Culture & entertainment
Discover facts about culture & entertainment. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Culture & entertainment
Why flashbacks can signal a stuck writer
Nothing screams 'I painted myself into a narrative corner' quite like a sudden leap into the past. Instead of organically revealing character motivations…
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The movie whiskey that's really iced tea
A tough character throwing back five glasses of straight liquor would realistically result in an immediate hospital visit. Instead, prop masters fill…
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Cinderella Castle has no real bricks
There is not a single real brick in that majestic fairy-tale fortress. The entire structure is a rigid skeleton of steel beams wrapped entirely in shaped…
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Makeup stains becoming a religious relic
Heavy cosmetics can occasionally leave a spiritual legacy. Tammy Faye notoriously left a massive, permanent makeup stain of her face on a towel, which…
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Naked and Afraid pays less than you'd expect
Getting chewed on by bugs while starving in the jungle is apparently not a lucrative career path. Contestants receive an incredibly modest stipend that barely…
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Why Mark Hamill’s face changed the Star Wars shoot
Method acting has officially gone too far when you are blowing out facial capillaries for a space opera. Hamill was so determined to make his underwater…
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Why focus groups can flatten a complicated story
Nuance is the enemy of the lowest common denominator. If a test group is slightly confused by a morally ambiguous character, executives will furiously demand…
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Hitman guards with a 30-degree blind spot
Despite being elite security, the guards suffer from acute tunnel vision dictated by rigid geometric cones. As long as you stay exactly outside this…
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Ninja Warrior obstacles require professional testing
You aren't just watching random people fall into water. Every single obstacle is rigorously tested by professional climbers and athletes to ensure a precise…
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Why movie geniuses write on glass
Using paper is a sign of immense intellectual weakness. True geniuses must forcefully scribble complex mathematical equations backward onto transparent glass…
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A snake's movie hiss may come from a cassette tape
Hanging around a highly venomous reptile just to catch its warning rattle is a great way to end a career. To synthesize the dry, terrifying hiss of the desert…
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Sylvester Stallone eating burnt pizza crusts
Nothing builds pure muscle like entirely giving up joy and flavor. To reach single-digit body fat for the third Rocky film, Sylvester Stallone lived on an…
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Why films hire ravens instead of parrots
Despite parrots being famous for mimicry, ravens are terrifyingly intelligent and far superior at taking complex directions. When a script calls for an…
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One Piece beat Batman in the sales race
A rubber pirate boy has definitively crushed the Dark Knight in global popularity. Eiichiro Oda's 'One Piece' manga has sold over half a billion copies,…
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Wrong person interviewed as an expert
Confidence is everything when you are thrust onto live television. A man named Guy Goma arrived at a broadcasting studio for a job interview, but was mistaken…
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The Nutcracker was once hated by critics
The universally beloved holiday classic was initially utterly despised by absolutely everyone. When the legendary ballet first debuted, critics completely…
Discover moreElton John wrote songs for a stranger's lyrics
One of the greatest songwriting duos in history initially functioned entirely through the mail. Elton John would receive lyric sheets from Bernie Taupin, whom…
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The $40 late fee that supposedly inspired Netflix
Spite is genuinely the most powerful driving force in modern capitalism. Legend has it that Reed Hastings was so annoyed by a forty-dollar late fee for a VHS…
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Why movie characters shave in one effortless stroke
Removing thick facial hair is a deeply majestic, effortless process. A character will wipe away a massive swath of shaving cream with one beautifully smooth…
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Indoor fire sprinklers possess collective activation
Fictional plumbing operates on a hive-mind mentality. Holding a single cigarette lighter under one tiny sprinkler head will instantly activate every single…
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Archie has fought the Punisher and Predator
The wholesome Riverdale teenager has inexplicably met the Punisher, fought the Predator, and encountered random pop bands, proving that absolutely nothing is…
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Why pop music once became relentlessly loud
In the late nineties, the music industry engaged in the legendary loudness war. Audio engineers fiercely compressed tracks to blast at maximum volume at all…
Discover moreWhy Superman needs the right kind of star
The ultimate invincible savior of humanity gets completely depowered if he visits a gloomy star system. His god-like abilities are strictly tethered to…
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Why pop songs sound sadder and slower
Researchers analyzing decades of hits discovered an undeniable shift toward minor keys and lethargic tempos. The upbeat anthems of the past have been replaced…
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