POP CULTURE

6 Bizarre Explanations From the Set of Roseanne

What started out as a successful sitcom about a struggling blue-collar Midwestern family eventually turned into a platform for its namesake's (often) bizarre and radical viewpoints.

A House of Puzzles

Although Miss C. mentioned it last week, I feel that we should devote some additional space to the recent Fifth Avenue apartment that made the New York Times last

All Singing! All Dancing! All Failures! 4 Variety Shows that Failed to Find an Audience

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

Shigeru Miyamoto: Nintendo's Version of Walt Disney

A recent New York Times profile of Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of various Nintendo franchises, gives some insight on the man's history and creative process. Miyamoto designed the Mario and Legend of Zelda game series (among others), and his continuing

How To Dance While Barely Moving: the "Fishstick"

It's a big deal when a new dance is invented. Whether it's the Lindy Hop, the Electric Slide, or the immortal Crank That (Soulja Boy), a new dance can invigorate a nation and bring us together. So I kindly offer you the next dance craze sweeping the nat

This American Life - How Married People Tell Stories

The public radio show This American Life has just begun its second season as a TV program on Showtime. If you're not watching, you're missing out. (Or you can't afford Showtime -- and you can't be blamed for that.) But today you can get a little free c

Working Away From the Office

This morning I came across a 2005 conversation with Malcolm Gladwell (author of The Tipping Point and Blink) about his work habits -- how he writes from various locations around the world, eschewing the traditional home office. I came across this while t

12 TV Shows Canceled After One Episode

Addicted to terrible reality shows? Take comfort knowing that they can’t possibly be as bad as these short-lived series.

10 Famous (or Notorious) Ducks

My children don't watch nearly as much TV as I did at their age. I asked my daughter if she knew any famous ducks. She could only think of The Ugly Duckling! But our pop culture landscape bears the tracks of an entire flock of famous ducks. Count Duckula

5 Reasons We'll Miss Arthur C. Clarke

The late Sir Arthur C. Clarke was loved by nerds and normals alike for his contributions to literature, film, and technology. Here's a rundown of the five biggest reasons we'll miss him. 1. Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World Clarke kept extensive fil

4 Famous TV Co-workers (who struggled to get along)

Every work environment has its personality conflicts "“ that one co-worker that gets on your last nerve. Sure, you can do your best to avoid that person. But what happens if it's someone you absolutely have to "make nice with" in front of millions of TV

One Year Ago Today: Nerdcore Hip Hop Could Reign Supreme

I started blogging for the _floss one year ago yesterday, so I thought I'd share my second blog post ever: Nerdcore Hip Hop Could Reign Supreme. In a somewhat surprising coincidence, it was announced yesterday that Nerdcore Rising will premiere at South

On Beards and Their Circumstances

A recent New Yorker article on Strike Beards suggests a broad spectrum of circumstantial beardification -- the article is primarily about beards grown in response to the writers' strike, but it also touches on thesis beards, neck beards, Wimbledon beards

The Real Story Behind A Charlie Brown Christmas (and why it almost wasn't shown)

In my mind, the Christmas season doesn't officially start until CBS shows A Charlie Brown Christmas. Who out there doesn't picture Snoopy dancing joyfully with his nose in the air whenever they hear the familiar strains of that jazzy piano music? Interest

The 10 Greatest Birthplaces on the Great American Food Trail

We've compiled all the foods you love, and all the places you need to thank for them in one easy-to-skim list. Story for mental_floss magazine by Streeter Seidell. 1. Louis' Lunch, New Haven, Conn. The

Rudolph, and Santa's 27 Other Reindeer

The legend of Santa Claus goes way back, and branches off in many directions. But he has only used reindeer to pull his sleigh full of toys for the past 200 years or so... or at least that's as far back as the research goes. This article at Cryptozoology

5 Surprising Divinity School Dropouts

From Hollywood superstars to adulterous dilettantes, several seminary dropouts have managed to find success in the secular world. Here's a sampling of the finest in almost-clergy.

7 Pampered Celebrities and their Ridiculous Pre-show Demands

Everyone knows rock and roll is about thrills and excess—we just didn't realize that spirit was supposed to extend to the greenroom buffet. The following are seven very pampered acts that made sure their laundry list of demands got tacked onto their

John Moe's Pop-Song Correspondences

We've got McSweeney's in our "Sites We Like" sidebar (look to the right...), and it's full of buried gems. Today, let me urge you to read John Moe's Pop-Song Correspondences, a series of humorous pieces inspired by popular music. I have selected some sa

Martin Scorsese is a fighter: Battles with cocaine, death threats"¦ and Liza Minelli?

by Adam Horowitz I've been reading Peter Biskind's scrumptious chronicle of 1970s Hollywood, Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, and one thing I've learned is that even in that wonderfully liberated climate - with the old studio system collapsing and hippie vision

Confessions of a TV-holic: We Still Love Lucy

Even if you've seen each episode 1,762 times, I Love Lucy fans still delight in "I didn't know that!" and "Did you notice that"¦?" moments. Here are a few of my favorite behind-the-scenes tidbits. TVLand currently shows I Love Lucy with an edited versi

38 Essential facts about Frankenstein (Fact #37: He's on a postage stamp?!)

Halloween is upon us... and there's no better time to take a look at one of the most famous horror stories in literary history: Frankenstein! In this two-part article, we'll discover some truths (and dispel some myths) about Dr. Frankenstein and The Mons

In the Beginning: Today we're seeing Red

Well, almost. With just 3 (three!) days to go until our new book's release, mental_floss is happy to present another origin story you're bound to dig. Enjoy! The Red Carpet If you want a black and white explanation for the public obsession with celebrity,

In the Beginning: Do a little dance!

Who said you can't have your cake and eat it too? Our new book In the Beginning's hitting stores in little over a week, and we've got a fat slice of fact waiting for you below. Enjoy! Dancing (for fun) Since dance doesn't leave behind artifacts, we can't

PREV NEXT