680 - Pole Sitting

Summary

Episode 680 - Pole Sitting

Podcast Title: The Dollop with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds
Hosts: Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds
Release Date: April 22, 2025
Description: Comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds pick a subject from history and examine it.

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Introduction

In Episode 680 of The Dollop, Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds explore the quirky and obscure historical fad of pole sitting in America. The hosts navigate through the rise and fall of this peculiar pastime, highlighting notable figures, societal impacts, and the eventual decline of pole sitting as a popular trend.

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The Origins of Pole Sitting

Aloysius Anthony Kelly: The Pioneer

The story begins with Aloysius Anthony Kelly, born in Hell's Kitchen, New York, in 1893. Tragically, Kelly's mother died during childbirth, leading to his upbringing by a family friend after his father, a rigger who worked on the Brooklyn Bridge, passed away before Kelly's birth.

Dave Anthony [06:21]: "I killed my mom."

From a young age, Kelly exhibited rebellious behavior, including climbing poles to escape disciplinary actions. At 13, dissatisfied with his adopted family's environment, he ran away, adopting the name Alvin Kelly to forge his own path.

Gareth Reynolds [08:22]: "If you're gonna hit. If you're gonna hit the streets, pick the worst name possible. Pick the dorkiest."

Transition to High-Risk Jobs

Alvin Kelly's adventurous spirit led him to a series of high-risk occupations: steelworker, steeplejack, high diver, boxer, and ultimately, a stunt pilot performing aerial stunts. His daring exploits positioned him as a fearless individual, untethered by conventional societal norms.

Dave Anthony [09:40]: "He's not a coward. Let's just."

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The Rise of Pole Sitting

The Breakthrough: Publicity Stunt

In January 1924, Kelly was hired by a local movie theater to climb and sit atop a tall pole as a publicity stunt for an upcoming film. Demonstrating remarkable endurance, Kelly remained perched for 13 hours and 13 minutes, astonishing onlookers and garnering significant media attention.

Dave Anthony [12:29]: "He's just sitting on a pole. He is up there for 13 hours and 13 minutes."

This stunt marked the beginning of pole sitting as a popular attraction, inspiring similar acts across the nation. Businesses quickly recognized the potential of pole sitting to drive foot traffic and enhance their public image.

Gareth Reynolds [12:35]: "People are amazed. Like, they can't believe this guy's sitting on a pole."

Monetization and Media Sensation

Kelly's pole sitting ventures evolved into lucrative engagements. Charging upwards of $2,500 (equivalent to approximately $46,000 today) for extended stints, Kelly performed at various venues, including amusement parks, county fairs, and storefront openings. His ability to balance on a pole while engaging in mundane activities like shaving and eating made him a media darling.

Dave Anthony [14:37]: "Alvin is spending days a week up a pole. He refused to eat solid food while on the pole."

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The Competitive Craze

Record-Breaking Enthusiasm

Kelly's success spawned a competitive frenzy, with individuals striving to surpass his pole sitting records. Notable competitors included:

• Bobby Mack: In September 1927, Bobby Mack set a new record by pole sitting for 21 days, earning substantial rewards and media coverage.

  Dave Anthony [39:36]: "She had, from a human perspective. It is, I think one of the first people things people think of is what did they do with the poop?"

• Clifford Stevenson: Shortly after Mack's feat, Stevenson broke the record by sitting atop a pole for 17 days and two hours.

  Dave Anthony [46:57]: "But it doesn't count. She's not a man."

These competitions transformed pole sitting into a nationwide phenomenon, complete with dedicated managers, sponsorships, and even masked performers adding an air of mystery to the stunts.

Gareth Reynolds [44:05]: "I think we got a new Patreon tier."

The Phantom of the Flagpole

Adding intrigue to the craze was "The Phantom of the Flagpole," a masked pole sitter who engaged in unusual activities like smoking 100 cigarettes and consuming copious amounts of coffee, all while maintaining anonymity.

Dave Anthony [48:45]: "He was like a guy on a deadline. He's like. He's like a reporter trying to bang out the story."

This character elevated pole sitting from simple endurance to a theatrical spectacle, further fueling public interest and imitation.

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The Surge of Youth Participation

Children Embrace Pole Sitting

The trend extended beyond adults, with children modeling themselves after the adult pole sitters. Youngsters aged 10 to 15 began taking to poles in various cities, often accompanied by supportive parents. This burgeoning youth participation raised ethical concerns regarding safety and exploitation.

Gareth Reynolds [62:00]: "Please, please, please, sir, please."

Community and Commercial Involvement

Local businesses and community leaders embraced pole sitting as a means to attract crowds. Donation boxes were often placed at the base of poles, and prizes for sustained sitting included items like golf clubs, lucky stones, and other novelty rewards.

Dave Anthony [57:03]: "It's been. It's been in the forest, but also near."

However, the influx of young pole sitters led to overcrowded poles, posing significant safety risks and prompting municipal interventions.

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Decline and Saturation

The Great Depression's Impact

The onset of the Great Depression shifted public focus away from frivolous stunts to more pressing economic concerns. The economic downturn diminished the financial viability of pole sitting, and public interest waned as people sought more meaningful forms of entertainment.

Gareth Reynolds [85:26]: "If that Blue Orbit space mission had just gone a little more south, that would have been a nice release for society, man."

Safety Concerns and Legislation

Increasing accidents, including falls and injuries, heightened concerns about the safety of pole sitting. Governments began imposing regulations, requiring permits for pole sitters and, in some cases, outright bans on the activity to prevent fatalities and legal liabilities.

Dave Anthony [83:49]: "City inspectors were sent to test the safety of poles all around the city in case kids climb them."

Media Fatigue and Oversaturation

As the number of pole sitters multiplied, media coverage became oversaturated, leading to public fatigue. The novelty that once captivated audiences lost its appeal, and pole sitting was increasingly viewed as a dated and dangerous trend.

Dave Anthony [88:45]: "But it never came back to the way it was."

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Conclusion

Pole sitting serves as a fascinating example of how a simple publicity stunt can evolve into a widespread cultural phenomenon. From Kelly's daring climbs to the competitive records and youth participation, pole sitting encapsulated a unique period in American history where endurance and spectacle intersected in unexpected ways. However, socioeconomic shifts and safety concerns ultimately led to the decline of this once-popular pastime.

