Article Lead Image

Wikipedia for the Weird: Glossary of manias

When will Wikipedia finally acknowledge that Biebermania is real?

 

Lindsey Weber

Internet Culture

Posted on Oct 9, 2012   Updated on Jun 2, 2021, 9:46 am CDT

Sometimes what’s been deemed “verified” on Wikipedia seems too strange to be true. In Wikipedia for the Weird, the Daily Dot tracks down the most bizarre and entertaining entries on the Web’s crowdsourced encyclopedia, sending you down the rabbit hole even further.

Glossary_of_manias

Now that we’ve explored Wikipedia together for quite a few weeks, you might be concerned that we have a Wikipedia problem. And since there’s (at least?) two of us, that must count as a MANIA. The two(?) of us are totally obsessed with Wikipedia and there’s nothing we can do about it. Wikipedia calls that “infomania”. What else have people been obsessed with? Wine (oenomania). Italians (Italomania). Running away from home (drapetomania). Masturbation (chiromania).

There are things here I didn’t even realize people could be obsessed with. Like “long words” (appropriately called hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliomania). Or “jumping from high places” (catapedamania). Or “ferns” (pteridomania) and “tulips” (tulipomania). Can’t lie, Wikipedia, things seem a little dated on this list. I mean, you’ve got Beatlemania on there, but no Biebermania? Blasphemy. Allow me to suggest some FORGOTTEN manias — with the assistance of my dear friend Mike Rugnetta and his army of hilarious Facebook friends:

I’m starting to feel like a hypochondriac, but maybe I’m just obsessed with manias (Maniamania). Help!

Photos via Wikipedia and SilverDisc Music

Share this article
*First Published: Oct 9, 2012, 12:26 pm CDT