38 Schweddy Bits of ‘Saturday Night Live’ Trivia

Comedy Remakes of Horror Movies Like ‘Anaconda’ Are Nothing New

40 Random Bits of Pop-Culture Trivia That Could Be the Konami Code for Your Brain

15 Trivia Tidbits for Saturday, December 21, 2024

40 Random Bits of Pop-Culture Trivia That May One Day Be the Rosetta Stone That Future Generations Will Use to Decipher Our Language and Culture

13 Trivia Tidbits We Smuggled Into A Wilderness Survival Competition, Giving Us A Distinct Competitive Advantage

A failed movie made Arnold Schwarzenegger cry.

13 Trivia Tidbits We Smuggled Into A Wilderness Survival Competition, Giving Us A Distinct Competitive Advantage

June 30, 2023

Welcome, friends, to this list of the most fascinating facts and stories from around the world! From the destruction of Pompeii to the daring hiring of Mike Myers for Saturday Night Live, this compilation of trivia and tales will take you on a journey through time and space.

We'll start with the tragedy of 79 AD, when Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the city of Naples. Then, we'll explore the strange rules and

regulations set by the FAA and FCC, as well as the rebellious spirit of Terry Gilliam. We'll discover the celebrities who are endorsing Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the heartbreak that Arnold Schwarzenegger felt after the failure of Last Action Hero. We'll learn about Moderna's ambitious plans for personalized mRNA injections, and the big questions explored in Futurama's "Godfellas" episode. We'll uncover the dangers of internet-connected devices, and the sharp wit of Joan Rivers. We'll uncover the beauty secrets of geishas, and the skillful sword-fighting in The Princess Bride. And finally, we'll look at the accuracy of popular sitcoms and their settings.

Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox.

13

Naples: Vesuvius, Pompeii, 79 AD.

CRACKED NAPLES MIGHT GET MELTED DOWN IN OUR LIFETIMES Naples is situated near Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that famously destroyed Pompeii in 79 AD ... and Naples might meet the same fate if Vesuvius ever erupts again. — 5 Modern Metropolises Primed to Become Ghost Towns / Timeout

12

FCC: Protect cell towers.

CRACKED WHY DO YOU EVEN NEED TO USE AIRPLANE MODE? Even though they tell you to switch to airplane mode for takeoff and landing, they don't actually need you to do this to protect the cockpit equipment. It's to protect cell towers from being overloaded by too many phones passing overhead. — 4 Reasons Behind the Weird Stuff Airplanes Make Us Do / RD

11

Gilliam: Rebel without a cause?

CRACKED TERRY GILLIAM LEFT THE U.S. so НЕ WOULDN'T BECOME A TERRORIST Terry Gilliam was so worried about becoming a full-time, bomb-throwing terrorist in the U.S. that he left in the late 1960s. He's now known as a Hollywood rebel because of his refusal to change his stories. — Terry Gilliam Explains Why He’s a Hollywood ‘Terrorist’ / Independent

10

Risky move, Lorne.

CRACKED MIKE MYERS WAS HIRED FOR SNL SIGHT UNSEEN Lorne Michaels hired Mike Myers for Saturday Night Live without ever seeing him before. A producer had seen Myers do his famous Wayne Campbell character in a sketch at The Second City in Chicago and recommended him. WAYRS - — Lorne Michaels Cast Mike Myers on 'Saturday Night Live' Sight Unseen / People

9

Celebrities endorse Kennedy.

CRACKED RFK JR.'S CANDIDACY IS ALREADY CELEB-BACKED Cheryl Hines and Alicia Silverstone are backing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in his run for president. We're just wondering if any more comedy blondes will come out for him. Say, Amy Schumer? — RFK Jr.'s Most Reliable Voting Bloc: Comedy Blondes / Variety

8

Arnold's dreams crushed.

