You've probably heard the one about how Vincent van Gogh was such a crazy and unappreciated genius he cut off his own ear. And that's why it's cool you spend all day flogging your body with alcohol and self-pity as you wait for your brilliance to be recognized. Well, it turns out Van Gogh didn't really cut off his own ear, and you're just a drunk. The BBC, which pronounces "Van Gogh" all funny, has the details.



Check out some other famous people who've sustained a life-threatening attack and lived ...

They Were Shot ... and Lived

    Carl Switzer
    Best known as Alfalfa from "Little Rascals," Switzer lived a pretty crazy life. He married a grain elevator heiress, gave hunting tours in Montana, and was shot by an unknown gunman while getting in his car in January 1958. He survived the shooting, but a year later 1959, he was shot and killed during a scuffle over a debt. We're sure Spanky shed a tear at the funeral.

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    50 Cent
    On May 24, 2000, Fitty, real name Curtis Jackson, was shot nine times. That's right -- nine times. He took bullets in the hand, arm, hip, both legs, chest, and left cheek. The fact that he is not dead leads us to believe he may have been rebuild by doctors Robocop-style.

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    Bob Marley
    On December 3, 1976, seven gunmen entered the Kingston, Jamaica estate of Bob Marley, the world's best-known reggae performer. Marley and three other people were shot, but miraculously there were no fatalities. Less than a month later, Marley went on stage in front of 85,000 at the Smile Jamaica festival proving himself unfazed by the attack.

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    Larry Flynt
    On March 6, 1978, Hustler publisher Larry Flynt and his lawyer were shot outside a Gwinnett County, Georgia courthouse. A white supremacist serial killer confessed to the shootings, saying he was outraged by an interracial photo shoot in Hustler. However, it is rumored that he did enjoy the magazine's monthly Beaver Hunt feature.

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    Vladamir Lenin
    On August 30 1918, the first head of the Soviet state survived an assassination attempt on the way to his car. He was hit twice, once in the arm, and the other between his jaw and neck. Surviving the attack made him an even more popular leader, a move embattled politicians may want to think about emulating.

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    Garrett Morris
    In 1994, the "SNL" alum was shot in a robbery attempt. Morris claims his incarcerated fans were "bery, bery" good to him, and beat up his assailant in prison.

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    Andy Warhol
    On June 3, 1968, artist Andy Warhol was shot in his studio by Valerie Solanas, a former associate. Warhol barely survived (legend has it that doctors opened him up and massaged his heart to help it beat again). The incident was later made into a film about Solanas, which was fittingly titled "I Shot Andy Warhol."

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    Plaxico Burress
    Not everyone who's been shot and lived gets respect. Last year, wide receiver Plaxico Burress shot himself while partying at a nightclub. His team, the New York Giants, then shot themselves in the foot, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs.

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    Theodore Roosevelt
    While campaigning for president on October 14, 1912, a gunman fired at Theodore Roosevelt from point blank range. En route to a speech, Roosevelt's manuscript containing the address he was to deliver slowed the bullet's entry into his body. Undeterred, he then gave the speech, with his blood staining his vest. Alas, he did not make it to the speech's end before collapsing, and being rushed to the hospital. We're pretty sure this exhibition of badassness must've delivered at least a few thousand votes.

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    Grigori Rasputin
    Known as the "Mad Monk," the Russian mystic was thought by many to have too much influence over the Tsaritsa. So on December 16, 1916, conspirators carried out a plot to kill him at a dinner party. First they poisoned him with a huge dose of cyanide. When that didn't work, he was shot four times. No luck. He was then clubbed and tossed in the Moika River, where he drowned. For sheer toughness, we're thinking it's a toss up with Teddy Roosevelt.

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