Selects: Flagpole Sitting: A Real Fad | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

Hey everybody, it's July 14th, 2020 and. we're all rolling through COVID pretty. well by this point. We're all pretty. drunk most of the time and gaining. weight, but that's okay. We're going to. let each other up because it's a global. pandemic. This episode is called flagpole sitting. colon a real fad. And it was. People. would sit at the top of flag polls for. as long as they could. Um, and it was a. part of a weird time in American. history. So check out this episode not.

on on Harvey [music] Danger, the band. who sang the song flag pole sitta as did. my cover band, but Flagpole sitting for. real. Check it out right now. [music]. Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a. production [music] of iHeart Radio. [music]. >> Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm. Josh Clark and there's Charles W. Chuck. Bryant right over there. Jerry's [music].

out there somewhere. And this is Stuff. You Should Know. >> You know, Chuck, I have to say, yes, >> every once in a while, the amazing theme. song from our short-lived television. show comes into my head. >> and it'll just it's just a complete. earworm. >> Yeah. >> Because I just hear the end of it over. and over and over again. And it's. actually pretty pleasant. It doesn't. bother me. >> I love it. I haven't heard that song in. a while. >> Well, you need to go listen. That was. the Henry Clay people, right? >> Yeah. Our buddies, uh, Joey and Andy.

Sierra. >> Mhm. California boys. Southern. California boys. Men. >> Didn't Didn't they go to like Harvard or. something crazy like that? >> Joey ended up going to Harvard and then. I think Andy went to AFI and then Joey I. think went back. >> to film school. >> and they're both writing uh, you know, screenwriting. >> Man, that's great. Andy's got a he. brought it the this uh Andy Samberg. movie that's that's coming out soon. >> Really? What which one? What's it.

called? >> Uh it is called Palm Springs, I think. >> Wow. And he wrote it. >> Yeah, dude. >> That's fantastic. Congratulations. >> And he wrote on the TV show Lodge 49. >> Yeah. I haven't seen that Springs. >> But that um that guy Kurt Russell and. Goldie Hansson, I love that guy. >> Yeah. I think he's one of the coolest. people walking around on the planet. today. >> Yeah, I I haven't seen Lodge 49. It's. supposed to be awesome. And um. >> Andy was a writer's assistant, then.

ended up on the staff and they're. they're both doing great, >> man. That's great. Congratulations to. both of you guys. >> Got a little baby now. They're both. married. >> Nice, man. >> That's And that's an update on the. Sierra Club, as I call them. [laughter]. >> Um let's see what else. >> I guess that was it. >> How did did that come into your head, though? The song, like what made you. think of that? >> Nothing. I was just out back like mowing. the lawn with my big old lawn mower. Uh, and it just popped in my head. I was. probably thinking of something I had to.

do that had to do with stuff you should. know. And I thought stuff you should. know. And when I thought it, I thought. it as stuff you should know. >> This is the. >> And then it just played on a loop. >> This is the second time you mentioned. the size of your lawn mower. >> Yeah. >> And now you just got to send me a. picture. Is this one of these things. that you stand. >> and it and it and it wheels you around. like some uh weird land speeder? >> You mean like a scagg or something? No, this is just a good oldfashioned Toro. that is because it's gas powered. I got.

it like on super discount. Um because. everybody's making like really good. electric lawnmowers. >> Yeah. >> Um but this one was, you know, it was on. discount and I like the look of it. >> Yeah. It's a good looking mower, huh? [laughter]. >> Yeah. I was like, I like your style. What's wrong with me? >> Is it red? >> Yep. >> Yeah, those red Tauros. >> Yeah, >> it's nice. >> Takes you back to days of paper routes. and stuff like that, doesn't it? >> I thought you were mentioning the song. because you were thinking of the song. Flagpole Sitter by Harvey Danger.

>> No, I wasn't uh at all. >> Okay. But that's a great segue, Chuck, because it just so happens, and you may. be aware of this, we're talking about. flag pole sitting today in this episode. >> That's right. And I've been singing that. song in my head all day. [clears throat]. >> Now, I don't I don't know that song. >> You know it. It was a Well, maybe not. It was a It was a top 40 hit in the '9s, uh, kind of during the grunge era. It.

was It was a power pop hit that kind of. >> Oh. >> from Heart Danger. Wait, is that it? >> That's not it. >> No, my band actually covers uh Flagpole. City. It's a fun song. >> Okay, that's great. Uh I'm going to have. to go listen to it. Uh because I feel. like I'm missing out. But what that song. is that song about flagpole sitting? Is. it about shipwreck Kelly in particular? >> No, it's not. But it does have one line.

that says uh run it up the flag pole and. sea. And that's the only time it references. flag poles at all. >> Sees what? >> Uh, who salutes but no one ever does, I. think is the next line. >> That rings a bell. >> I was looking into the mirror. >> A little bit clearer. >> Sure. >> Run it up the flag pole and see who. salutes but no one ever does. >> Yeah. I'm not sick but I'm not. Well,

who is that? >> Harvey Danger. >> Harvey Danger. Okay. Yeah, it's a great. song. I love it. >> Yeah. Who a fellow podcasting friend. John Rodrik actually uh Sean Nelson was. a friend of his in Seattle and they he. played bass for a little while in Harvey. Danger. >> Oh very wow man. This is all coming for. so I got one more for you. I used to. have that song and I don't know where I. downloaded it from. This would have been. probably back in the Napster days or. something. Um, and it was mislabeled as.

