Mental Floss

TV

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


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






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






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








Kurt Russell speaking at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con International.

Kurt Russell, the actor famous for films like 'Escape From New York' and 'The Thing,' once had a close encounter with a UFO he didn't publicly discuss for decades.

Jake Rossen