Ben Smith

Boycotts have caused controversy at the Olympic games in 1976, 1980, and 1984, and pressure was put on the United States and other nations to lead a boycott of the current games because of China's support of the Darfur genocide and mass displacement of re

Ed note: Here's a new idea from the All-Star Summer Interns. They're taking a movie everyone can easily find in their collection and developing an annotated "guide" to go with it. Each intern will watch the flick, find behind-the-scenes info and facts ab

A big part of the Nintendo Wii's charm is its wireless motion-sensing controller, the Wiimote. But who knew it could do so much more than just serving as a virtual racket or bat? From pointing your Roomba to where it should go, to creating an interactive

When Harley-Davidson made motorcycle boots and leather jackets, that made sense. When the rugged brand started hawking cake decorating kits, that made less sense. And it made us laugh. Here are a five other confused brand extensions we heartily endorse. 1

While movie musicals had their heyday in the 1940s through the 60s, by the 70s they were beginning to wane, and by 1980, they weren't doing well at all. With the selection present at the time, however, it's no big shock that they didn't. Here are some o

While it's better known for dead parrots and crossdressing lumberjacks, Monty Python has a surprisingly academic background.

For centuries, people have claimed to know when the world would end. Last Thursday, the House of Yahweh group from Texas announced that the end of the world was to begin June 12, 2008 (today). Not exactly the gift I had in mind for my 20th birthday. How

These days, the TV listings are full of reality shows, with The Mole, American Gladiators, and America's Next Top Model providing entertainment to the masses. Back in the day, though, variety shows such as Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and The Carol Burnett