Mental Floss

POP CULTURE





John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction (1994).

With 1992’s 'Reservoir Dogs,' Quentin Tarantino had established himself as a fascinating new director in a golden era for American indie filmmaking. But by his second feature, the Palme d’Or- and Oscar-winning and zeitgeist-hijacking Pulp Fiction (1994),

Paul Schrodt




Jay Leno once lost control of The Tonight Show thanks to Howard Stern.

Drunk guests, network censorship, and being preempted by tennis are just a few of the reasons some TV show hosts decided to walk off their own sets.

Jake Rossen
Selena live in concert in 1994.

By the time of her tragic death at the young age of 23, Selena Quintanilla—better known simply as Selena—was already an American icon.

Nili Blanck




SUHAIMI ABDULLAH/GETTY IMAGES

From Samuel L. Jackson's background as an activist to the origin of his R-rated catchphrase, here are some things you should know about the world's highest-grossing movie star.

Michele Debczak


Viggo Mortensen in David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises (2007).

Since the earliest days of cinema, gangsters have been the characters we’ve both loved and loved to hate. Here are 20 of the genre's best movies.

Todd Gilchrist


Janelle Monáe performs at the State Theatre in Minneapolis in 2018.

In music, there are artists, original artists, and then there’s Janelle Monáe. Since breaking out a decade ago with her debut album, 2010's 'The ArchAndroid,' Monáe has been unstoppable.

Mimi Kenny