Gareth Reynolds [88:52]: "That's right. Sources Los Angeles Evening Express, the Sport in Adelaide, the Reading Times,... all these are through newspapers.com, thegrunge.com mentalfloss.com, sevenday adventure.com 1947 project.com the gazette.com old magazines.com I never like doing mental floss because they just never put up their sources. They don't list their sources, but whatever."

The episode underscores the ephemeral nature of social trends and the role of media in sensationalizing and subsequently saturating public interest.

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Notable Quotes:

• Dave Anthony [07:01]: "Wow. That's nuts. That's crazy. That's horrible."
• Gareth Reynolds [15:46]: "That's a little cheat to me. That's not as good. I like the traditional one where, you know, a guy's slowly bruising his anus."
• Dave Anthony [35:29]: "Yeah, People are doing it all over the place and the press is eating it up."
• Gareth Reynolds [63:02]: "I know what direction do you want to go in?"

Timestamps Highlighting Key Moments:

• [06:21]: Introduction of Aloysius Anthony Kelly and his tragic beginnings.
• [12:29]: Kelly's first major pole sitting stunt.
• [14:37]: Kelly's transition to monetized pole sitting.
• [46:57]: Clifford Stevenson breaks Kelly's pole sitting record.
• [62:00]: Rise of youth participation in pole sitting.
• [83:49]: Municipal responses to safety concerns.
• [88:45]: The decline of pole sitting's popularity.

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This summary encapsulates the comprehensive discussion between Dave and Gareth, providing an engaging overview of pole sitting's historical significance, societal impact, and eventual decline.

Transcript

[Dave Anthony]

The Dollop is going on tour in June 2025. We will be in Sacramento on June 3rd. We'll be in Boise, Idaho, on June 4th, Spokane on June 5th, Seattle on June 6th, Portland on June 7th, Bend, Oregon, on June 8th, and San Francisco on June 10th. Go to the dollop podcast.com to get all our tour links for tickets. You're listening to the Dollop on the All Things Comedy Network. This is an American history podcast where each week I, Dave Anthony, read a story from American history to my sworn enemy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wrong, Gareth Reynolds, who has no idea what the topic is going to be about. Not your enemy, dude.

[Dave Anthony]

You are.

[Gareth Reynolds]

After today you are, buddy. Come on.

[Dave Anthony]

After today you are.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Come on. We're not enemies.

[Dave Anthony]

You're playing games with my life.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We have a will. They won't they. It's different.

[Dave Anthony]

You're playing games with my life, with my family's life. I have a family. We have called a will.

[Gareth Reynolds]

They won't things.

[Dave Anthony]

We have things planned.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's called a will. They won't they. And.

[Dave Anthony]

And when somebody says, we'll do something at this time, I got my times mixed up. An early morning text saying, we'll do it at this time. And then that person redo all their plans, and then you come back and say, no, let's do the original.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Someone shot an arrow through my stomach.

[Dave Anthony]

You're a virus.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I had to.

[Dave Anthony]

I'm a vaccine.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I had to save the President's life.

[Dave Anthony]

Why would you do that?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Because he's the greatest president of our life.

[Dave Anthony]

I always think about the fact that I know a guy who has a father who's a Green Beret. He passed at this point, but the first time Trump was gonna run for president, he and his other Green Beret guys, old dudes, were like, we should take him out.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I mean, that's just. I think we've talked about this.

[Dave Anthony]

They were really considering.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It is the best. Tommy Lee Joad's Morgan Freeman.

[Dave Anthony]

Just such a movie. Like these old guys.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Ye.

[Dave Anthony]

It's such a movie. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We gotta do this, I guess.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

You're. You're going to die.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Just save one of them. Dies on the mission. Lewis.

[Dave Anthony]

I can't do it today.

[Gareth Reynolds]

They forget where they're going. What do you mean? One of them. I don't think we should do this. It was your idea.

[Dave Anthony]

Gareth. We're going on tour. Did you know that? I did, yeah. We're going. It starts in June. This is 2025. June 3rd. Sacramento Punchline. Now, what we've done on June 3rd in Sacramento. Punchline. Is the show sold out? So we are now doing a second show that night, I think 9:45. Is that what time it is?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I think so, yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

9:45. And it's going to be a best of show.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's a classic.

[Dave Anthony]

I will pick the topic this week so we'll be able to know.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, you will.

[Dave Anthony]

Coming very soon. So I. We should just do like the Move or something. Like we should just do a classic.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Should I know what it is?

[Dave Anthony]

No, probably not.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I think you hide that from me too. I think that's good. So we will do an old episode, but we'll do all new. Commentary, jokes, all that. We did it in Albuquerque and it was very. We did Truck Nuts and it would go to our Patreon, if you want to listen to that. It's coming out soon. But it was very funny. So, you know, if you're. I guess if you're a big fan, that's a great show to go to. And if you're not a big fan, what's your fucking problem? I mean, what are you doing?

[Dave Anthony]

What are you doing yelling us on Twitter? Yeah, like, also after Sacramento, then will be the next day, June 4 in Boise, then June 5 in Spokane, then June 6 in Seattle, then June 7 in Portland, then June 8 and Bend, and then June 10 in San Francisco, which is where Gareth originally asked me if we want to do a second show.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Look, there's upside and there's downside, buddy. There's upside and there's downside.

[Dave Anthony]

Isn't it hard enough to live in this country, not get misinformation from your.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Own podcast, figure out stuff randomly that you thought was solidified? Two things. One, when we go to Boise, can we call ourselves the Bad Boise? Okay. Two, we really have noticed a drop off on doll heads being tossed on stage when we walk out. And that's been affecting performance a little bit. So we noticed that a lot of people are holding onto their doll heads until after the show. And gently, guys, you are the doll heads. We are encouraging you to lean into the movement and bring the head of a doll and toss it up there for us. And we're loving it. And this, we're not. Social media wise, this thing has taken on a life of its own. So doll heads, if you're out there, toss a on stage. We're living it. We're loving it, you know, so, yeah, just, you know, I mean, if you could afford a doll head, if you can't, if you people will provide.

[Dave Anthony]

If you throw a Doll head on stage, I will pick it up.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We agree.

[Dave Anthony]

And I will throw it back at you as hard as I possibly can.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's a promise. So. So that's exciting. So toss the doll head up there, guys, and then Dave's going to pelt them back at you. But we love it. We always like to say it's our roses at our opera. So give it a. Give it a toss. Thanks, guys.

