Mental Floss

POP CULTURE

Jim Morrison and his The Doors band mates—Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, and Robby Krieger—pose for their first album cover in 1967.

Jim Morrison was the self-styled Lizard King, a leather-pants-loving rock deity who fronted the Doors and represented the dark and druggy flipside of the utopian ’60s dream.

Kenneth Partridge
Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Since making his acting debut in 1977, Denzel Washington has appeared in more than 50 movies, where he has awed audiences and garnered critical acclaim by delivering one powerful performance after the next. But there’s much more to the man than his movies

Kristy Puchko




Some filmmakers are unable to finish what they've started.

Firing Robert De Niro. Struggling with a non-functioning animatronic bear. Spending 40 years on hand-drawn animation. For these reasons and others, these films aren't likely to ever see the light of day.

Jake Rossen






James Mato (background); HarperCollins Publishers (cover)

Angie Thomas’s 2017 debut novel, 'The Hate U Give,' has held its place in our hearts (and on the New York Times Bestseller List) for half a decade now. Here's what you need to know.

Rachelle Saint-Louis






Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C. Hall return as Deb and Dexter Morgan in Showtime's Dexter: New Blood.

The revival of Showtime's hit series 'Dexter' sees serial killer Dexter Morgan in snowbound New York, estranged from his son, and sharpening his tools to confront a new adversary. Here's everything we know so far.

Ken Ossea, Jr.
We apologize in advance for getting "Macarena" stuck in your head.

Los del Río's “Macarena” became the second longest-running number one in Billboard history, shifted 14 million copies, and sparked a dance craze that spread everywhere from the Olympics to the Democratic National Convention.

Jon O'Brien








Janis Joplin in Columbus, Ohio in the summer of 1970.

Janis Joplin didn’t have a long or prolific career. The freewheeling Texas blues-rock howler recorded just four albums between 1967 and 1970. But in that short time, she left an indelible mark on rock ’n’ roll history.

Kenneth Partridge