Top 10 Overhyped Events That BOMBED Hard
Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 overhyped events from pop culture, gaming, movies and everything in-between, that ended up being a big disappointment.
#10: Paul Rosolie is Eaten Alive (Sort of)
The Future of Esports with Paul Dawalibi
When someone claims they’re going to be eaten alive by an anaconda, expectations are understandably high. And when conservationist Paul Rosolie set out to make himself a meal for the reptile in 2014, the impending documentary, aptly named “Eaten Alive”, was prime shock TV fodder. But guess what, viewers were left disappointed. Rosolie donned a special protective suit and covered himself in pig’s blood - then force fed himself to the snake. Many viewers expected Rosolie to be swallowed whole - but what they actually saw was him being wrapped up and restricted, for about a minute and a half - before his arm was nearly broken and the whole thing was called off. Do not underestimate the sadistic expectations of the viewing public Mr. Rosolie.
#9: Michael Jordan’s Second Comeback
Michael Jordan’s legacy is pretty much untouchable. Well, almost untouchable. Jordan retired from The Chicago Bulls in 1993 - had a brief stretch as a baseball player - then returned to play for The Bulls in 1995 and even managed to claim three further NBA championships with them, before retiring again. But then he made a second comeback, this time for the Washington Wizards. He’s done it before, why can’t he do it again - everyone thought. Depending on who you ask, Jordan’s stint with the Wizard’s was a little lackluster. True, he had some solid performances, but he was starting to show his age - and a knee injury really stopped him from giving his best. He also frequently, unashamedly vented his dissatisfaction with the performance of his teammates during this time. Jordan’s second comeback lasted just two seasons.
#8: The Power Glove
Top 10 Broadway Shows That Bombed So Hard They Cancelled Them Immediately
The 80s was jam-packed with iconic toy releases - the Rubik’s Cube, Care Bears, the BMX. But for many 80s kids - and young adults - the release of the Power Glove for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989 was on another level. The marketing promised us mind-blowing virtual reality features, a new era of gaming, a way of infinitely enhancing your current NES game’s library. In reality, the Power Glove sucked. The immense hype around the product fell completely flat when gamers finally got their hands on it. Its controls were clunky and impractical, and there were only two games released with exclusive Power Glove features - Super Glove Ball and Bad Street Brawler. It was discontinued after just a year.
#7: Storm Area 51
Scientists Predict a Deadly Solar Storm In 2025 - Will It Happen?
This is a perfect example of how social media can fuel imagination, togetherness, and potential chaos. The story goes like this - in 2019 a guy called Matty Roberts started a Facebook event, as a joke, that urged people of the internet to get together and storm the gates of Area 51 - the famed military base that allegedly houses secrets of extraterrestrial life. And the event gained traction - with millions claiming that they were going to attend. The military urged people to stay away, nearby hotels booked up and a Storm Area 51 website went live. When the fateful day of the event came around however, only 150 people turned up. There was no raid and no E.T. rescue. It just sort of came and went - although it did inspire the Alienstock musical festival.
#6: Fyre Festival
Top 10 Craziest Reveals in Fyre & Fyre Fraud
On the subject of strange festivals, we wanted to move straight onto perhaps the most disappointing and misleading festival of all time - 2017’s Fyre Festival. Fyre Festival took place on the island of Great Exuma in the Bahamas and promised to be an exuberant, exclusive music event featuring the who’s who of celebs and Instagrammers, accompanied by fine dining and luxury accommodation. Tickets were selling for up to $100,000, and celebs like Kendall Jenner were promoting it. Turns out, it was all a big scam, concocted by con artist Billy McFarland. Fyre Festival did go ahead, but it saw guests sleeping on wet mattresses, eating sad cheese sandwiches, and basically having the worst time. It also had a massive negative impact on local businesses on the island. McFarland was given six years in jail for fraud.
#5: The Game of Thrones Finale
Top 10 Game of Thrones Locations You Can Visit
Ah yes, the big finish. It wasn’t just the final episode of Game of Thrones that didn’t meet expectations, it was actually the entire final season. The build up to the series finale was one the biggest TV events ever, but from the very beginning of season 8, fans were quick to vent their disapproval. There were plot holes, everywhere, of which ruined previously loved, and established stories, many characters were given unimaginative conclusions, the emotional nuisance was ripped away from many aspects of the show. It was just meh. If you’re yet to watch Game of Thrones, just prepare yourself for the ending. Disappointment is coming.
#4: Hands Across America
Who wouldn’t love the idea of millions of people uniting to show solidarity against hunger and homelessness? At its core, 1986’s Hands Across America meant well, but as a spectacle, and money raising event, it fell a little flat. The idea was that people would form one continuous human chain across the United States - acting as a metaphor of togetherness. In reality, although 5.5 million people participated, said chain was broken in several different places. And the $15 million dollars or so that was raised in donations, was overshadowed by the fact that the whole event cost around $15 million to organize. Nice idea, just poorly executed.
#3: Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
Star Trek, Star Wars & Beyond: How Geek Culture Became Pop Culture
Plenty of movie franchises have had disappointing releases over the years. But not every movie franchise can match the vast fan base and blood-thirsty passion of Star Wars. The Phantom Menace was released 16 years after Return of the Jedi - and with a promise of character origins, and George Lucas at the helm, what could go wrong? It was without a doubt a box office success… but on the whole, it was not a success with Star Wars fans. Costumed-fans queued outside of theaters, filled with hope - but left with a new hope - that the movie would be deleted from existence. The release of The Phantom Menace left a bitter taste in the mouths of Star Wars fans, a taste that’s been difficult to eradicate to this day.
#2: Y2K
Top 20 Overhyped Inventions That FLOPPED
There have been several significant end of the world events over the years - 2012’s doomsday calendar being one of them. But Y2K had some people seriously worried. Fear started boiling up in 1999 because people started to talk about how computers were not equipped to deal with the year 2000 calendar dates, and as a result, entire computer systems would crumble. Many took this to mean that civilization would collapse, zombie apocalypse-style. Survivalists everywhere stocked up on food, water and weapons. And the countdown to New Year’s felt like a ticking time bomb. And then the clock struck midnight and… nothing happened. Nothing of significance anyway. And that’s it really, that’s the story.
#1: The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults
Top 10 Mysterious Unexplained Events Caught on Camera
A lost vault belonging to one of the world’s most notorious gangsters? Too right we were excited. When a construction crew found some hidden chambers in Chicago’s Lexington Hotel - the place Capone used to reside - the rumor was that they could contain cash, weapons or some other commodity belonging to Capone. Reporter Geraldo Rivera jumped on it - and with him recently being fired by ABC and looking to prove himself - the stage was set. The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults took place in 1986, and the hype was real. Thirty million people tuned in to watch the vaults being opened - only to find that, well, there was nothing to see. Nothing at all. Live TV can be edgy, exciting and surprising. This turned out to be neither.
