Buckle up, snowflakes, we’re ruining your favorite folk hero!

Politics month is supposed to be over, but we have one more slice of Americana bullshit for you all, 1973’s Walking Tall, starring Joe Don Baker. After all, what is more patriotic than being a pro-wrestler-turned-town-sherriff-without-any-law-enforcement-experience-cum-alleged-wife-murderer-and-legend who stands up for what is right (grifting harder than your competition)? What is more American than assaulting your town’s inhabitants with a two-by-four because due process is nonsense, and you haven’t eaten yet?

Nothing. NOTHING.

We find a couple of flaws with the popular, ridiculous myth of Buford Pusser and discuss those (spoiler alert: There was not an official stick that he used to beat people with) while also finding fault with Buford’s sheriff’s uniform of a relaxed-fit shirt and brown slacks, the film’s soundtrack, Bing Crosby’s production house, the too-good-for-this-film presence of the tragic Elizabeth Hartman, and the town orthopedist’s cast-making skills. And a lot of other things.

Walking Tall was directed by Phil Carlson and stars Joe Don Baker as Sheriff Buford Pusser,

Elizabeth Hartman as Pauline Pusser, Lurene Tuttle as Helen Pusser, Noah Beery Jr. as Carl Pusser, Dawn Lyn as Dwana Pusser, Leif Garrett as Mike Pusser, Felton Perry as Obra Eaker, Logan Ramsey as John Witter, Rosemary Murphy as Callie Hacker, Gene Evans as Sheriff Al Thurman, and Bruce Glover as Grady Coker.

Sources used in the episode include…

Podcasts

Behind the Bastards

Going South

The Facebook page Buford Pusser: The Other Story—which, I know what a cesspool Facebook is, but the man who created it, Mike Elam, has dedicated a lot of energy and time and shoe leather to dissecting this man’s legacy which, I gotta say, is fucking weird, and speaks to that strange, strange time our society was in at the end of the Vietnam War and in the throes of Watergate.—Sara

Spoiler Warning: We spoil everything. And we enjoy it.

Our theme music is by Ben Patch: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5BB01QpPE7HBGacGAlullu?si=gp_6jbvsThWXg_sSLVcv6Q

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