[Dave Anthony]

May 11, 1893 Here by Lord J Town, who is just, stop. You got to get the bandanas. But he. He. He's talking about starting a band, and it's just something I think the kids are into. So. If you're in a rock and roll band, it's okay to rock for Jesus. If you're. If you're skateboarding, it's okay to skateboard for Jesus. Windsurfing. Windsurfer. Jesus. Jesus does it all. He loves and all. 1893. Aloysis Anthony Kelly was born in Hell's Kitchen, New York. His mom died during childbirth. So. He killed his mom. Yeah, that's how.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I mean, that's the baggage you got to carry.

[Dave Anthony]

I killed my mom.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, it's only weird. I mean, I don't know. I kind of like.

[Dave Anthony]

I think anybody. I think anybody. I think anybody who. Mom dies during childbirth. You carry that with you, right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I. I actually.

[Dave Anthony]

I wouldn't call it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I actually don't think it's funny, and I don't think I. I think joke.

[Dave Anthony]

Wise, you just called it a power move.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, but I'm. I learned a lot since then.

[Dave Anthony]

Now, his father had died before he was born, so he came out. He came out an orphan.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wow. That's nuts. That's crazy. That's horrible.

[Dave Anthony]

So day one, he's on his own.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, somewhat. What. What. What happens in that situation? Just orphan right away.

[Dave Anthony]

Family, I think. Yeah. Family or orphanage? Yeah. His dad was a rigger and worked on constructing the Brooklyn Bridge. So. So Al was adopted and raised by a family friend, and when he was 7, he was said to be annoying an old man one day and on the street, and the old man went after him. So he climbed a pole to escape the old man's wrath.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Now, this is. This is in my. In my time on this show. This is important. This is both.

[Dave Anthony]

Both facts I've said are important so far.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I think the climbing of the pole is pretty big.

[Dave Anthony]

So this is Brooklyn Bridge.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hmm. But you.

[Dave Anthony]

Two years later, he, quote, did a human fly routine up the side of a building.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We're jumping. So this is gonna this episode must be a little wild because this is starting big. Jumped off a building. Okay. Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Apparently, he did not enjoy his adopted family and he ran away at age 13 and changed his name to Alvin, which is what you do.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Alvin.

[Dave Anthony]

If you're gonna. If you're gonna hit. His last name is Kelly. If you're gonna hit the streets, pick the worst name possible. Pick the dorkiest.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, but you're a guy named Dave. You've always loved to shout Alvin.

[Dave Anthony]

Hardcore. There's no more hardcore name than Dave.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Will you do me a favor? Will you say Simon Theodore and then yell Alvin.

[Dave Anthony]

Simon, Theodore. Alvin.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. That's awesome, dude. You know, in a real way, I am the Alvin of this show.

[Dave Anthony]

You are? Very much so.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We're having fun. This is fun. Throw those heads on stage, guys.

[Dave Anthony]

So Alvin got work as a merchant sailor, which now kicks off a string of risky jobs. Over the next 15 years, he took jobs that other people really avoided. Alvin was a steelworker, a steeplejack, a high diver, a boxer, and a stunt pilot doing aerial stunts.

[Gareth Reynolds]

To be passing on. To be taking jobs that most people pass on and turn of the century at that time is really wild.

[Dave Anthony]

It is really wild, though. Yeah, it's. You're out of your mind, right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

You're a two tutor.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. A what?

[Dave Anthony]

Yep. A two tutor.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hmm.

[Dave Anthony]

I think that's the term. So. So he signed up to serve in World War I and was in the Naval Auxiliary Reserve. So he's not a. This guy's not a coward. Let's just.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, he doesn't give that out there.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, he's. He's not afraid of cat.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

After three years, he's discharged. Somewhere along the journey, Alvin had picked up the name Shipwreck. Now, Alvin said it was because he had survived multiple shipwrecks, plane crashes and acc. Car accidents. He also claimed to survive the singing of the Titanic.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What?

[Dave Anthony]

Which is definitely not true because they're. There are Kelly's, but they're all women. There's no last name Kelly, bro.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And there's certainly no Alvin or Lucius.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So he pumps up his resume a little bit.

[Dave Anthony]

Whatever. It works. You got a. You got a brand, you got a brand, your name's Shipwreck.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure, sure. I wanted to just do a trump impression. And I want everyone to know that I sat on it because that one guy complained so much.

[Dave Anthony]

Others say he was called Shipwreck because as a boxer, he was knocked out multiple times. And he fought under the name Sailor Kelly.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, man.

[Dave Anthony]

So they Call him shit. That one makes sense.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Why don't UFC fighters lean into character work a little bit more? That would be awesome.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, I agree.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Like a sailor ones. And just, you know, just give your. I mean, take a little bit of the wrestling theatrics. And the UFC needs more pageantry when you're watching these guys get Alzheimer's on a.

[Dave Anthony]

It does indeed. It does indeed. So Alvin made his way to Hollywood, and he started working as a stuntman and a double in films. And now this is the time of fads. Popular fads. Pieding competitions, Dance marathons, Devil stones. Like walking on planes. Biplanes. There's a lot of. I wish I read through some of them, and they're just like. You're just like, how Fasting was a fad. Like, there were just. All these people would be like, I fasted 63 days. And it's like, no, you're alive. So you didn't do that.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh.

[Dave Anthony]

On January 1924, a local movie theater hired Alvin to climb up a tall pole and stay there to get publicity for an upcoming movie. Crowds form. Very exciting. Skype. A pole.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

People are amazed. Like, they can't believe this guy's sitting on a pole.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

He's just. He's sitting on a pole again.

[Gareth Reynolds]

For hours.

[Dave Anthony]

He's just sitting on a pole. He is up there for 13 hours and 13 minutes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I feel like I've. I'm aware of this event. Is that possible?

[Dave Anthony]

It may be.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

You're aware of a version of it. So this is. This is in the papers. Right. It's a. It's very exciting. A guy was up a pole, and Alvin's interviewed, and he said he also climbed buildings. Quote, how'd I come to be doing stunts? Well, I just naturally like to climb around. That's how.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's a good answer.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. It's in his nature. That's what he's saying.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

Plus member his dad working bridge. He's working some stuff out. Climbing up his mom. Yeah. Okay.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He's trying to get closer to his parents.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Who live in the press.

[Dave Anthony]

Led to Alvin getting a lot of other offers from businesses to sit on a pole in front of their business. And he takes the offers.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I like the idea that I felt like they were going to have a more creative spin on it, but they're like, what about this? Sit on a pole again. But now we've got a great idea. We're a tobacco company. So we thought a perfect tie in would be, what if you sat on a pole once More.