Brian Jonestown Massacre. And I was. [clears throat] always like, "This does. not sound like Brian Jonestown. Massacre.". >> Now I know it most definitely wasn't. Brian Jonestown Massacre. >> Wow. All right. We haven't even talked. about flag pole sitting yet. >> No, we haven't. Um, which is a a crime. because it's actually one of the more. interesting weirdo fads that's ever come. this way in America. And it was in the. 20s. started. We actually we know who. patient zero was of flag pole sitting.

And it's easy to tell because it is such. a bizarre thing to do. >> that if you can find the person who who. who did it first, who claims to have. done it first, they're probably correct. And in this case, you can trace it back. to sometime around January of 1924, supposedly potentially in Hollywood, California, part of Los Angeles, >> and there was a man named Alvin. Shipwreck Kelly, who supposedly climbed.

up on a flag pole as part of a promotion. for a movie, and sat there for a full 13. hours and 13 minutes to help draw a. crowd. And boy, did he ever. >> Yeah. which you know uh that sounds like. a long time to sit on a flag pole, but. that is kid stuff. >> Yeah. >> Compared to where this is headed. >> Yeah, for sure. >> That's an appertif. >> but it's a good first attempt, you know. >> Yeah. And so, you know, it sounds strange because when you think. of a flag pole, you're like, what are.

they sitting on? It's a it's a modified. flag pole that basically there are. different kinds, but um usually it's. sort of like a bar stool at the top of a. flag pole. >> Mhm. And it's that lowfi. And you climb. it up there and you sit and that's all. you do. >> That's that's it. I mean, whatever else. you want to do. >> Well, sure you do other stuff. >> Use yourself or whatever, that's up to. you. But as far as being considered a. flag pole sitter, that's it. You sit on. top of a flag pole for as long as you. can. >> All right. So, let's talk about this guy.

because Shipwreck Kelly was a pretty. interesting character. Uh, >> and I have to say there's a Memory. Palace episode about him that I. specifically didn't listen to beforehand. because I didn't want to unconsciously. rip it off. But go listen to that. >> Yeah. Old buddy Nate. I'm going to check. that out for sure. >> Mhm. >> So, Alvin Kelly, uh, he was born. Alawishas Anthony Kelly in New York City. in Hell's Kitchen in a tenement in 1893. and had a very sad start to his life in. that his father uh, was had already.

passed before he was born. His mother. passed in childbirth and that basically. meant he was shuttled around to. relatives and orphanages uh from you. know the minute he took his first. breath. >> Yeah. Um and apparently from a pretty. pretty early age he would do things like. climb flag poles and other tall stuff. and like working at heights became a. kind of a recurring theme in his life. Um it was supposedly by age seven he was.

climbing flag poles within a few years. after that he was starting to scale the. facads of some of the buildings in his. neighborhood and by the time he was 13. and bear in mind if this guy's biography. seems a little thin. He just came out of. nowhere in 1924 for sitting on a flag. pole. So all of the info about him came. from him to reporters were reporting in. the 1920s. So just fabrications are. flying around left and right. Sure. But. um supposedly he ran away at age 13 and.

ran off to join uh the crew of a cargo. ship and start his life sailing the. seas. >> Yeah. And he did a lot of kind of odd. jobs uh or maybe not odd jobs, but just. jobs that didn't have anything to do. with one another uh over the next couple. of decades. He was in the movies as a a. standin and a double. He was a stunt. person, a stunt pilot, a high diver, a. boxer. Uh this part I love. Uh there's. actually a name for people that repair. church steeples. And what is that?

>> Steeplejack. >> He was a steeplejack. >> That is definitely a band name for sure. >> Steeplejack. Oh yeah. >> It sounds like maybe an industrial band, but like on the light side. Like they. like they're technically too melodic to. actually be considered industrial, but. they still call themselves industrial. >> That's become my favorite part of this. whole band name thing. Is it. >> is you describing what kind of band it. is. Oh, okay. I love it. Well, thanks, man. That that makes me feel warm and. fuzzy.

>> So, um, World War I comes along and he. was in the Naval Auxiliary Reserve as an. Enson and served on the USS Edgar F. Lukenbach uh during that war. >> Yep. So, he did have some sort of well, I should say, I don't know if anybody's. corroborated that. Um, but we'll just. take all that at face value because it. doesn't really matter at this point, but. what he eventually picked up the. nickname shipwreck. And there's a lot of.

different um explanations for this. And. he's given or he gave multiple different. explanations depending on what reporter. he was talking to. But one of the. numbers that gets bandied about uh. pretty frequently is that shipwreck. Kelly was so named. because he survived 32 different. shipwrecks at sea, >> which is where shipwrecks tend to. happen. >> Those were the good old days. >> Yeah. >> You just make up stories about yourself. >> Do you remember when we talked about um.

we did an episode on the world's either. luckiest or unluckiest people? >> And do you remember that one guy? He was. like, "I I survived a car that fell off. a cliff and I survived a train wreck and. all that." He was doing his jam in like. 2005, remember? >> Oh, was he? >> Yeah. He was pretty pretty recent if I. remember correctly. Remember his son. came out and was like, "Everybody this. is not true, >> right?". >> Like none of what you're talking about. is true. >> Well, we don't. >> My dad just fooled you all. >> We don't know if Shipwreck Kelly. actually survived the Titanic like he.

