PINOCHIKNOWS

1. Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was known for his deception, in both writings and political tricks. Having created POOR RICHARDS ALMANAC, writing under the fake name of Richard, he would attack political opponents with all kinds of accusations in an attempt to discredit them. Lastly, the whole “kite in the lightning” thing? It is of NO small note that MANY historians believe that event never really unfolded as we know it.

2. P.T. Barnum

PT. Barnum is the ultimate ring master. He gave the public a show in order to escape the realities of life. His FREAK SHOW was less freak as it was a staged elaborate misdirection of origins and added ‘attributes or abilities’. Leading people to believe a tribe of bearded women stronger than an ox existed or a war general only 2 feet tall was really 80 years old. Barnum himself said “there’s a sucker born every minute, so I give them a place to spend their money”

3. The Blues Brothers

Not real life, however fictionally two of the greatest liars in movie history. Two personas built upon lie after lie as escaped convicts! We as a public, loved every minute of the movie. So much that it became one of the most iconic of its time. Embracing the lie of Jake and Elwood sent on a mission from God himself. 

4. Frank Abignale Jr

Frank Abignale Jr has the distinction of living a life you would think is fictional, yet he’s as real as real can be. Having lived his early life as a lie, by practicing everything from a doctor, pilot, to a lawyer without holding any actual degrees. He did eventually earn a law degree years later. He stole millions of dollars from the government and people using hundreds of bad checks. How did this all end? Frank became an expert for the FBI, helping them to catch modern day swindlers and forgers of bad checks. Amazing!

5. OJ Simpson

Orenthal James Simpson made his fame and fortune as a professional football player and admired actor/spokesman. Sadly, this all came to an end when OJ became the main suspect in the murder of his wife and a delivery boy in Brentwood California. It is widely believed that OJ did kill both and got away with murder. Having been acquitted in court, he never escaped the court of public opinion. He himself writing a book stating IF I were to have killed them here’s how I would have done it. Hmmmm…

6. The Catholic Church

Ummmm, not to offend anyone but truth is truth and lies are lies. Enough said. Or does sexual abuse of children and all the cover ups not count?

7. Donald J Trump

Donald Trump is actually the 45th president of the United States. Now you would think being a politician, it goes without saying that lies and politics are perfect bed fellows. However, 45 has managed to exceed all expectations when it comes to lies. They go far beyond politics as usual. From sexual encounters, to pay offs, to Russia and what may have taken place to get him elected. He has the actual distinction of being the most misleading president ever, where facts are considered when speaking to the public, reporters and individuals.

8. Robert Ripley

Believe it or not, his facts were the basis of the modern-day National Inquirer, IF you can believe it. No pun intended. Ripley was born of a war-torn era where people wanted to escape from the truth. No matter Ripley sold the public a steady diet of non-attainable facts and features, home grown and from far off places that he would often muse…” No need for actual facts, as long as people are entertained”. With that in mind, perhaps it becomes easier to understand how a millionaire turned reality tv star can become the 45th president of the United States. 

9. The 1919 Chicago Blacks Soxs

Chick Gandil, Buck Weaver, Fred McMullen, Robert Felsch, Joe Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, Lefty Williams, and Swede Risberg. This group of men comprise what is widely believed to be the greatest collection of liars and cheaters in the history of sports. Having thrown the 1919 world series on purpose in exchange for a large sum of money arranged by the infamous gangster and gambler Arnold Rothstien.

10. George Castanza

Again, not all liars are based in reality. As for fictional liars go, you do not get much better than George from Seinfeld. Almost his entire persona and plot arcs for a decade, were about lies which his episodes were created around.

11. Santa Clause 

Formerly known as Krampus, Santa was not so jolly. He actually stole children if they whined and complained and would then force them to dig up coal. So just in case you ever wondered why these lyrics “you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I’m telling you why” really exist…

But the Americanized version is used for capitalism and well … commerce.

 12. Richard M Nixon

Perhaps the only president who can come close to Donald Trump and lying as a politician is this guy. From illegally taping people and bugging their offices, to trying to impede all investigations into his illegal affairs. Nixon, unlike Trump, was not protected from his lies. Hence the term “Tricky Dick”.

13. Laurie Laughlin

This actress from the TV show, FULL HOUSE, along with her fashion designer husband MOSSIMO, decided it would be better to bribe college admissions counselors with millions of dollars to get their children into prestigious universities than actually teach children that money doesn’t buy you everything. To date, Laughlin and others rank as THE LARGEST academic fraudsters in the history of education. From bribes to trumped up back stories for their children’s supposed accomplishments, to fakes grades and transcripts.

14. The Tooth Fairy

Like Santa, the real tooth fairy was not so kind to children. Any child unlucky enough to wander into her forest, found their teeth ripped out so they could not disclose her location! Nowadays, the tooth fairy is used as commerce and a pleasant distraction for children losing teeth. 

15. Frida Kahlo

Frida’s mystic was used to endear her to the lower- and working-class public of Mexico. Her early life was not so much truth as it was fabricated to create a more likable character. Frida lied about her lower-class upbringing (having come from money), about being a freedom fighter, and about her father’s origins from Nazi Germany. And yet, to this day, she is revered as an artist like no other and a visionary presence, which she most certainly is.

16. Lance Armstrong

Lance WAS a winner…he should have been, considering that he used steroidal enhancing performance drugs to get a leg up on his competition and it worked. Having been one of the most decorated bicyclists in the world, with tons of financial endorsements, for an encore he was then exposed as a liar, cheater and not such an upstanding guy in the world of sports.

17. MARTHA STEWART

Martha got her hand caught in the cookie jar...which for a baker is rather ironic. She thought for

some reason not paying her taxes was an ok recipe for success, however in the end she found out playing with the IRS is a good way to get burned. For lying about her income, it landed her in jail for a period of time and now Martha has been busy reviving her career with

the most unlikely of partnerships, doing comedy spots on TV with Snoop Dog and kick starting her cooking advice career. As the saying goes for Martha, less fibbing, more ad-libbing.

18. THE EASTER BUNNY

Can someone tell me WHY a real bunny, chocolate bunnies, hiding brightly colored eggs, marshmallow peeps, jelly beans and all other manner of sugar is somehow associated with the holiday Easter and the resurrection of Jesus himself. Ummmm, is it possible we are being sold a lie of some sort for the sake of opening our pockets books and buying “stuff”?

Why am I skeptical about Jesus having dug Cadbury peanut butter eggs at the last supper.

19. APRIL FOOLS DAY

Ok so follow me on this one. THIS particular special day of the year goes like this, IF I were

To write out instructions for the day. “Step one, find someone you either like, love or dislike. Step two, come up with some elaborate prank, story or incident, doesn’t really matter, AS LONG AS ITS A LIE. Then you want to go forth and spring this little concept of yours on them. Or what the heck on as many people as you can. AS LONG AS YOU LIE. THEN you get to see the look on their face when you say APRIL FOOLS DAY.. I WAS LYING TO YOU. Only to get greeted by a smile, shock or relief and guess what? It’s ok to lie then. It’s expected! Wow.

20. VOLKSWAGON COMPANY

Uh oh…it looks like someone didn’t want to tell the truth about the catalytic converters they

Actually LEFT OUT of their cars when sending them to the U.S. Their line of diesel engine cars

Would not have passed smog inspections in the US if it hadn’t been for the whopping lies VW

Told. When the cars rolled out of the new show rooms no problems… however when it came

Time for the cars to be RE-SMOGGED, RE REGISTERED… the cars were not passing the Inspections. This little ditty of a lie VW perpetrated cost them Billions of dollars in fines. Ouch.