[Dave Anthony]

It's working, by the way. People are crowd forms around your business and then people go into your business. It works. It's very successful.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So it's mainly for foot traffic.

[Dave Anthony]

Yes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Okay. He's not like up there eating a hoagie for Blimpy or something.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, that's a great idea.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Thank you.

[Dave Anthony]

So he starts touring, he gets fans and there's people mimicking him. And many people, many people around the country start trying to break his 13 hour record. There's a picture of a guy called the Human Fly who is up a flagpole in 1924. But he is just on his stomach with his arms outspread and he's just like on the pole like that. So there's a lot of crazy shit going on.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

But Alvin is the OG and he quickly starts to make up to a hundred dollars an hour to flagpole sit at store openings. Now I read somewhere else it was 100 to 500. He's at amusement parks, he's at county fairs. That's. That's eighteen hundred dollars an hour in our. In our money. Again. He's. He's sitting on a pole. Did I mention that? He's just sitting on a pole.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Now are you confounded because that it's so death defying or. Because kind of what I was rubbing up against just now was like, if you're at the fair and you're like, he's at a. You know, I mean, you'd literally just be like, wow, all right.

[Dave Anthony]

Hey, guy, have a poll? Yeah. I mean, that's it to me is that he's just sitting on a pole. Now it is dangerous. He can't fall.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Nothing else is going on. As we've talked about.

[Dave Anthony]

Nothing is going on.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This or reading or.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, or. A guy walked backwards into town like that, by the way, for comfort and safety, he balanced on a small cushioned seat which was just 13 inches in diameter. So basically he has a bar stool that he puts up on top of the pole.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure. Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

And he sits on it, basically. So flag poles are being modified for this. And he sometimes puts. He sometimes would put stirrups on it for his feet and that helped him keep his balance.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's a little cheat to me. That's not as good. I like the traditional one where, you know, a guy's slowly bruising his anus.

[Dave Anthony]

That's right. This went. It went in me. It went in me.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Just the magic follow the doctor.

[Dave Anthony]

So he would sleep just a few minutes at a time, taking naps, upright up there. Yeah. Well, now he's. Now he's. Because every time he goes up, he has to beat his record.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He's napping up there. Yeah, well, that's not.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay, so. Okay, so he would hook thumbs into holes that he made on the pole. Right. They would modify the pole so he'd hook his. Put his thumbs into these holes. And when he starts to lean, his thumbs would hurt and wake him up.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He isn't. He can't. He's so. He's so unaffected by what he's doing. This is the most jaded you can be with your work. He's on a pole falling asleep. Do you not think that's crazy to nod off up there?

[Dave Anthony]

I do think it's crazy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Like, that would be like me. That would be like us being like. Well, during a show, we need to come up with a way where, you know, if we nod off, we can just wake up right away.

[Dave Anthony]

Like, I don't.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sorry.

[Dave Anthony]

If I. If I fell asleep during a show, I'd just leave. Let me sleep.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I did To Kill a Mockingbird in college, and it was like I had the smallest part imaginable and I was in the juror's box. Sometimes we do two shows a day, and I would literally just be sitting in the juror's box as, like, a human body to be in a juror's box. And there were a couple times during the live show where I was like, I am genuinely nodding off during this performance. I was like, on stage doing the, like, nod off head thing where I was like, buddy, you gotta lock in. Wow. Okay, so he's passing out a little. Okay, that seems strange.

[Dave Anthony]

But waking up, he's figured out a way to do it, right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. He's got thumb holes, so it keeps.

[Dave Anthony]

Him in an upright position. He also used ropes as stirrups to keep his balance, prevent him from falling. Now it's going on for days. Right? So now he's shaving on the pole. Sometimes he would get someone to come up and cut his hair.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Come on, stop.

[Dave Anthony]

I'm not. I'm not sure how that worked with the haircutter. I couldn't find out how that would work. I read several places that said he did get his haircut while he got a haircut.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So it's fear. It's obviously very stunt based. People like, whoa.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, it's doing stuff that'll make people whack it off. Yeah, well, that's. That got weird.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Ah, he's pulling his pole on a pole.

[Dave Anthony]

We really had a Disney sort of version going on. And you took it straight to Penthouse.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hold on. I'm getting a text from Disney. They're out. I don't know what it is. It's about the montage.

[Dave Anthony]

I guess they haven't noticed you made our sweet little romantic poll thing.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wait a minute. These holes aren't just for thumbs anymore.

[Dave Anthony]

Actually, I did the whole pole going up your butt. So what are we talking about?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Look at him now. He's fitting right in that thumb hole with his Janssen.

[Dave Anthony]

So Alvin is spending days a week up a pole. He refused to eat solid food while on the pole.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Which he doesn't want to say.

[Dave Anthony]

He doesn't want to. Over the side. Yeah. He doesn't want to take a deuce.

[Gareth Reynolds]

But I mean, by the way, if you're talking about stunts that would be great to watch on the pole, like watching someone kind of pulley a toilet up there for him to drop a deuce. That'd be awesome.

[Dave Anthony]

Why does they have to pull you up a toilet? He could just drop one down. He is essentially easily in a squatting position. Right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hey, hey. But I'm not married to any pitch here. I love that.

[Dave Anthony]

Just drop it over the side.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I love that. I think that's great.

[Dave Anthony]

I think people would cheer that.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's awesome. Catch it in your hat. Win a pie.

[Dave Anthony]

So no solid foods. He would. He would drink broth and. And water. They would hoist it up in buckets to him. Sure.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He's like a Wim Hof.

[Dave Anthony]

Now to pee. He had a tube hidden.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

That he would do.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's called the urethra.

