Pop culture

Small town travel, the Monuments Men, Chernobyl and Stonehenge were all among reader favorites in 2014

Our Top Stories of 2014

From weird red waterfalls to the pleasures of small-town America, these were the most read articles on Smithsonian.com this year

James Franco and Seth Rogen are just the latest actors to draw ire from political leaders.

"The Interview" Joins the Ranks of These Banned or Restricted Movies

From a Charlie Chaplin comedy to a Mae West melodrama, plenty of controversial films have been pulled or even destroyed since the dawn of cinema

Bill Nye enthusiastically greets students and faculty at Cal State Fullerton in California earlier this year.

Bill Nye on the Risks of Not Debating With Creationists

Bill Nye the Science Guy has a book out on evolution. Here’s what he has to say

Fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, photographed here in Paris in 1993, died on October 20, 2014.

Oscar de la Renta, Star of the Smithsonian's Costume Collection

The late de la Renta designed haute couture and ready-to-wear. A decade ago, he donated items to the Smithsonian

Joan Baez by Russell Hoban, 1962

When It Comes To the Baby Boomers, It Is Still All About "Me"

Millennials have got nothing over the Me Generation, says cultural historian Amy Henderson after touring two new shows on Boomers and the '60s

I don't mind being nursed along, ca. 1915: In addition to being associated with loose morals and lower class status, private duty nurses at the turn of the century were also often portrayed as romantic love interests for their patients.

The Evolution of the Nurse Stereotype via Postcards: From Drunk to Saint to Sexpot to Modern Medical Professional

A postcard exhibit at the National Library of Medicine shows how the cultural perception of nurses has changed over the decades

Dog Movies Create Ten-Year Spikes in Breeds' Popularity

"Lassie" alone led to a 40 percent increase in the number of border collies that families adopted

Dear Americans: You Don’t Understand What the Burger King-Tim Hortons Merger Means to Canadians

Tim Hortons is a core component of the amorphous "Canadian identity"

Hummus and Goat Cheese Are Out; Ramen and Brussels Sprouts Are In

Food trends, as revealed by the New York Times' coverage

The Rise and Fall of PBR

How Pabst Blue Ribbon lost its cool

Harry Rossoll, who drew a popular "Smokey Says" newspaper cartoon in the mid-1940s, modeled his sketches after the campaign hat he wore as a member of the United States Forest Service.

Before Pharrell, Smokey Bear Donned This Now-Trendy Hat As a Symbol of Fire Safety

This is the story of Smokey Bear's hat, and how it was lost—twice—before finally joining the collections at the Smithsonian

Katniss Everdeen's Three-Fingered Salute Has Become a Real-Life Symbol of Resistance in Thailand

In "The Hunger Games," a three-fingered salute indicated resistance. Now it does in Thailand, too.

"How can you make someone look important in Candy Land?" wondered Will Cotton, the New York City-based artist whose sugary landscapes often lacked subjects.

Artist Will Cotton Reveals How He and Katy Perry Played an Elaborate Game of Candy Land

Artist Will Cotton's painting <em>Cupcake Katy</em> goes on view at the National Portrait Galley to welcome the pop star to D.C.

New to the collections: Actor Reeve Carney's red and blue spandex bodysuit, which he wore while starring in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

'Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark' Suit Receives a Lifetime Encore at the American History Museum

After a two-year run on Broadway, the web-slinging stage show's iconic superhero costume is heading to the Smithsonian.

Andy Warhol Probably Never Said His Celebrated "Fifteen Minutes of Fame" Line

In the interest of branding, however, it doesn't matter who said it, only that it worked

Michael Jackson: Singer, Songwriter, American Inventor

The King of Pop invented more than just amazing dance moves

The protagonist, Tris (Shailene Woodley), and her friend Christina (Zoë Kravitz) jump from a train running through post-apocalyptic Chicago in a scene from the film Divergent.

We Asked Four Teenagers to Explain "Divergent" to Old People

The first movie in the dystopian young adult book trilogy comes out this weekend. Get ready

Even the President of the United States takes time away from work to fill out his bracket.

When Did Filling Out A March Madness Bracket Become Popular?

Millions of Americans will fill out a NCAA basketball tournament bracket this year. How did it become such an incredible social phenomenon?

Hustle through America's Huckster History with a Smithsonian Curator as Your Guide

A blow by blow of the flimflams and tales of hustlers throughout history, art and literature

No, Goldfinger, You Can’t Kill Someone by Painting a Body With Gold

But surely you don’t expect us to talk about it

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