Critics have been attempting to debunk the mythical retention chart at least since 1971. The earliest critics, David Curl and Frank Dwyer, were addressing just the retention data. Beginning around 2002, a new generation of critics has taken on the illegitimate combination of the retention chart and Edgar Dale's Cone of Experience--the corrupted cone. Because the corrupted cone has flared up in the literature of different fields, the authors tend to see a variety of firefighters trying to beat back the brush fires in their own particular fields, including teacher education, engineering education, and educational technology. The purpose of this article is to document some of the most significant critiques that have been offered over the years and comment on their scope and reach.