Culture & entertainment
Discover facts about culture & entertainment. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Culture & entertainment
Doomscrolling is officially in the dictionary
“Doomscrolling”—compulsively scrolling through negative news for long stretches—has entered major dictionaries, giving our digital despair a name.
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Miniature parks make tourists feel like giants
A 1:25 model of a European city lets visitors loom over miniature versions of its landmarks instead of feeling dwarfed by the real thing.
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A meme is a gene for culture
Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins coined “meme” to describe cultural ideas that spread and mutate.
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Unread books have their own word in Japanese: tsundoku
The term describes acquiring books and leaving them piled up unread. The stack records what you hoped to read, not necessarily what you finished. A single…
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Vanna White's thousands of dresses are mostly borrowed
Wheel of Fortune's wardrobe operation supplied a constantly changing on-screen look, but the dresses did not all become her personal collection. Designers…
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Fantasy maps take up pages to pad the book length
A fantasy map can add pages without advancing the plot; the book may then spend dozens more explaining a kingdom's politics.
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Why paparazzi read depression into sweatpants
Some paparazzi coverage treats a celebrity’s casual clothes as a sign of depression, rather than considering the simpler possibility that they’re just…
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Why TV comas cure almost anything
On daytime TV, a character can wake from a coma months later cured of a supposedly fatal illness and ready for a new romantic betrayal. It's a plot shortcut,…
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Why walking in heels is a pageant skill
Pageant contestants may face questions about global politics, but their score can also depend heavily on walking in six-inch heels without falling.
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Why blurry celebrity photos sell for thousands
A grainy, zoomed-in shot can seem valuable precisely because it looks like a glimpse of something private, such as a celebrity on a distant yacht.
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Carrying coffee proves a celebrity is extremely relatable
Tabloids turn ordinary errands into “just like us” moments, making a celebrity carrying their own coffee seem relatable.
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Icebergs melting are depicted as aggressive entities
Sound designers can amplify a falling chunk of ice into a thunderous crash, making the change feel more violent and sudden.
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Why movie spiders look like monsters
Extreme close-ups make spiders’ hairs and fangs fill the frame; from a normal distance, they can look no bigger than a penny.
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Family Guy kept Bonnie pregnant from season one to season seven
Bonnie Swanson finally gave birth in 'Ocean's Three and a Half.' The long-running pregnancy became part of the show's joke about characters who barely age…
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Big pageant hair has hidden support under the smooth surface
Stylists build volume with rollers and teasing near the roots, then smooth the outside and use hairspray to hold it. The polished curls conceal a more…
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How a burger can spark a pregnancy rumor
Even ordinary post-meal bloating can fuel tabloid pregnancy rumors about actresses.
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Why nobody locks doors in fictional towns
Writers leave doors unlocked so enemies can walk into living rooms and deliver their menacing monologues.
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A runway's blank expression keeps the outfit in charge
Many fashion shows use a restrained face and a consistent walk as part of their presentation. With less expressive variation, the clothes become easier to…
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Contestants claim to want world peace while sabotaging
The contrast is striking: a contestant can deliver a heartfelt speech about world peace, then sabotage a rival by hiding her favorite heels backstage.
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Cute baby animals exist solely to get separated
A baby elephant or monkey shown alone in the wilderness can turn a wildlife segment into a suspense story, with viewers waiting for its reunion with its mother.
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Why news anchors may be wearing shorts
Because viewers see only the chest-up shot, anchors can wear casual clothes below the desk—even shorts or slippers—while delivering the news.
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Front row seats are reserved for people who never clap
Fashion’s front row is a display of studied indifference: editors and celebrities may sit motionless behind dark sunglasses as models pass inches away.
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Why predators seem to fail before the big catch
Broadcasters can splice together several failed attempts before the successful hunt, making the predator look exhausted before its triumphant catch.
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Celebrities pump gas looking utterly miserable
Gossip outlets turn ordinary errands into signs of celebrity misery, pairing gas-station photos with headlines that suggest a star's life is falling apart.
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