claimed. >> Uh but we do know that he was not on the. roster on the Titanic. So, I am going to. venture to say that he made that one up. >> And there were three Kelly's on board, but all who were survivors, but all. three of them were women. So, yeah, he. probably wasn't on the Titanic. Maybe he. did survive from shipwrecks. He was at. sea most likely. But the point is is. they called him shipwreck Kelly. And I. guess somebody uh went to the trouble of. of digging up that uh some reporters who.

uh covered his boxing career are. probably the likeliest source for where. he got his nickname Shipwreck, right? >> Yeah. Which I love because uh I guess he. wasn't a great boxer because uh they. said that he was often a drift and ready. to sink. [laughter]. >> Isn't that great? >> Shipwreck Kelly. >> It's a great nickname and an even better. origin story than surviving 32. shipwrecks if you ask me. Yeah. And the. other thing we don't know for sure is. even if that Hollywood movie premiere. story is correct in his first major.

outing as a flag pole sitter because uh. yet another story says no. This is. actually in Philadelphia at a department. store and he just did it on a dare and. the department store got a lot of. business because people were standing. around looking and then doing some. shopping. So they were like, "Hey, stay. up there and I'll give you some extra. dough.". >> Yeah. So either way, it's pretty widely. held that Shipwreck Kelly was the guy. who started the flag pole sitting craze, >> right? >> And it was a craze because this is a.

time where you could go sit on a flag. pole for 13 hours and 13 minutes and. newspapers around the country would pick. up the story and write about it. Um, and. you would suddenly become famous. overnight. And that's exactly what. happened to Shipwreck Kelly. So that's. prong one toward this becoming a fad in. the 1920s. The other criteria is that um. people have to want to topple that. record. And that was very widespread at.

the time too because the 1920s were. actually really big into fads. Like. people would take up weird fads and just. go nuts over them for basically the. whole decade. >> Yeah. You know, people had time and they. had fewer distractions. >> Yeah. No TV. So like someone doing a. danceathon for 28 hours or sitting on a. flag pole for a day, >> you know, it's a it's an interesting. story back then. It's sad, but that that.

was interesting, but it was, [laughter]. >> right? >> So, uh, we'll talk about dance marathons. and then we'll take a break. Okay. >> Okay. >> Okay. [music]. >> [music].

[music]. >> Oh, wait. I got that backwards chunk. I. just realized hopefully Jerry figured it. out and there was an ad in there. somewhere. >> I I think we should just leave it just. like that though. That'll be fun. >> Okay, so um we're going to talk about. marathons. Dance marathons now after the. adbreak despite what I said before. And. dance marathons are a super 20s example.

of a crazy fad that kind of came along. and and got everybody by the hackles and. people across the country started. entering basically dance marathon. competitions all because of one person, one woman, a dance instructor named Alma. Cummings. >> That's right. Uh 32 years old, she. danced for 27 hours. >> at the Ottabon Ballroom in New York in. 1923 with six different dance partners. And uh it was a weird time because.

it wasn't just dancing. It was endurance. challenges as a whole were just all the. rage and punishing your bodies in all. these weird random ways from yo-yoing to. hula hooping to rocking in a rocking. chair or skipping rope. >> uh to dancing. Dancing was the big one. That's where you, you know, if you see. these videos of, uh, these marathon. dance competitions, it's just, it looks.

like hell on earth. It looks awful. >> Yeah. Oh, yeah. They didn't seem very. fun at all. But, um, Elma Cummings just. kicked the whole thing off. And again, just like Shipwreck Kelly, who would. follow, I guess, a year later, um, or. even, yeah, about a year later, uh, she. got a lot of publicity. There's like a. famous photo of her with her feet in a. tub of water soaking at home and she's. holding up her shoes and they have holes. in the soles where, you know, she wore. holes from dancing for 27 hours. And I. guess like you're saying, people were.

bored or there wasn't as much to do. But. also, there really seems to just be a. profound hunger for celebrity, however. you can get it. And that seemed to like. really drive people who wanted to be. like, well, if this lady got this much. attention for dancing 27 straight hours, maybe I can get even more attention for. dancing 30 straight hours. And so within. just like I think three weeks of Elma. Cummings setting this record uh for. dancing. Um it had been broken nine.

times at least. from people trying to seek the same kind. of publicity she got. >> Yeah. And you know, it's funny. It. really like we talk about these days how. everyone wants their 10 minutes or they. want to be reality show famous or. whatever. >> and like. >> has it been whittleled down to 10 now? I. thought it was like 15. [laughter]. >> Well, like that's something new and it's. really not. Like this is sort of this. the version of that back then was I want. to be famous. I want my names in the. papers, but I'm not particularly skilled.

enough to do anything to do that. So, I'll rock in a rocking chair for three. days. >> Yeah. you know, >> and hopefully they will come. >> Um, >> if I rock, they will come. [laughter]. >> And it's. That was a pity laugh at best, but I. appreciate it. >> Well, it was a bad joke. [laughter]. >> Yeah, admittedly. Um but it would and we. we should uh shout out a bunch of great. websites here because um this next bit. came from Atlas Obscura, one of our. favorite sites. Uh and also our dearest.

