Mental Floss

POP CULTURE



Clara Bow.

Clara Bow, one of the earliest megastars of the silent film era, is famous for being Hollywood’s first “It Girl.” But there’s a lot more to Bow’s dramatic life than bobbed hair and flapper couture.

Rebecca Pahle












That’s not how it works, kid.

People who grew up with smartphones probably never gotten their hair tangled in a coiled phone cord while holding the receiver with their shoulders. Here are some other aspects of old-school telephones that young people might find confusing.

Kara Kovalchik


‘Dumpster fire’ is just one slang term to come out of the 2000s.

In the 2000s, the internet took over, as did social media, streaming, and cell phones that were also cameras and tiny computers. The slang of this era didn’t disappoint, either: From amazeballs to mukbang and beyond, here are some terms you might not have

Erin McCarthy




Chad was a popular Gen X name.

The generation born between 1965 and 1980 loves nostalgia, has a ton of student debt, and hates cooking.

Jake Rossen, Bethel Afful, Jon Mayer, Justin Dodd