[Dave Anthony]

It would somehow. And he somehow hit it. I don't know how he hit it, but the tube would go all the way down to the ground on the flagpole. And so I assume that pee just went to the ground down there. And so. Yeah, he's paying into a tube. Okay. Yeah, I'm totally. Although peeing over the side would be really.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I. I completely agree with you that if. Maybe we're just too early in his timeline, because eventually I would be like, I'm over this. And they'd be like, did you hear he's. And pissing. I don't know. I saw him shave up there. Oh, he's pooping off it now. Wait, what? Oh, yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Ah, that's good stuff. So he also did stunts for charity. In April 1924, the Los Angeles Evening News reported, quote, people hurting too. Hurting? No, that's. That's a autocorrect. Hurling must be okay. People Going to and from lunch at 12:30 today who observe a small figure scaling the walls of the lane Mortgage Building, 8th and Spring Streets will know that Shipwreck Kelly is doing his stunt again for the benefit of of disabled veterans. Kelly will repeat the stunt at 7:30 tomorrow night at the Garland Building, Ninth and Spring Streets. So he's doing it for charity. He's doing. Because he was a vet, he's helping other vets out.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

While he was doing it, veterans would walk around with their hats for people to put money into. So that's how the. Or to catch his crap or to catch his turds. And after that, Kelly told reporters he was more afraid of LA traffic than climbing buildings.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Colors, jokes, brother.

[Dave Anthony]

I hear you. Boy, do I hear you.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Boy, that traffic. Sometimes I just sit in that traffic. I go, what the hell's causing this? All right, the dollop's gonna be right back.

[Dave Anthony]

We'll be right back. The dollop is brought to you by Hydro. Hydro, of course, is the sweetest full body exercise machine. It's a rogue machine. You can do your legs and core your arms. It does it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I was just talking about how I'm on the road and how much I miss the row, how much I miss the hydro.

[Dave Anthony]

Really.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Rowing, it's just the best exercise. And you, it's not ever hard hitting anything. It's full. Like you said, it's full body. So it's not like while you're working out everything, you're never nearing any sort of injury from it. And it's arms, back, legs, everything's going. And Hydro just makes it so easy. It's just, it's so dope. I love it.

[Dave Anthony]

I should probably come up to your house to Hydra because of my needs.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It had a bunch of stuff and.

[Dave Anthony]

Then I could also just do stuff.

[Gareth Reynolds]

With those, Talk to you about, talk to them about.

[Dave Anthony]

But look, if you're on the. If you're thinking about Hydro and you love it because Gareth obviously loves it, they got tons of workouts with actual Olympians. You can do all these different workouts on their screen and follow going on rivers with people.

[Gareth Reynolds]

There's just a lot of good stuff.

[Dave Anthony]

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[Gareth Reynolds]

None of that is anything they would co sign or validate. Just you could Just. Just enjoy it. You can do it at whatever level, but they it really is teaches you a better form and you're doing it with someone. It's the best.

[Dave Anthony]

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[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. You just. You really do think that you have to pay so much to get all of it. But yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

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[Gareth Reynolds]

We know what phones are, Dave.

[Dave Anthony]

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[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

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[Gareth Reynolds]

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[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, so we didn't know that the ad was going to actually go in there. Everybody. That was not. Yeah, it's not going to be a regular thing.

[Dave Anthony]

So Kelly's stunts were not just about the time he spent on the call, the poll. He's orchestrating media events. He traveled across the country. He's doing stunts all over major cities. Chicago, New York, Atlantic City. Crowds gather because everyone knows about this now. They watch him eat and sleep and shave. He's just living up there, perched on a platform, just dozens of feet in the air. Other countries do not get in on it. This is very much an American thing. The paper.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Other countries, so lame.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, the paper. The sport in Adelaide. Quote, A new hobby. A new hobby has broken out in America, the land of dollars and novelties, movies and prohibition. It is sitting on a pole. Just that. Apparently Americans have tired of long distance dances and long distance swimming and now they are creating world championships for sitting on flagpoles.

[Gareth Reynolds]

How dare you? Adelaide. How dare. Adelaide. Of all the places.

[Dave Anthony]

Of all places we have Adelaide.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Adelaide closes at 9:15 on a Friday. How I know for a fact that if there was someone sitting on a pole in Adelaide right now, it would be the biggest thing going on in that town.

[Dave Anthony]

100%.

[Gareth Reynolds]

100% satellite celebrate.

[Dave Anthony]

He was always trying to one up himself. In September 1926, he stood on a flagpole affixed to the top of an airplane and flew over the central business district in New Orleans to advertise a festival at the fairgrounds. Hey.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hey, Adelaide. Any comment? He's now sitting on a plane pole. Any thoughts on the boring Americans? You don't need alcohol when you have this going on.

[Dave Anthony]

That's right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Dare you?

[Dave Anthony]

The more Alvin did his thing, the more news reports there were and the more people wanted to imitate him or break his records because again, there's no skill involved.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I. I would contend that there is something involved. Like a skill.

[Dave Anthony]

Like there's. There's a. A lack of fear.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes, it's a skill.

[Dave Anthony]

There's no skill. That's not a skill. History is littered with idiots.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Could you shave on a pole?

[Dave Anthony]

Yes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, buddy, I think we got a new Patreon tier.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. So more people want to do it. People are now just sitting in chairs.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Attached to a pole on the regular.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, People are doing it all over the place and the press is eating it up. This is now. It like becomes like the reality show of the 1920s.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

Reporters are following the daily struggles of the sitters.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You know, honestly, is there any story we've ever covered that the media doesn't quickly ruin and make shitty.

[Dave Anthony]

No, no.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Like, it's like. I'm not trying to say poll sitting should remain grassroots, but it's like, I don't need to know the life and times of these people.

[Dave Anthony]

You do.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, you don't.

[Dave Anthony]

What are they doing it for?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Who are they? And what does your son think of this?

[Dave Anthony]

He misses me so much.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

He said he doesn't care if daddy lives or dies. And I sh. I'm showing him that he does.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's why I've got him up on the pole with me today.

[Dave Anthony]

I'm sure somebody did that with their kid, but I didn't find that. So it is. It's like a reality show. The reporters are just covering everything and that's why people are so interested. But also it makes people more Interested in watching them do mundane shit like shaving and getting a haircut and doing it right. Then they're more interested. So, like, they're people.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Potentially. Potentially. You're walking down the street and you're seeing three to five different people on polls in an area.

[Dave Anthony]

No, no, because it is. It is a one. Like one person doing it later on. There are contests where people do it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay. But. But there's. But you're still. Pretty much every town has a poll guy.

[Dave Anthony]

Kind of. Yeah. I mean, there's kind of pole guys everywhere. And it's exciting because that's your town. Poll guy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

And. And there's, like. There's pictures of. Of. Of Alvin just reading a paper up on the pole, like, you know.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

Brushing his teeth, etc. So in 1927, in Kansas City, Missouri, he spent 147 hours atop the Westgate Hotel, but then had to call it short because it was February and just brutally cold. It dropped down to 17 degrees. But the. The final nail in the coffin was the wet part of the weather he was getting. There was rain and snow and smoke from the railroads. That's one week I won't forget.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I mean, 147 hours. That's over two days, Gareth. No, it is.