of old sites that we always have loved, Mental Floss, >> Ripley's, History Daily, J Mark Powell, and Historic Pelum, which is great. >> Mhm. >> But um Atlas Obscura talks about the in. the 30s, and this is really kind of. depressing. um. during the depression, [laughter]. >> it's very appropriate, >> is that sometimes people would enter. these dance marathons because it would. be somewhere they could sleep and eat.

for a week at a time uh when they didn't. necessarily have a home or food. >> Yeah, it is extremely depressing. Or. just the the prize money that was. offered in the depression might be. enough to keep your house from being. foreclosed on, you know. So yeah, the. thing is is, you [clears throat] know, you can blame promoters for continuing. this long beyond the fad, but the. promoters wouldn't have been putting. these on and offering these this prize. money were it not for all the crowds. that would show up every day to watch.

these people get increasingly closer to, you know, catastrophic exhaustion. Yeah. from from dance marathons because like. there were there were rules where you. know probably early on in the dance. marathon um you could sleep or rest for. 15 minutes of every hour. Yeah. And then. after like a week, a week of this dance. marathon going on, the promoter might be. like, "Oh, okay. Well, you know, we need. to step things up a little bit." And you. will now have three minutes per hour of.

every 24-hour period in a day to where. you can rest. And then toward the end, they'd be like, "No rest." I think I. read about one where the last 57 hours. of a multi-week um dance marathon was. like had no rest. So these people danced. for more than two straight days. constantly. You had to constantly be in. motion and your knees couldn't touch the. ground or else you'd be disqualified. >> Yeah. And if you look at footage of this. stuff, I mean it's charitable because.

what they're doing is dancing toward the. end. It's just hanging. It looks like. two corpses hanging on each other sort. of swaying back and forth. >> Yeah. >> I don't get uh I mean any of these. things even the modern day versions of. like these contests where you have to. keep your hand on a car or whatever. >> Uhhuh. I. >> hard body. >> Oh man. Or or sit in the car. I knew a. guy that did one of those where he tried. to win a Volkswagen Beetle by sitting in. it with four other people in a mall. I'm.

just like. >> Oh yeah. You told us that story before. Did he win or not? >> I think he did, but there's just no way. Kill me. >> Yeah, it would be really awful for sure. >> because let's say for one of those. contests, let's say you don't win, then you've. just sat in a car with three strangers. for a week and you didn't even get the. car. But even if you did get the car, imagine yourself five years on and that. car is like. >> like there's tears in the seats or.

something like that, you know, and like. the the glove compartment won't close. >> It's, you know, I mean, I guess you got. a a story to tell at cocktail parties, but even that would wear thin after a. while. >> Yeah. >> But but Chuck, we need people to do. stuff like that because there's. something about contests like this. There's something about fads like flag. pole sitting that keep humanity. from becoming too cerebral. >> You know what I mean? [laughter] From.

just becoming like. computers basically. We need people that. do stuff like this because it brings out. some juvenile. something in us that makes us want to. find out about it or learn about it or. talk about it. And I think that's good. I think that's healthy for our species. >> All right. It's [laughter] my It's my take. It's. genuinely off the cuff. I'm actually. just surprised at myself that I just. said that out loud. >> You're just riffing. >> Yeah. So, Shipwreck Kelly, back to flag.

pole sitting. Uh that initial 13 hour, 13 minute situ uh like you said, inspired so many others uh to break it. And it was getting broken in pretty. short order. Um, kind of like the. danceathons. >> Mhm. >> Uh, there was a woman named Bobby Mack. from LA who did it. A guy named Joe. Holde Powers uh who did this in Chicago. for 16 days. >> Um, another guy for 51 days named Bill. uh Bill Pinfield. >> Yeah. So, so let's point this out. Take.

a second here. Ship Kelly did 13 hours. and kicked off a national fad. These. people are now into weeks. Yeah. At a. time. 51 days is more than seven weeks. up there. Yeah, >> it's pretty impressive. I'm impressed at. least. Yeah. [laughter]. [gasps and sighs]. >> Are you bucking the cerebral? >> Yes. Right now. Can you tell? >> Uh, let me see here. In the 20s, there. was a 15-year-old boy um who set the kid. record for uh 10 days, 10 hours, 10.

minutes, and 10 seconds. I think that. was planned. >> I Yeah, if not then. But see, there you. go, Chuck. We're thinking about that. It's making us think. This little kid is. making us think. We got to avoid that. It needs to be random random. combinations of numbers so we don't. start thinking about it. >> We should also point out that not. everyone was like, "Oh, this is the best. thing ever." Uh, in Cosmopolitan. magazine, Cosmo called it competitive uh. im imbecility. >> Yeah, this is fine. We need that, too. I.

have to say I want to say something. here. It's a little PSA. This might not. even ever make it in the final edit. Boy, >> so I'll just say it to you. How about. that? [clears throat] I would say the last. like few weeks of. episodes. um there's been like some some good ones. here or there, but overall I find that. they've been less good because I am so. sick of myself because we've been so. entrenched in the book right now. So.

it's like living breathing sysk which is. us and having to confront and like. myself and my own personality and sense. of humor and whether that's actually. funny and just constantly thinking about. this on top of doing the podcast on top. of the other stuff we're we're trying to. do now too. And I am so sick of myself I. can barely tolerate listening to myself. talk. [laughter]. So, if anyone's picked up on the last. few episodes, like in the last few.