CRACKED LAST ACTION HERO'S FAILURE MOVED ARNIE TO TEARS Arnold Schwarzenegger was really upset after Last Action Hero flopped. Не was so sad that he didn't want to talk to anyone for a whole week and was heard crying in his bedroom. les para - - BUGSY SYLVESTERS — Failure of ‘Last Action Hero’ Comedy Hurt Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Feelings / Flicks

7

Moderna's ambitious plan.

CRACKED TRULY PERSONALIZED MEDICINE IS COMING UP Moderna, the company behind the COVID-19 vaccine, is looking to create personalized mRNA injections that could be used to treat various illnesses, such as cancer and heart disease, by 2030. Hopefully Jetsons flying cars are next. — 5 Enduring Mysteries and Disasters That May Be Solved in Our Lifetimes / Homage

6

Exploring big questions with sci-fi references.

CRACKED FUTURAMA HAD SOME REALLY, REALLY ODD INSPIRATIONS In the Futurama episode Godfellas, the writers drew on a variety of sources, like Arthur C. Clarke's The Nine Billion Names of God and Lord Dunsany's The Injudicious Prayers of Pombo the Idolater, to explore the big questions about life. — An Oral History of ‘Godfellas,’ the Most Philosophical ‘Futurama’ Episode Ever / Variety

5

"Smart" devices, not so smart.

CRACKED ALEXA IS DANGEROUS FOR KIDS In 2017, the FBI had to warn people about the dangers of internet-connected devices after Amazon Alexa told a child to stick a penny into an electrical socket. — 5 High-Tech Toys That Went Too Far, Too Fast / CNN

4

No One Safe From Joan.

CRACKED JOAN RIVERS ROASTED EVERYONE EQUALLY Joan Rivers was famous for her sharp, cutting jokes and her willingness to make fun of anyone, even her own relatives. She roasted Betty White with I bet you'd be funny on a date if you ever had one. — The Funniest Insults and Roasts from Joan Rivers / Independent

3

Geishas: Beauty, Lead, and Poop.

CRACKED JAPANESE SKINCARE INCLUDED NIGHTINGALE POOP For centuries, Japanese skincare has included the use of nightingale droppings to lighten skin and take off lead-based makeup. This is now commonly referred to as the geisha facial. — Six Beauty Treatments That Use Less-Than-Beautiful Bodily Fluids / Youtube

2

Fencing with flair.

CRACKED THE SWORD-FIGHTING IN THE PRINCESS BRIDE WAS A BIG DEAL Cary Elwes (Westley) and Mandy Patinkin (Inigo Montoya) took the whole thing very seriously, and put in a lot of effort to prepare for their fight at the Cliffs of Insanity. — As You Wish: 15 Trivia Tidbits About ‘The Princess Bride’ / Basil Mariner Chase

1

Inaccurate settings abound.

CRACKED YOUR FAVORITE SITCOMS LIED TO YOU ABOUT THEIR SETTINGS Some of the biggest sitcoms weren't too accurate about the places they were set in. For example, Frasier and Niles' favorite coffee shop was actually in a dangerous part of Seattle, and Community's Greendale had palm trees but no mountains. — 5 Sitcoms That Don’t Know Jack About Where They’re Set / IMDB

Scroll down for the next article

Must Read

Science & History

The Most Outrageous Scandals Involving Sports Mascots

Trivia & Jokes

33 Funny Dirty Little Secrets People Are Keeping

Trivia & Jokes

20 Wild Stories About Meeting Friends from the Internet in Real Life

Trivia & Jokes

10 ‘Bad’ Christmas Gifts You’ve Learned to Love As An Adult

Trivia & Jokes

51 Funny Holiday Tweets That’ll Fit Right in Your Stocking

Movies & TV

22 Movies They Made Three Times in One Year

VIRAL ON CRACKED

1

51 Funny Holiday Tweets That’ll Fit Right in Your Stocking

2

9 Terrifying Things Doctors Pulled Out Of Living People

3

18 Authors Who Deeply Regretted Signing Away The Movie Rights

4

20 Unanswered Movie And Show Questions (That Ruin Them)

5

51 of the Funniest Burns from the Week of December 16, 2024