[Dave Anthony]

I need you to do more math.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's over three days, Gareth. It's over. It's definitely over three days.

[Dave Anthony]

It's over three days.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes, it's over.

[Dave Anthony]

It's also over six days.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's over 20 days.

[Dave Anthony]

No, it's like seven days. I think it's like six.

[Gareth Reynolds]

65 days.

[Dave Anthony]

Can you divide it by 24?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes.

[Dave Anthony]

And three.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Screw you, Adelaide.

[Dave Anthony]

Why? Why? You were never a math guy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm the human calculator.

[Dave Anthony]

You were never a math guy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm the human calculator, baby. Give me a number. Give me two numbers.

[Dave Anthony]

It's 6.12.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Give me two numbers.

[Dave Anthony]

I just gave you four and two. Four and two.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What do you want me to do with them?

[Dave Anthony]

I don't know. Put them together.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't have a license for that part. Can't just be doing that willy nilly. Are you crazy? I'll throw my back out.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. So a month later, he's in St. Louis, Missouri, and it seems to me like he's just. He's touring and taking. And taking offers. So these are all offers. Like it's some business that offers them. That's why he's in Kansas City. So. And then. So, like, he's in Kansas City, and the next month he's in St. Louis because he's just taking the offer. Traveling. Yeah, he's touring again. He had to cut. He had to cut it short this time. He's atop the Maryland Hotel roof. And he now has a manager who said they are charging admission to the roof to make money. He made about 2000 from admission. He also made money from ads. He's putting ads out and his fans.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Are just like, at the ads stop at 10:41.

[Dave Anthony]

So now you have to put him in the middle because.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, so then. Now he's got to put him in the middle now. And I thought this guy was like, fucking for us.

[Dave Anthony]

The St. Louis Globe Democrat reported Kelly's poll sitting brought in 100,000, down to $100,000 to downtown businesses because of all the people coming in. That's a shitload. How many people are coming. Like, that's crazy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm really fighting the Trump impression wants right now. I think no Trump impression. His manager must have been. I mean.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, yeah, he brought in a guy who knows how to make money, right? Yeah, he brought in. That's what the man.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The. Approaching after the first. Alvin, how are you? My name's Gus Harrard and I'm one of the. I'm the main pole manager in town. I see big things for you.

[Dave Anthony]

What do you mean? I just sit on polls. I don't need. I don't need to manage exactly.

[Gareth Reynolds]

With my help, you'll be sitting on poles by the time I am sitting on.

[Dave Anthony]

I am sitting on poles already.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, but we're gonna go to roofs.

[Dave Anthony]

I'm already on a pole. Most of these are poles on a roof. It's a flagpole, mostly on a roof.

[Gareth Reynolds]

All right, see you later.

[Dave Anthony]

All right. Thank you.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, Bye. Take care. What if you started?

[Dave Anthony]

Okay. Yeah. What?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Dave Anthony]

So that time in St. Louis is cut short because of lightning and wind so strong that his aides had to keep moving the wires around it. So some of these are. Jesus Christ. They keep the pole fastened by using wires. And the wind is so bad, they keep having to move the wires.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Man dying like that is. That is unreal. To topple.

[Dave Anthony]

No, fuck that. Oh, my God.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That feeling as you're trying to climb it down to beat it.

[Dave Anthony]

But they had to come up with another way to generate funds. And after he came down from the pole, he went straight to a furniture store where he was now to. I'll sit on a couch, sleep in the show window.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He's just slept in the window. Yeah, that's A.

[Dave Anthony]

A weak pivot quote in which he was visible from all directions and entered a daybed which had been prepared for him. So straight. So he knew he was going to come down the pole early. He's going to. He's going to. So he's not going to make as much money. So he comes down and goes straight into a furniture store. They make a deal. His manager makes a deal, and then he's just going to sleep. What if. Jimmy. What?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Crazy.

[Dave Anthony]

What if that one just sleeps in your window?

[Gareth Reynolds]

That is a crow. My guess is people, like people could not know. Stop.

[Dave Anthony]

They loved it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What the fuck? Are we about to enter a new zone?

[Dave Anthony]

People, including kids, are pressing their face against the glass to get a look at this man sleeping. Outside on the street, vendors announce. You can buy a postcard sketch of Kelly's life for 15 cents. Crowds are forming. People are very excited. And he goes to sleep around midnight. He's tired because he's been up on the pole.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I understand. You don't. What do you think? I forgot the beginning. I get the beginning. But are people enamored because they're watching a human in a window or because it's him, specifically in a bed?

[Dave Anthony]

It's him.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So he's got that sort of draw where.

[Dave Anthony]

What if you could go watch Walton Goggins sleep in the Macy's window?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Well, look. All right. Well done. I get it. Well done. You picked a perfect person. That's perfect.

[Dave Anthony]

By the way, I would like to report Walton is a super nice guy. I. I know there are a lot of bad ones out there. I've had conversations with Walton.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I've never met him. Can we call him friend of show?

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, I think so.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So friend of show. Yeah, we love the guy. How do you know him? How'd you meet him? Name drop. Let's get into it. What happened?

[Dave Anthony]

Josh is really good friends with him. So I've been to parties and. And little gatherings where he's at.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm gonna try. I'm gonna talk to Josh because I think I need to get over there and get a. Get a piece.

[Dave Anthony]

I don't think so. It's not for you. My. My sort of circle of friends are not your circle of friends. You know what I mean? You a lower. You're a Luke level guy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What if we gave him. What if we gave him a handful of soup as a thank you?

[Dave Anthony]

Look, I let you meet David Cross, and I'm regretting that.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Come on. David loves me. We're close, by the way. What's his number.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. So that's when 20 year old Bobby Mack did it in Los Angeles, September 1927. There's a photo of her a few feet up a pole. Really not a lot. Again, it's on the top of a building. So it's a small pole on the top of the building and she's quote, hoisted in a well padded chair.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

She wore blue silk pajamas. Sex it up a little bit.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Pajamas are not. Nope.

[Dave Anthony]

They can. Pajamas can be hot if worn correctly.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Your little fabric boy, that's what you like. Hot silk, like a little silky rub. Little weirdo.