weeks, just being a little hoham, that's. why. And I apologize. Maybe we'll go. back and redo them one day. >> Wow. News to me. [snorts]. >> I think you've been great. >> Hey, thanks a lot, man. That's. ultimately what I was fishing for. >> All right. Well, if you want to cut that. part out, let's let me pick this up by. saying, and I'm sure you've made a great. point, Josh. [laughter] Nice. So, so back to Kelly, right? You got all.

these what I'm sure Shipwreck Kelly. deemed slackjaw yals, hohams, that kind. of thing. Um, >> who were out there trying to topple his. record, and they did. Some of them did. topple his record, but nobody had turned. this into a business like Shipwreck. Kelly had. He was a one-man money-making. machine. >> who made his money just by sitting on. top of a flag pole. because he was. really good at self-promoting. Like. there wasn't a reporter whose ear he. wouldn't bend if he got the chance. And. in these reports um or these articles,

he would say things like, "Yeah, I'm in. town for this, but if anybody has any. other offers, I'm wide open and I'm. staying at, you know, the Cambridge Arms. um itinerant hotel for the next few days. if somebody wants to get in touch with. me there with a job offer." Like he was. really good at at attracting job offers. specifically for flagpole sitting. >> Yeah. Yeah. And he made good dough uh. for back then. I mean, this is good. money anytime. If he made $100 an hour. like he claimed to, um other people.

said, "No, it really wasn't that much. It was probably closer to anywhere. between $100 and $500 a day. Still a lot. of money.". >> Sure. >> And um like you said, it was like he he. was almost like a a celebrity version of. a sign spinner. >> Like if you could pay George Clooney to. sign spin. >> Uhhuh. in front of your mobile phone. store. >> Uhhuh. >> That was sort of what Shipwreck Kelly. was. >> That's a great one. I got one, too. It.

It It's almost like if there was a cult. of personality built up around like the. flapping dancing wind sock guy that they. put out in front of like mattress. [laughter] mattress stores in like 2005. >> Yeah, I love those dudes. >> Okay, >> those are fun. >> Both I think both of those are high. quality [laughter]. analogies. Well, we'll we'll see which. one Jerry uses in the edit. >> Okay. >> Uh let me see here. Here here are some. of his longer sits. Uh he did 146 hours.

at the Old West Gate Hotel in Kansas. City. >> Not bad. >> Uh 312 hours in Newark, New Jersey at. top the St. Francis Hotel. That's pretty good. >> Sure. >> I don't know what that is in days, but. 312 hours. Uh let's see. Uh if you. divided that by 24 as you should, you. would come up with uh something along. the lines of 13 days on the nose. >> Hm. All right. Well, how about 22 days?

And this was in conjunction with a dance. marathon at none other than Madison. Square Garden. Yeah, because I don't know if we said or. not, but there was a dance marathon at. Madison Square Gardens that was actually. shut down by the health department. because they decided it had gone on too. long, 10 days, and that it deemed a. threat to the to the health of the. participants. That wasn't the one that. he he sat in, but there was one the. following year where for what was it 22. days? >> Yeah.

>> That means that the dance marathon went. on for 22 days. But imagine that. So. you've got the these two endurance fads. just interweaved in this way that the. universe almost like collapses in on. itself because they're put together too. too close together, [laughter] you know? >> Uh yeah. And here's how he would do it. He would sit on a on that bar stool-l. like thing and it was padded and he. would um you know eat and smoke. cigarettes and shave apparently and they.

would send this up stuff up in like a. with a bucket and a rope and tell them. how he would sleep because this is what. I really kind of wanted to know. So, so you said his his seat was like a. bar stool, a round bar stool basically, right? And it um it was on a pole, a. flag pole appropriately. And then in the. flag pole, he'd have two holes drilled. just beneath the seat. And now that I'm. doing it, I'm like, that's really hard. to reach. So now I'm questioning whether.

this is true or not. >> He might have had long arms, >> maybe. So long thumbs, >> but uh he so he would plug his his. thumbs into those holes drilled into. each side of the flag pole so that when. he started to lean forward, the pressure. from that the flag pole on his thumbs. would kind of cut into his skin and wake. him up just enough that he would adjust. himself. And apparently he he got so. good at this that he would adjust. himself to sit back up so he wouldn't. fall over off the flag pole while he was.

still sleeping. Like he wouldn't he. wouldn't wake up. He could just adjust. himself in his sleep. >> That's right. And he'd have his little. uh I don't know if they're little, but. he would have his ankles locked around. the pole. And apparently it would tether. a leg to keep him from uh catastrophe, but I I think it's very dubious that. that was a solid life-saving rig. >> Yeah. And I mean like some of these flag. poles he's sitting on 30 feet, 50 feet. Um, one of them I guess the impression I.

had the one that you mentioned on um, Kansas City's Westgate Hotel that that. flag pole was on the top of roof of the. hotel. So, I mean, he was up there for. sure. And if he had suddenly gone wrong, he would have. >> Yeah, that tether probably would not. have done terribly much or it would have. done a lot to keep his leg hanging up. there, but the rest of them would have. kept going to the ground, you know. >> How did he pee pee and poo poo? Uh he. had a little contraption for that with. the tube that went down.

