Hey, maybe they weren’t so bad, after all…

I’m talking about folks from history who have had a bad reputation for years…but maybe they don’t deserve the flack they get…

Check out what historical figures AskReddit users think need to be looked at in a more positive light.

1. An honest dude.

“Machiavelli.

One of the most honest dudes in history, and his name is instead synonymous with villainy.”

2. Scapegoat.

“Richard Jewell.

Security guard at the Atlanta Olympic who was blamed for the bombing.”

3. Controversial.

“Dr. Kevorkian.

People should absolutely be able to make the decision about end of life care and I think with time people will not only start thinking differently that conviction will be over turned.”

4. Fatty.

“Fatty Arbuckle.

Calling Arbuckle the Silent Era’s John Belushi/John Candy/Chris Farley doesn’t even do him justice, but I can’t think of anything better. Brilliant physical comedian and director, and by all accounts, an absolutely stellar human being who’d give you the shirt off his back without hesitation.

He was one of (if not the) biggest star at the time, then his career and personal life were totally destroyed overnight by this bulls**t scandal.

He was tried three times, first two were hung juries, final jury acquitted him, and even wrote Arbuckle a letter of apology for how he was treated by the “justice system.” Didn’t matter, the damage was done.

He was a mentor for Chaplin, and gave Buster Keaton his big break. It’s hard to overstate just how important and talented he was, and what a loss it was to comedy and film when he was demonized and blacklisted after the scandal.

His films were even banned under the Hays code, despite his acquittal. D**d way too young in his 40s, basically still a total outcast despite some later movie deals, and it’s awful that the scandal is still all most people know about him.”

5. History lesson.

“A lot of Tudor women come to mind; Katherine Howard, Mary Tudor and Anne Boleyn.

Katherine was s**ually a**sed her entire life only for Thomas Culpepper to use it to blackmail and a**ault her. Almost every man in her life a**sed or used her and she d**d a teenage girl. After her d**th people made up bulls**t about her wanting to be married to a r**ist and blackmailer. SHE WAS A CHILD.

Mary Tudor was horrifically a**sed by her own father, torn from her mother and prevented from seeing her (even as she was dying) and went on to be demonised way more heavily than her father who was a tyrant. Mary tried her best with what she had. After her father divorced her mother she lived with the constant threat of a**assination or execution. Her own father was willing to k**l her.

Anne Boleyn was not a seductress who tried to steal the King. She did not want the king and initially flirted with him to get back at a guy who courted and ditched her. She only agreed to marry Henry because she had to. Even before he met Anne he was looking for a way to end his marriage to Catalina (Catherine) De Aragon.

Why? Because the only reason they were Marie was to preserve an alliance with Spain and that fell through and she didn’t have a son. None of which was Catalina’s fault. Nor was Anne’s. Anne Boleyn never wore yellow during the time of mourning for Catalina. Anne didn’t abuse Mary. Henry did.”

6. Scapegoat.

“Sinead O’Connor.

She was trying to warn us on SNL about the Catholic kiddie-diddling problem, and we s**t on her for it.”

7. Blown way out of proportion.

“Milli Vanilli.

One commited s**cide for being hired in a music industry lip-syncing travesty that’s basically now commonplace.

The real villain is the record industry…”

8. Boxing history.

“The movie Cinderella Man.

Jim Braddock became the heavyweight champion of the world after beating Max Baer in a 1935 fight that had him pegged as a 10-to-1 underdog.

The movie made Max Baer out to be a piece of s**t human being but he wasn’t that bad.

Look him up.”

9. Biased.

“Richard III.

Demonised by the Tudors, in part due to his curved spine (now confirmed) and their political agendas.

He might have been a good King or a bad King/person but it is difficult to determine as the records that followed his d**th are so incredibly bias.”

10. Lies.

“Ty Cobb.

The stories about him being r**ist were lies spread in a rag, and told by a guy who made up a bunch of lies to sell a book, and Cobb tried to sue him before he d**d.

He never stabbed a black waiter. The three black people he got into a fight with at a bar were actually white. He was never a member of the KKK, and actually supported integration in baseball and was participated in the opening of a Negro League ballpark. He was a big fan of Willie Mays.

None of the bulls**t about him was backed up by any evidence, yet the film Cobb was made around the lies and he was demonized by the public for decades after his d**th. Only recently have people found out the truth.”

11. Abolitionist.

“John Brown.

If you haven’t already, check out the book “Lies My Teacher Told Me” – it has a fantastic chapter about John Brown and more importantly, history’s treatment of him and his actions.”

12. Pee-Wee!

“Paul Reubens.

He was alone in that theatre, but there was security in the projection room.

Most stories make it out to be like he whipped out his p**is in the middle of a crowded theatre and started jacking off.”

What do you think about this?

Let us know in the comments.

Thanks a lot!