[Dave Anthony]

Bobby set up the poll for 21 days, setting a new holy for breaking the record. She was paid 2,500, which Gareth is $46,000 today.

[Gareth Reynolds]

21 days.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. That's a lot.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So you, you have to poop in that time.

[Dave Anthony]

You have to poop.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So what's the poop plan?

[Dave Anthony]

I don't know. I mean no one covers that. And it is very much just from a human. She had, from a human perspective. It is, I think one of the first people things people think of is what did they do with the poop?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Dave, most questions, most of the first questions I have where the poop in any circumstance.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, you say that almost every dollop. But what happened?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, where did it go? Where did he go? What was he doing? Did he like the poop?

[Dave Anthony]

I gotta assume, I gotta assume in a bucket and I gotta assume you and you let it down, right? I don't, I gotta assume you're just doing it all in a bucket.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, you said they were like raising soups up there in a bucket. So you drink the bucket of soup.

[Dave Anthony]

I hope it's a different bucket.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, no, not for me. See, you're one of these like hoity toity Hollywood types who names drops Walt Goggins and stuff. I'm a regular guy. I'm pooping in my soup bucket. So hey boy, you might want to hose out my soup bucket.

[Dave Anthony]

Jesus Christ. So she's doing it for a dance hall that's seeking PR and the pole is up on top of the roof of the dance hall. And her fiance also breaks a record for being at the bottom of a poll for 21 straight days.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I've often found that people who are in the pole sitting world shouldn't date because it's just like you're kind of competing with the same sort of stuff.

[Dave Anthony]

I don't know, I just like that he had to get in on it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, he was a man. A man. Are you Kidding. I also could do it, woman. I'll do 22 days.

[Dave Anthony]

After she broke the record and came down, they immediately got married that night at 10pm and papers reported, quote, is rumored, however, that the happy pair intend to signal several prep practice flagpoles all around their future home.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wow. I mean, well, they're gonna build.

[Dave Anthony]

What else would they do, Gareth? Flagpoles around the house. That. That's who they are. That's. It's in their.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Live a regular life.

[Dave Anthony]

It's in their blood. They're polars.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

They're Pullman pole ladies.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure. I don't know.

[Dave Anthony]

Pull days move on.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Like the pole themed house where you'd be like, Jesus Christ.

[Dave Anthony]

You too, Shipwreck. Then sat for 12 days up a pole in Newark. A month later, Joe Holden Powers sat on a pole. Powers, very good name.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes.

[Dave Anthony]

Sat atop the Morrison Hotel for 16 days in Chicago. When he came down, he had six fewer teeth because a storm slammed him into the pole face first.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What the. What the.

[Dave Anthony]

What are we doing, people? What are we doing?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Go down. Get down. When did the storm happen? In the timeline of this pulse. It.

[Dave Anthony]

I don't.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Like, he sat up there a little long. Like, he sat up there days with no teeth.

[Dave Anthony]

I couldn't figure it out. Like, some of these are just very like.

[Gareth Reynolds]

But he didn't come down because he lost teeth.

[Dave Anthony]

No, I don't think he did. I think he came down because the 21 days were up.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He didn't do 21 days, though. He did 16, right?

[Dave Anthony]

Oh, wait, I was reading the wrong one. Yeah, 16 days. Sorry. He came down at the end of 16.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He comes down, but it's pretty hard.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, he gets down and this is what he says, Gareth.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Ow.

[Dave Anthony]

There's just one thing that really concerns me, and that is that some people have the idea that this is just a stunt. It isn't.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, it isn't.

[Dave Anthony]

It's a serious effort to gather scientific data for the advancement.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hold them.

[Dave Anthony]

Of America's place in the field of flagpole sitting. I'm not doing it with any idea of personal advancement. I'm doing it for flag and country, God and Yale.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I can't believe there's a Toby Keith of pole sitters. Oh, my God. A guy turning it into patriotism. That.

[Dave Anthony]

And again, no one else in the world is doing this.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I know. And that's the. It's like he's making it sound like space travel.

[Dave Anthony]

You also missed the part where the last thing he said was he was doing it for Yale also.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, I Don't understand that part.

[Dave Anthony]

They don't either. He must have gone to Yale. He must have gone to Yale. These are for the Yaleites.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hey, keep. Keep us out of there, huh? This is for the Yale folk.

[Dave Anthony]

You're embarrassing us.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Take that.

[Dave Anthony]

Harvard Joe said he thought a new crop of fiscally fit young pulsator was due to prohibition and that they would break records known to get dreamed of.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I mean, I don't. Okay, what quote.

[Dave Anthony]

Such tremendous advances have been made in this in recent years, but to attend.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This is the same guy. Does this guy know what he's actually doing?

[Dave Anthony]

He's been up a pole for 16 days thinking about his speech.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He just sat up on a pole. I mean, he honestly does sound like the Blue Orbit Lady Cruz. It's like, well, we finally we came down and we figured out how to solve Earth, so that's helpful.

[Dave Anthony]

But to attain such great things, we must spend money. We must establish training schools and carry on research in the flagpole city.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What is he talking about?

[Dave Anthony]

I went mad up the pole.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Is he talking about. What is he talking about? The future of flagpole sitting is before us. We need to put every single dollar into this cause.

[Dave Anthony]

Do you want the Russkies to climb.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Flag poles and Peters, look, look. We need to put a man on pole.

[Dave Anthony]

And the people just start chanting usa Obviously, because we chant USA to anything.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We're invading Poland, Gareth. We'll figure out why later.

[Dave Anthony]

Days later, VH Crouch of New Bedford, Massachusetts broke the record by sitting 17 days and two hours.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Now, what is the record? Didn't that woman sit 21 days?

[Dave Anthony]

I'm very confused by.

[Gareth Reynolds]

But it doesn't count. She's not a man.

[Dave Anthony]

I think she broke the lady record. I think that's what this is. I'm very confused by this because this is what was in the papers. And they were literally acting like she didn't do it. But maybe that's just how we treat women.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I know, but yeah, yeah, yeah, she did that. This man did 17 days as a man.

[Dave Anthony]

A lady sit on Paul's lots. Not a big deal.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's right. That's how babies are made.

[Dave Anthony]

So 17 days and two hours. But the LA Times reported another man was already up a pole atop the Rose Room Ballroom and he was being called the Phantom of the Flagpole. Jesus Christ. Because Gary.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Dave, Dave, hold on, let me jump in. Dave. The amount of times in this country where the dumbest thing that could be thought of happens and then it becomes the most popular thing that is happening, and then it Becomes saturated in the most dumb, idiotic possible fashion. It just happens a lot worse.

