Mental Floss

TBT

Not since the McPizza has a fast-food stunt caused so much controversy.

In 1996, Taco Bell pulled a fast one by announcing they had bought the Liberty Bell and were taking it to company headquarters in Irvine. Not everyone thought it was funny.

Jake Rossen






















Keanu Reeves moments after discovering he will never be able to remove Babes in Toyland from YouTube.

In 1986, Keanu Reeves starred in a three-hour made-for-television adaptation of the operetta 'Babes in Toyland.' One critic declared he "looked understandably embarrassed each time he is required to join in another dreary song."

Jake Rossen


'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
Hulk smash complete sentences!

When Toy Biz released foam Hulk Hands in 2003, kids went into a violent frenzy. "He punched walls," one mother said of her son's behavior. "He punched furniture. He punched me. And when his 4-year-old friend, Lydia Cole, arrived, he punched her.”

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