>> Okay. >> But here's the thing. So you're you're a. traveling flag pole sitter. You're. relying on the help of other people on. the ground. You need food. You when you. pee and poop into that contraption that. leads to a tube that goes down to the. ground, you don't want that just leaking. out for the spectators to see and smell. and experience. You need it to go into a. bucket that somebody's going to go take. away and dump. So, you're relying on. this kind of group of assistants and. hands that probably the promoter maybe.

helped hire for you. Maybe you make a. friend along the way who just kind of. travels from town to town with you for a. little while. >> That's what I think. He had Shipwreck. Kelly had an assistant. >> He had a boy. >> That was the worst job in show business, [laughter]. >> right? He had a lad who would help him. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Uh so, uh but it [laughter] would. be a pretty bad job. Yeah. But anyway, so he had to I mean he had to eat and he. didn't eat much. He would apparently. just kind of almost do a broth fast um.

augmented with cigarettes and coffee. Um. he would stay up for 4 days at a time. because like living on a flag pole is. not exactly like the the most. comfortable place you can exist for, you. know, 22 days or 13 days or however. long. >> No. And it eventually turned against him. in that uh the money dried up after he. did this sort of big Atlantic City stunt. that we talked about. >> and it was the Great Depression and.

eventually people were kind of like I. don't really care so much about this. dumb stunt because I'm starving and I'm. broke and I'm homeless. and u that the kind of tide of public. opinion turned such that. >> in 1935 he went to do this in the Bronx. and he was actually arrested for public. nuisance. Yeah. >> And I'm sure he was like, "But I'm. shipwreck Kelly." [laughter]. >> Right. But I mean, think about it. That's like everybody's sick of you now, Kelly, and your stick. We're all just. depressed in the depression. So maybe.

we'll do a dance marathon, but we're not. going to watch you sit around in a flag. pole anymore. And um there was a a. contemporary article that was written at. the time that said that um he he. attributed the decline of flag pole. sitting directly to the stock market. crash. And he said that people didn't. want to see anything higher than their. securities, stock securities at the. time, which were not very high. So, >> and everyone went, "That's just not even. a joke in good taste.". >> And he and he would punch his human.

familiar in the mouth. >> and say, "You told me to tell that. joke." [laughter]. >> Man, that was gang busters. Chuck, >> do you watch that show? >> You got me. >> What we do? What we do in the shadows? Uh, I've seen some episodes of it. Uh, you know, we were talking about it and. one of the PAs, I think, wrote in to say. that, uh, they were they were just blown. away that we were we were giving such. big ups to their show. >> Oh, I think I remember. >> If you talk to Matt Barry, tell him he's.

a comedy genius. I never heard anything. back, >> man. >> But Oh, have you seen An Evening with. Beverly Lufflin? >> No. How do I know that name? >> So, it's a um Craig. Robinson. >> Yes. From The Office, right? >> Yeah. >> He plays a guy named Beverly Lynn and uh. Aubrey Meadows. >> Aubrey Plaza. >> Audrey Meadows. Plaza. [laughter]. That's right. Man, I'm really. >> great with first names though.

>> Yeah. Um and then uh Okay, so she's the. main character. Jermaine Clement. I know. him. >> You got that. Uh he plays. >> Well, you just have to see it. Anyway, he. >> was in What We Do in the Shadows, the. movie. Right. Right. So, he I think he. co-created it, too. This is what all. ties into this. He and Matt Barry are. also in this, too. Matt Barry's in the. TV version of What We Do in the Shadows. Jermaine Clement helped helped create. it. But, um, it's definitely worth. watching. Is purposefully very bizarre,

which can get really annoying really. easily, but this movie pulls it off very. well. Like purposeful bizarness and for. humor. Um, and it's a good it's a good. movie. It's worth watching. Okay. It's. worth watching. I'll [laughter] leave it. to you to decide whether it's a good. movie or not. >> Well, I love everybody in it. That's a. great cast. >> Yeah. I mean, it's a it's a it's a it's. worth watching. How about that? >> All right. Should we take our second. break here? Can you believe we have it? >> Yes, I can. >> All right. Let's do our other break and.

then we're going to talk about we're. going to wind up this flag pole sitting. thing right after this. >> [music]. [music]. [music].

>> Okay. So, Kelly, uh, when we left off, the the public turns on him. They don't. care about him anymore. He's he's. probably drunk in some hotel room. somewhere with his human familiar, talking about the good old days at this. point, right? [laughter]. >> Yeah. Yeah, it is kind of sad. I get the. impression um that the memory palace. episode really focuses on the sad. decline of Shipwreck Kelly because I.

mean, he was a celebrity, a national. probably international celebrity for. like a decade. a decade for sitting on. flag poles and uh then all of a sudden. he's just done. Like society drops him. like a hot potato and he's penniles and. and on public assistance basically. >> Yeah. And he died a very sad death he. did uh in I think his final flag pole. sit was all the way in the 1950s in.

Orange, Texas in 1952. He was almost 60. years old at this point and he had uh. during the publicity runup to this had. two heart attacks. Um well, was he. sitting on his pole for publicity or was. this part of the poll sitting when he. had the heart attacks? >> He was he had the heart attacks on the. pole during the publicity. >> Oh. Oh, so the the actual sit was. another publicity stunt for some place,

>> right? Yeah. I don't know what business. it was for. I didn't see that. But I did. see that the promoters were like, "Come. down right now. We we we don't think. you're going to survive a third heart. attack. So, stop.". >> Which is crazy. I mean, it was only 59. at the time. >> Yeah. But 59 in the 1950s, that was a. tough. >> I guess. So, >> that's a tough. >> when your name was shipwrecking. >> Yeah. [laughter]. >> But, uh, he did die of that third heart. attack uh, like a week after that, right?

