Mental Floss

RETRO

'Vanning' was a popular pastime in the 1970s.

In the 1970s, counterculture types customized their vans with captain's chairs, waterbeds, and elaborate fantasy airbrushing that was clearly inspired by whatever it was they were inhaling.

Jake Rossen




Howard Johnson's was a beacon for hungry travelers.

In the 1950s, families didn't flock to McDonald's or Friendly's. They headed for Howard Johnson's, which lured them in with a bright orange roof, 28 flavors of ice cream, and French chefs preparing classic American food.

Jake Rossen




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
deberarr/iStock via Getty Images (Background); kata716/iStock via Getty Images (Monkey). Photo collage courtesy of Ken Ossea, Jr.

Kids thought they were buying an adorable little pet when they ordered a monkey from their favorite comic book. What they got was a wild animal that pooped everywhere and attacked their mothers' bridge clubs.

Jake Rossen




Pop Rocks caused an explosion of controversy.

Pop Rocks—General Foods' famously carbonated candy—flew off shelves in the 1970s, but rumors of exploding children brought the food fad to an untimely end.

Jake Rossen




Glamorous Carole Lombard on the cover of Photoplay.

Celebrities fade in and out of fashion, and so do the magazines that cover them. Here are 11 retro celebrity magazines that covered classic movie, music, radio, and television stars.

Claire Cock-Starkey




Dr. Demento makes a live appearance in Los Angeles in 2014.

Radio personality Dr. Demento spent four decades curating weird novelty songs for an enraptured audience—including a young "Weird" Al Yankovic.

Jake Rossen




Pictured: The 1980s.

In the 1980s, shopping malls across America hosted everything from video game demonstrations to fans screaming for Patrick Duffy.

Jake Rossen
What kid wouldn't want an Alien toy?

After 'Star Wars,' toy company Kenner thought they had another sci-fi hit with 'Alien.' No one seemed to consider the problem of selling toys for a film that could have gotten an X rating.

Jake Rossen