A Brief History
On August 9, 1969, members of the Manson Family, followers of cult leader Charles Manson, murdered actress Sharon Tate, her unborn baby, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, and three other people. Manson would later stand trial for orchestrating the murders but was never found to be insane, though to the layman he certainly appears to be. Many historical figures seem to be insane but are never ruled as such by a court or by psychiatric professionals (except maybe after they are dead). Here we nominate 9 such people for History and Headlines’s loony bin.
Digging Deeper
9. Insane Clown Posse.
Their name says it all. This white rap group dresses up like clowns and acts insane. Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope are the clowns, and their followers call themselves the Juggalos. Even their record label is Psychopathic Records! Spraying their audience with Faygo brand soda pop is part of their routine. In business since 1989, they have delved into professional wrestling, have had 7 albums go either gold and platinum and have starred in the films Big Money Hustlas and Big Money Rustlas. (The consensus at History and Headlines is that Big Money Hustlas is the better movie.) Some of their antics include a feud with Eminem and beating an audience member 30 times with a microphone. They have even been charged with disorderly conduct and have been accused of sexual harassment. Nonetheless, their popularity remains unaffected, and these crazy guys are laughing all the way to the bank.
8. Rob Ford.
When the mayor of Toronto is not busy smoking crack, dancing at city hall, driving drunk, or talking about getting all the p*ssy he wants to eat at home, he is undoubtedly calling comedians to ask what he should do next. Despite being stripped of most of his duties and powers, he just will not go away, as he apparently sincerely believes the people of Toronto need him. Is that crazy or what? On top of this bizarreness, he is running for reelection!
7. Justin Bieber.
This Canadian import totally negates the good stuff like maple syrup and Molson’s Golden. Egging his neighbors’ houses or misbehaving on an airplane is one thing, but if you see him driving, get off the road! Do early success and money drive people nuts? Apparently. (Honorable mention Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.)
6. Dennis Rodman.
If the only nutty thing he ever did was pal around with Kim Jong Un, that would already be enough. The man of wild hair styles and colors and many tattoos has even shown up in a wedding dress to marry himself! Though it may be show, he is still a goofball. (And in regard to Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Un, all three should have been committed.)
5. Michael Jackson.
His wackiness is emphasized by: skin-lightening treatments; excessive plastic surgeries to the point he losing his nose; setting up his home like a kiddie park; showering and sleeping with little kids that were not his; and sham marriages and biological children that could not possibly be his. He even called one of his supposedly biological children “Blanket!” Addicted to medication, he hired a full-time doctor to administer them. Most people find his behavior nutty, although no psychiatrist ever saw it necessary to commit him.
4. John Wayne Gacy.
Although convicted of the rape and murder of 33 young men and boys, the man who had performed as “Pogo the Clown” and who plead not guilty by reason of insanity, was still ruled to be sane! After the insanity plea failed, he claimed all 33 victims died accidentally as a result of autoerotic asphyxiation.
3. Charles Manson.
Currently in jail, hopefully he will never be paroled. In addition to being dangerous, Charles Manson is clearly delusional. He thought his mediocre musical skills were good enough to collaborate with the Beatles and other major rock stars. He was also convinced that blacks would rise up and conquer white people in a war of the races, and then leave Manson in charge to rule the victorious blacks because somehow they would not be smart enough to do it themselves. How contradictory and insane is that?!!! Even if normal people see how crazy this all this, his nutty followers obviously do not; in addition to a bunch of them slaughtering Sharon Tate and her friends, another one of them was later convicted of trying to kill President Ford.
2. Adolf Hitler.
Hitler’s irrational blaming of the Jews for all of Germany’s ills is typical of people who are in some sort of denial. A product of dubious family history, he also had a strange love life that saw younger women such as his niece kill themselves over him. He grew increasingly paranoid and disassociated as World War II went downhill for the Nazis. One has to wonder how this raving lunatic ever got to the top and managed to stay there for as long as he did. His crap about “Aryan” superiority (Germans are not “Aryans,” so where the heck did he get that one?) with the “Nordic” ideal (Germans are not “Nordic” either) flies in the face of the top Nazis (including Hitler) who were not tall, blond-haired or athletic supermen. Hitler was short and dark; Himmler was a weak weasel with glasses; Goring was a big fatso; and Goebbels was a club-footed gimp.
1. Jeffrey Dahmer.
This sicko kidnapped young men and teenaged boys and drilled holes in their heads to pour in various chemicals. He also kept their body parts in the fridge and ate them when so inclined. How he ever got to trial for murder and kidnapping without first being sent to the nuthouse on a one-way ticket is beyond us at History and Headlines. This weirdo was murdered in jail before he could cause any shenanigans there.
Question for students (and subscribers): Who would you add to the list? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please listen to…
Insane Clown Posse. Jugganauts: The Best of Icp. Island Records, 2007. Audio CD.