>> Yeah. Yeah, he was walking around New. York on 51st Street and um he he dropped. dead on the sidewalk from a heart attack. and he uh was found holding a scrapbook. of all like clippings of newspaper. articles about him during his heyday. >> Oh man, >> isn't that sad? >> It's like a movie. >> Yeah. I can't believe this is a movie. He's I mean he's a gold mine just. waiting to be well mined. [laughter].

Uh, >> wait, wait, wait. There's one other. thing about him before we move on. >> What do you have? >> He, after he, um, was done with his flag. pole sitting career, the heyday of it, he, one of the jobs he had was as a. jigalo, a male escort who would dance. with uh, whoever wanted him to dance at. the Rosland Ballroom uh, near Time. Square. >> He was a private dancer. >> A dancer for money. I've been to. Rosland. Seen some good shows there.

>> Yeah. Well, you were where Shipwreck. Kelly danced for a dime a dance cuz he. was a jigalo. >> I would have paid for that dance. >> Sure. >> Tell him to sit on my head. >> Hey, he'll do what you want him to do. >> Oh boy. Um, so we looked, or rather you. looked, cuz you put this one together. and you found one death from flag pole. sitting. Isn't that right? That's all I could turn up. Surely. Surely there were more. But I could.

really only find one. And this guy was. wonderful in every way. >> Dick Blandy. >> Dixie Blandy. Richard Dixie. D IE. Blandandy. >> Dick. Dixie Blandandy. >> Sure. So Dixie Blandy. He uh was a flag. pole sitter uh who was contemporaneous. to. shipwreck Kelly. >> a little bit. >> like during I surely he was directly. inspired by shipwreck Kelly. He came. along and started in 1929 which was.

almost the worst year you could join the. flag pole sitting movement because just. the next year shipwreck Kelly had his. triumphant sit uh aboard like a or above. a two what. >> triumphant sit. It's just great. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it was triumphant for a. couple of reasons. One, it was his. longest sit, I believe 22 days, 23 days, something like that. And secondly, it. was aboard or above um a top a 200 ft. flag pole for weeks. He sat up there.

That's triumphant if you ask me. But he. did his in 1930 and everybody dropped. him right after. Dixie Blandy just. started in 1929. But even though people said flag pole. sitting so out, we're not going to. bother even looking up when we see. somebody on a flag pole. Dixie Blandy. said, "You know what? I'm not giving up. on this." And he continued to make a. career out of it wherever he could. >> Yes. Until he died from flag pole. sitting uh in at the age of 71. In 1974,

he fell off of his flag pole. It was a. 50-ft pole. >> in uh where was this? In in Harvey. >> Yeah. I get the impression in. Pennsylvania. >> Harvey, Pennsylvania. >> Yeah. Because the the article that. reported on it as if it were something. of a nearby event was called the Reading. Eagle. And reading is in Pennsylvania, right? >> Uh yeah. Is it reading? >> Whatever. [laughter].

I can't tell you how many times I've. been told that since I was a child. playing Monopoly and it's just never. stuck for some reason. Now. >> is that the the titular railroad? >> Mhm. >> Oh, okay. Well, we. >> the reading railroad. >> We said reading. >> Yeah, that's right. That's what I said, too, but apparently it's reading. >> Well, I didn't know. I didn't know it. was the same thing. Um, but either way, this is where Harvey and of course it's. it's always like the grand opening of a. shopping center or something. >> Yeah. >> And that's what was going on here. It's.

a 4-day promotion and um he basically. said I think this pole was attached to a. trailer and the trailer moved. Is that. right? >> Well, he asked a security guard to move. the trailer so they could make room for. what I took to be a cherry picker that. could go up and get him. This is hours. before the end of his 4-day sit. And um. when the security guard I guess who had. never tried this before moved the. trailer, a guywire that was stabilizing.

the pole became taut and actually pulled. the pole snapped the pole in two. >> Wow. >> With Dixie still on top of this 50ft. pole and he landed skull first from what. I can tell onto the to the asphalt. below. >> This is not what you want to to open. your grocery store with. >> No. Or or to close your flag pole sit. with. No. Either way, it's a bad jam. >> If you're going to fall, fall early. >> This was not his only accident, too. This was the one that got him. But he. had fractured his skull before uh when.

he was thrown off a pole in a storm in. 1955. And then there was, this is. heartwarming, in 1961, he was uh doing a pole sit for a. promotion dressed as Santa Claus. And he. was shouting, "Merry Christmas." That. was his job. Sit on the top of the flag. pole and shout Merry Christmas. And. apparently it got to the point where he. he finally yelled down that he was. getting numb and he had to be taken to. the hospital. >> Yeah. [laughter]. >> Which is this is what I'm talking about, man. Just no thought. It doesn't take.

thought to just think about flag pole. sitting and I love that about it. >> Yeah. Merry Christmas. >> Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. I. think I think there's something wrong up. here. I gotta go to the hospital because. I'm sitting on top of a flag pole. dressed as Santa Claus shouting Merry. Christmas for three days and it's. December in Pennsylvania. >> in Reading. It's reading. [laughter]. >> right. >> Uh and this was, you know, these were. definitely the waning days. This was in. the 1970s. There were. >> some other stunts throughout the years.

