Dahmer’s many crimes, and a severed head of the refrigerator. Dahmer ended up being sentenced to 16 life terms in prison, but only lasted a couple of years before he was murdered by other inmates in 1994. Had he not agreed to let Edwards go to the bathroom and had a beer, he might never have been caught.

4. Maury Travis Printed a Map

Maury Travis was a suspected serial killer. He was arrested for two murders and confessed to 17, although the true number is in dispute. Travis was caught after his local newspaper ran a story on the disappearance and murder of one victim which he had a problem with.

When police investigated Travis’s home, they found what was described as a torture chamber in the basement full of bondage equipment and other tools. They are also videotapes detailing his crimes. 

After the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote the article about one of his victims, Travis wrote them a letter in reply saying that he could show them where plenty more bodies were. He included a map in the letter that he printed from Expedia.com. Law enforcement was able to trace that map back to Travis’s computer and arrest him. He committed suicide in custody before he was able to stand trial.

3. Richard Kuklinski Bragged 

Some people are incapable of doing anything without telling other people about it. That’s kind of a big problem with social media. It was also an issue for Richard Kuklinski, serial killer and hitman.

Known as The Iceman, Kuklinski also had nicknames of the Devil Himself and One Man Army. Sounds like he was a scary guy, and he was convicted of five murders, though he is known to have committed numerous other crimes. Unfortunately for a Kuklinski, he just couldn’t keep his crimes to himself. 

An undercover federal agent managed to dupe Kuklinski into thinking he was a fellow criminal. The hitman spilled the beans on numerous crimes, detailing that he had laced hamburgers with cyanide and committed various other murders over the years, including how he got rid of the bodies afterwards. Lawyers tried to argue that Kuklinski was just blowing smoke when he made these statements and they weren’t real, but the problem was they matched up with real crimes. 

2. Neville Heath Signed a Hotel Registry

Leaving your ID at the scene of a crime is arguably one of the stupidest things you could do as a murderer,  possibly even more stupid would be signing your name at the scene because that actually takes extra effort to do. And that’s exactly what Neville Heath did.

Shortly after becoming engaged to a woman he just met, he hooked up with another woman and brought her back to his hotel room. Evidence discovered the next day suggested that he had tortured the woman before murdering her and leaving her in the room to be found by the house key for the next day. For whatever reason, however, he had signed the hotel registry with his real name when he checked in. 

In a baffling twist, after writing the police a letter saying that, sure it was his room but he let another guy use it, he then left town, checked into a different hotel using a fake name this time, and then murdered another woman the exact same way. He was found guilty at trial and executed by hanging in 1946. 

1. Henri Landru Bought One-Way Tickets

You can look at the way Henri Landru  was captured either as an example of the man’s over efficiency or his cheapest. In the early 1900s, Landru  was known to be a swindler of women. He would seduce lonely women out of their life savings and move on to someone else. It’s a con that still goes on today, but Landru took it a step further when he started committing murders.

Most of his victims were widows. Landru would meet them in his capacity as a furniture seller. After the women lost their husbands, they would come to him and attempt to sell some of their possessions. He would seduce them with promises that he could invest the little money they had,  before stealing it and disappearing.

He later upped his game by claiming that he was a wealthy widower in search of a woman who had also been widowed. He met numerous women this way, and while using numerous aliases he managed to convince these women to estrange themselves from their families to be with him and they were never seen again. This happened over and over until some families began to look into the disappearances of their loved ones.

Police were unable to find bodies when they began to investigate Landru,  but the man had a bad habit of keeping track of his finances in detail. This included the times that he would purchase train tickets for himself and his would-be brides. The problem was that he purchased round tickets for himself and one-way tickets for them. Not finding remains on the property of his home, neighbors pointed out that they had more than once seen thick black smoke coming from the chimney. When police searched his massive cast iron stove, they found human remains in the ashes.

Famous people, just like everyone else, make dumb mistakes. The only difference between those in the spotlight and your drunken, idiot uncle is the deluge of media coverage that accompanies these ill-advised blunders. Such is the price of fame. 

Here’s our top 10 list of celebs who made headlines for all the wrong reasons. 

