Mental Floss

POP CULTURE



Some of Disney's most beloved rides and attractions have gone the way of the Dodo.

Did you know that Jackie Chan, Whoopi Goldberg, and Cher were once featured in a Disney ride? It sounds fun, but Superstar Limo didn't last long—and neither did these other Disney rides and lands.

Meredith Danko


Theo Wargo/NBC/Getty Images for "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon"

Larry David’s knack for creating drama out of the smallest things—and making everyone mad at him—has made him one of the most endearing voices in American comedy. Take a look at some things you might not know about him.

Adam Hunter




American singer, actress, and activist Lena Horne circa 1947.

With a multifaceted career that lasted more than 70 years, Lena Horne is many things to many people: a talented singer, one of the most famous actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age, and a tireless champion of civil rights.

Ashley Bardhan
Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Elvis Presley, the “King of Rock 'n' Roll,” is the legendary musician who melded country, gospel, and R&B influences to help revolutionize American pop culture.

Steven Melendez
Walter Matthau stars in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974).

Plenty of great movies have been derailed by lackluster endings, or endings that simply chicken out on the bold promises the rest of the film made to its audience. Thankfully for all of us, these are the ones that got it right.

Matthew Jackson
Highlander: The Series, starring Adrian Paul, was an international hit.

'Highlander' ran from 1992 to 1998 and developed a cult following for its depiction of good-looking immortal beings lopping off each other's heads.

Jake Rossen








Courtesy of HBO

In 2006, Michelle McNamara began amateur-sleuthing cold cases. One of those cases was that of The Golden State Killer, a cold case she helped to crack, and which formed the basis of her 2018 book 'I’ll Be Gone in the Dark,' which is now an HBO docuseries.

Scarlett Harris


Matthew Peyton/Getty Images

Pro wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper was known for his Scottish kilt and bagpipes, but he was also a serious martial artist and even recorded a pop song.

Jake Rossen




L to R: Beastie Boys Ad-Rock (Adam Horowitz), MCA (Adam Yauch), and Mike D (Michael Diamond) pose in Portugal 1998.

Though Beastie Boys effectively disbanded following the 2012 death of Adam "MCA" Yauch, the band has been collecting fans for more than 40 years with its uniquely intoxicating, and ever-evolving, sound.

Todd Gilchrist


Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal in Hulu's Normal People.

'Normal People'—author Sally Rooney's novel-to-Hulu hit series—follows the love story of Irish teenagers Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal), who begin a secret tryst that evolves into a four-year love affair.

Kinsey Gidick
Peter Tea via Flickr // CC BY-ND 2.0

When famed composer Ennio Morricone passed away on July 6, 2020, he left behind a body of work that eclipses the idea of “productivity” itself. In addition to composing thousands of hours of music for hundreds of movies, he created several indelible momen

Todd Gilchrist