here and there. A couple got married at. top a flag pole. Um, let me see here. 17-year-old in 1963 named Peggy Townson. spent 217 days on a poll for a contest. for a radio station. >> Yeah. >> And then the granddaddy of them all, this guy Kenneth Gagege, uh, Ken Gage, 248 days in 1971. This guy would later. on be a state rep for New Hampshire. And.

uh he I mean reading his account he he. was he he was basically like it was. terrible. >> right. >> and I and I hated it [laughter]. >> every second he had a parakeet he had. his parakeet with him named Nixon and he. said that his parakeet came to hate him. like despise him he said he didn't think. any animals ever hated somebody more. than that parakeet hated him. >> probably because he made him stay up. there in this little tiny house top a. fiberglass pole that generous.

>> sway back and forth. He couldn't lay. down straight in it because the pole. So, he had to lay wrapped around the. pole. Um, it sounds really horrible and. terrible. And he did it to get publicity. because he was an out of work actor, I. guess, at the time. >> Yeah. Like I said, to call the thing a. house is generous. It's this little I. mean, you can see a picture of it, but. it was it was some sort of shelter at. least. He wasn't just sitting uh like on. a bar stool like uh shipwreck Kelly for. 248 days. >> Sure.

>> But it was bad. And he and it's just. funny reading these quotes from him. He. he did not have a good time. And he just. basically kind of talked about how awful. it was. >> Yeah. He said they said that he lost 15. pounds, three inches from his waist and. 13 days of sleep just within the first. three months. And that when people would. come out like when the weather was nice, people would come out and shout. questions up to him and he talk to them. Uh, and he said the men usually asked um. if he sleeps and how he goes to the. bathroom and then women asked if he was. lonely, which I find very sweet, but um.

I mean remember we started out here at. 13 hours is what kicked this off. And. this guy Kenneth Gage has has brought it. up to 248 days, but Chuck, that does not. seem to be the record any longer. In. fact, the record may never be broken. ever. What do you think? >> Yeah. H. David Werder of uh Wikiwatchi, Florida. Man, this is unbelievable. Sat. for 439 days, 11 hours, 6 minutes.

>> Yeah. His sit went from 1982 to 1984. >> That's amazing. >> Yeah. And it was outside of an appliance. center in Clearwater. And he didn't do. this as like a a publicity stunt for. that appliance center. He did it to. protest gas prices at the time. >> Yeah, that's how you see these uh these. days sometimes is protests. >> Sure. But gas at the time was 99 cents a.

gallon. >> That's cute. >> So his his protest didn't work at all. But he spent 439 days of his life on a. flag pole because he was mad about the. price of gas. >> Wow. >> No thought whatsoever to a a zen-like. beautiful state is what this man. achieved. Is that the overarching theme? >> Yep, I think so, man. >> All righty. >> You got anything else? >> Uh, yeah. I mean, we we should mention. David Blaine. He very famously uh did. this uh standing.

in 2002. Remember that? >> For how long? No, I don't remember that. at all. >> He stood at top a 90ft pole for 35 hours. in Bryant Park in New York. >> Wow. Oh, and this is when he was doing. those uh I'd love the guy's a street. magician and give me a little levitation. trick, but when he was like, I'm going. to hold my breath or I'm going to be. encased in ice or stand on this thing. That's when I lost interest. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. I like street magic, too. It's pretty great stuff.

>> Yeah. But yeah, he stood. It's tough to. stand. I mean, sitting is is hard, but. standing is a whole different deal. >> Yeah, for sure. I wouldn't want to do. it. >> Nope. So, uh, you got anything else about flag. pole sitting? >> I don't. >> Well, then, Chuck, that means of course. it's time for listener mail. This is. Oh, this is just funny. Remember in um. Brookxism I talked about my Dr. Tugle?

Uh, this comes from Joe in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He said, "Hey guys, thanks. for the entertainment knowledge. Your. discussion of doctor names at the end of. the Bxism podcast reminded me of two. anecdotes. My ex-wife had a dentist in. San Francisco named Dr. Drilling.". >> No. >> Pretty good, huh? >> Sure. [laughter]. >> And this is even better. He said, "Second. This one uh never gets. appreciated as much by others for some. reason. It must just hit me the right. way." But I'm with you, Joe. It hits me,

too. She worked with a medical uh worked. in medical administration and her boss. at one point was named Dr. Walker. [laughter] W A C H T E R pronounced. WTER. God. >> and he said I could just [laughter]. imagine her submitting daily reports. [music] using baby talk going here Dr. Waka here your reports for [laughter]. the day. >> Man, this guy is our new mascot here on. the show. I think we need to actually.

get him on here. What's his name? >> Joe in Gettysburg. I love it. >> Yeah, Joe. Way to go. This is one of the. best listener mails I think I've ever. heard. Chuck. >> Dr. Walker. [laughter]. >> Um, well, if you want to be like Joe and. try to topple his record as the greatest. email listener mail writer of all time, um, let's take your best shot. You can. wrap it up, spank it on the bottom, run. it up the flag pole, and see who salutes. it at stuffpodcast@ iheartradio.com. [music].

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