10. Justin Bieber

In the early morning hours of January 23, 2014, Miami Beach police allegedly spotted two exotic sports cars drag racing down a residential street. One of the vehicles, a yellow Lamborghini Spyder, was driven by 19-year-old Justin Bieber accompanied by model Chantal Jeffries. After failing a field sobriety test, the Canadian pop star was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, resisting arrest without violence, and driving with an expired license.

According to the police report, Bieber’s entourage (which included his father) used several SUVs to block traffic, creating a drag strip for the singer to race his friend Khalil Amir Sharieff in a red Ferrari. The arresting officers estimated the cars were speeding at approximately 60 miles-per-hour in a 30 MPH zone. A toxicology test later revealed marijuana and Xanax in Bieber’s system.

The teen idol spent just under 10 hours in custody before being released on a $2,500 bond. He later recalled his harrowing ordeal in an interview, stating, “It was really cold. That was the worst part about it.” Bieber eventually reached a plea agreement in which the state agreed to drop the DUI charge in exchange for him pleading guilty to careless driving and resisting arrest. He also paid a $500 fine and was ordered to attend a 12-hour anger management course.  

9. Nicole Richie

Next up in our lineup involves another pint-sized offender who ran afoul of the law behind the wheel. In 2006, Nicole Richie, the waifish daughter of legendary singer Lionel Richie, drove her Mercedes-Benz SUV the wrong way on the Ventura Freeway just north of Los Angeles. Like her gal pal, Paris Hilton, she was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. Richie later admitted to smoking weed and popping Vicodin before hitting the road. 

The Simple Life co-star was sentenced to four days in jail at the Century Regional Detention Center in Lynwood, California, and fined $2,048. It was her second DUI conviction in three years. Due to overcrowding, she only served a little over an hour of actual hard time before being released. She then enrolled in a mandatory 18-month anti-drinking driver education program. 

8. Jim Morrison

As the lead singer of The Doors, Jim Morrison compiled an extensive arrest record before his death in 1971, thus earning permanent membership into the infamous “27 Club.” However, his first run-in with the law pales in comparison to the wild drug and alcohol fuelled shenanigans that marked his brief but colorful career.

While attending a football game at Florida State, Morrison stole an umbrella and a police officer’s helmet from a squad car. The Tallahassee Police Department charged him with “disturbing the peace by being drunk,” resisting arrest, and petty larceny. 

7. Eugene Robinson

Most athletes try to get a good night’s sleep to ensure peak performance — especially before playing in the Super Bowl. The Atlanta Falcons’ Eugene Robinson took a different approach, spending the night in jail after being arrested for solicitation of a prostitute from an undercover cop.

Despite his arrest, Robinson still suited up against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII. He probably should have stayed home and watched it on TV instead. The two-time All-Pro safety played dismally as the AFC champs romped to a 34-19 victory.

Robinson, a devout Christian, had recently received the Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award, given annually to a player “who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community.” He later returned the award.

6. Robert Downey Jr.

Coming home late at night and passing out is usually not a crime. Unless it happens to be in your neighbor’s house, which is where Robert Downey Jr. found himself on the night of July 16, 1996, in Malibu, California. The incident led to criminal charges of trespassing and more jail time, but the troubled actor soon faced much bigger problems while in the grips of severe drug and alcohol addiction.

Few movie stars have endured such a lengthy stretch of substance abuse, arrests, rehab, and relapse — only to end up as the world’s highest-paid actor. But Downey, who began acting at the age of five, is no mere mortal. His perseverance and talents ultimately won out, resulting in a string of box office hits in roles, including the blockbuster Iron Man franchise. 

5. Plaxico Burress 

Possessing an unlicensed gun in New York carries some of the stiffest penalties in the country. NFL receiver Plaxico Burress learned this the hard way — and made the situation even worse when he accidentally shot himself in the leg at a nightclub in Manhattan.

Although the former Giants’ star would recover from the self-inflicted wound, Burress spent 20 months locked up at Rikers Island for his felonious fumble. He eventually returned to the gridiron in 2011 (this time in a Jets uniform) and went on to win the Comeback Player of the Year award.

