Mental Floss

POP CULTURE

Jim Henson attends the 1985 BAFTA Awards at London's Grosvenor Hotel.

If there’s anyone to thank for your early childhood television obsessions—specifically of the puppet variety—it’s Jim Henson.

Olivia Truffaut-Wong


Steve Martin is The Jerk (1979).

Comedy generates an immediate, undeniable audience response. If people are smiling and laughing, then there's a good chance you made an effective funny movie.

Matthew Jackson






Amazon

Discover 14 great gifts to get comic book fans for the holiday season, from busts of DC's Batman to a Funko Pop! figurine of the Hulk.

Mark Mancini


William Zabka and Ralph Macchio reunite in Cobra Kai.

'Cobra Kai'—the continuation of 'The Karate Kid' saga starring Ralph Macchio and William Zabka—has been a hit for Netflix, but it wasn't the first time Ralph Macchio heard a Daniel LaRusso reboot pitch.

Jake Rossen


Henry Cavill and Anya Chalotra in The Witcher (2019).

'The Witcher'—the Netflix series based on Andrzej Sapkowski's fantasy book series, which spawned a popular video game franchise—became an immediate pop culture phenomenon when it debuted in December 2019.

Scott Beggs




Tilda Swinton in Pedro Almodóvar's The Human Voice (2020).

Few actors can automatically make a movie better quite like Tilda Swinton. Whether it’s a lead role or a supporting performance, the Oscar winner knows how to leave an impression.

Mimi Kenny
Biz Markie performing at SXSW.

There are a million no-hit wonders who’d gladly trade places with these one-hit wonders, which thrilled us for a short time, filling holes in our souls that we didn’t know existed, then got out of the way—voluntarily or otherwise.

Kenneth Partridge