As for that now-infamous nightclub shooting, Burress had this to say: “The stairway was narrow and dark and everything was black…I could barely see, and I guess I missed a step and my foot slipped. My gun came unhooked from my belt and went sliding down my right pant leg. My instant reaction was to catch it before it hit the floor, and I reached down with my right hand to grab it. And I guess my finger hit right on the trigger because it went off.”

4. Tim McGraw & Kenny Chesney

The old adage “You can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy” can be applied to not one but two Nashville crooners in 2000. Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney were arrested in Buffalo after Chesney rode away with an Erie County deputy’s horse. McGraw and his manager Mark Russo then allegedly attacked other Sheriff’s Deputies who tried to stop Chesney from his galloping joy ride.

Both singers had performed earlier in the day at the George Strait Country Music Festival at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY. Chesney, McGraw, and Russo were arrested, arraigned, and released on bail.Local authorities charged Chesney with disorderly conduct, but McGraw was ultimately charged with a felony for assaulting a police officer who suffered minor injuries. 

A year later, all three men involved were found not guilty. According to Chesney, the ‘horsing around’ had been a misunderstanding that began when the daughter of a Sheriff’s Department Captain gave Chesney permission to sit on her father’s horse. “Unfortunately, what was meant to be a totally innocent and fun gesture, was blown way out of proportion,” Chesney said. “Tim McGraw and I have been friends for a very long time. When he saw me in danger of being harmed, he simply came over to help out his friend.”

3. Conor McGregor

The trend of celebrity-branded booze continues to flood the marketplace with a wide range of products, including Trump Wine, Absinthe Mansinthe, and Dennis Rodman’s Bad Ass Vodka. In 2018, former UFC champion Conor McGregor tossed his hat into the ring with “Proper No. 12 Whiskey” — a name that has nothing to do with the spirit’s vintage but rather the postal code in Crumlin, Dublin 12 where the fighter was born and raised. The launch would result in a flurry of brutal reviews and a well-publicized bar room punch.

On April 6, 2019, the Irishman insisted on pouring free shots of his whiskey to patrons inside Dublin’s Marble Arch pub. But when a 50-year-old customer refused, McGregor slugged him. The MMA headliner was charged with assaulting Desmond Keogh and slapped with a €1,000 fine. McGregor later bought the pub and promptly barred Keogh from the premises.

2. Paul Reubens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0avQQ1T8ASY

Best known for his wildly popular character “Pee-wee Herman,” Paul Reubens enjoyed tremendous success at both the box office and on TV throughout the 1980s. However, his career took a sudden nosedive in 1991 after being arrested for indecent exposure at an adult theater in Sarasota, Florida. In addition to providing grist for the tabloid mill, his five knuckle shuffle also yielded a slew of jokes, such as: What’s Pee-wee Herman’s favorite meal? Stroganoff. 

Reubens pleaded no contest to the charge and agreed to 75 hours of community service. He would later earn critical praise in various projects, including roles on Murphy Brown, Reno 911, and The Blacklist. In 2009, Reubens resurrected his bow-tied, man-child alter ego with a successful stage show and five years later starred in the Netflix original film, Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.

1. Dennis Hopper

The sleepy town of Taos, New Mexico, is renowned for its picturesque Sangre de Cristo Mountains and thriving arts community. The rural setting also served as the longtime home of Dennis Hopper, who once shot a tree with a .357 Magnum, having mistaken it for a grizzly bear. 

According to biographer Tom Folsom, Hopper had been hallucinating after taking some LSD he’d won in a late-night poker game. Local authorities charged the actor/director with reckless driving, failure to report an accident, and leaving the scene. Coincidentally, the 1975 bust landed Hopper in the same jail used during the filming of his seminal counter-culture movie, Easy Rider. He later pleaded guilty and paid a fine.

The notorious Hollywood rebel somehow managed to survive decades of drug and alcohol abuse, and several troubled marriages, before finding sobriety in the late 1980s. In addition to his role as “Billy” in Easy Rider, in which he directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Terry Southern, Hopper portrayed several other iconic characters in films such as Apocalypse Now, Blue Velvet, Hoosiers, and True Romance. He also kept busy as a prolific photographer, painter, and sculptor. 

Shortly before his death from prostate cancer in 2010, Hopper was honored with a well-earned star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.