[Dave Anthony]

We're almost 700 episodes in, and this is not slowing down. He was wearing a mask, and the paper aborted. No one knew why he was wearing a mask, though some had guesses.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Quote guesses.

[Dave Anthony]

One faction declared. And guesses that he. One faction declared that the Phantom put on a mask in hopes that one might wonder who he is.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I think. Okay, there we go. They're right.

[Dave Anthony]

Wow.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What a guess. There we go. All right. That's it. Got it. Oh, my God.

[Dave Anthony]

But people are too busy wondering why he is sitting to wander any further. The Times also said the Phantom was shaving and eating three meals a day. Also smoking 100 cigarettes and drinking coffee throughout the night.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Jesus Christ.

[Dave Anthony]

So he's like a guy on a deadline. He's like. He's like a reporter trying to bang out the story.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The diet. You're gonna need to send a cardiologist up the pole. Why? But okay, he's taking the mask up to shave. This man. Makes very little sense.

[Dave Anthony]

I mean, yeah, maybe it was just.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The top of it. It was probably kind of.

[Dave Anthony]

It's one of these. It's one of these masks.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

It's a bandit mask. Yeah. Because I've seen. I've seen. Obviously. Seen the pictures.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Obviously.

[Dave Anthony]

So 100 seconds. And drinking coffee is amazing. He also tied himself to the pole at night for safety. And the Phantom was said to be reading fiction magazines and requested someone send him up an adventure novel.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God. Oh, God. Oh, my God.

[Dave Anthony]

On July 26, he requested a cork helmet to protect him from the sun after breaking.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Can we talk about his packing? This guy packed horribly.

[Dave Anthony]

You got to bring a hat.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He didn't bring anything to cover his face. And he has nothing to read.

[Dave Anthony]

It's la. You got to bring a hat.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He just brought a suitcase up there full of cigarettes and coffee ground. It's like how a kid packs a suitcase.

[Dave Anthony]

So he. After breaking the record, he came down on August 5, and his identity was revealed that night at the Rose Room during a bathing suit contest. So a lot going on.

[Gareth Reynolds]

A lot is happening.

[Dave Anthony]

Thank you. They. And there's all these celebrities there for the bathing suit contest. Because you can't have a bathing suit contest without all the celebrities.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yep.

[Dave Anthony]

And. And so they planned this. They planned. It was like a. It was like an evolution in pole sitting because now you have the masked pulses. So they've. They've.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The masked.

[Dave Anthony]

They've gone from reality show to a mystery show.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So, Matt, masked pole sitters is now a trend.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, who. Yes, who? I think, because I. There's other pictures of people in masks. So who is this person? What is this?

[Gareth Reynolds]

So it's the mask singer sort of version of pulsating.

[Dave Anthony]

Yes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And then he just comes down to a bathing suit contest.

[Dave Anthony]

And there on stage that night, he was revealed as Captain Robert Hull, a 45 year old vet who had fought in the Spanish American War and World War II and the Boxer Rebellion. And he was given 2,500 by the Rose Ballroom. And he had set a new record for pole sitting. 18 days. I mean, besides the woman thing, besides.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The asterisk, a woman broke this earlier.

[Dave Anthony]

Clifford Stevenson, however, had already begun his quest to set a record three days before and was now sitting atop the flagpole over Hoyt's Theater. So before guys are finishing.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, the other guy's already starting to break the record.

[Dave Anthony]

Other guy's already up.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, give him a minute.

[Dave Anthony]

He. On the 22nd, he was on the verge of the record. The Long Beach Press Telegram reported he was doing radio broadcasts from his chair on the flagpole.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What is he just doing like a top 20 show or. It's about the poll.

[Dave Anthony]

He's answering thousands of letters that are coming in.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay. I mean, the questions had to just be so limited. Is it scary? Does your butt hurt? Where's the crap go?

[Dave Anthony]

You're in Iowa and you're like, I'm gonna write that fellow on the flagpole a letter.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Where do you address it?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, I was just gonna say the mail carrier is like, pole.

[Dave Anthony]

It's working. It is estimated that a thousand letters a day are quote in several Eastern cities.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't know what's crazier, the person doing it or the fans.

[Dave Anthony]

The fans.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It is the fans.

[Dave Anthony]

The fans.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The fans is insane.

[Dave Anthony]

Because the person doing it is trying to get.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Money.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes.

[Dave Anthony]

Yes. This is a lot of money.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes, yes. This is the content. It's just have better taste.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. Quote. In several Eastern cities, large crowds gathered in front of radio loudspeakers each night to follow the lads attempt to set a world record.

[Gareth Reynolds]

All right, and here's another letter. This question is, is it scary? Well, I just kind of answered that one. It is scary, but you get pretty used to it.

[Dave Anthony]

You know, we're like, there's not enough news for 24 hour news.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes.

[Dave Anthony]

And it's just people sitting around listening to people. It's literally what this is.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes, yes.

[Dave Anthony]

There's nothing there. There's nothing happening.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Again, there's no alcohol.

[Dave Anthony]

There's no alcohol. You're just sitting around. You're at a loudspeaker at a radio store, sitting around listening to a bunch of other people. There's nothing happening.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Just, just, just thinking about ale. Just sitting there. Just like, booze was so good. Quiet. He's about to answer if it's scary. He just answered that one. Well, he's gonna do it again.

[Dave Anthony]

He was said to have spent most of his time trying to answer correspondence during the final two days. Clifford was offered a week contract for stage performances at Hoyt's. So the theater he's on top of. So again, this was all built in before, obviously. And then he was also offered a vaudeville tour, so they wanted to see how popular it would be. It was very popular. So now they're like, we can get you on the circuit. That's just when Clifford came down. He went straight to a barber, then a Turkish bath, then did a show at Hoyt's and then went back to a Turkish bath where he got massages to get the kinks out of his back and legs.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, I can only imagine the atrophy, Garrett.

[Dave Anthony]

That is the life of a world athlete though, isn't it?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I guess. I don't know. I mean, the Turk. I don't, I don't think so. No, it's, it's like, I think we're.

[Dave Anthony]

Talking about a world class athlete breaking a record.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's like when Holden poker players got big.

[Dave Anthony]

Yes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You're just like, what's going on? Everyone's like, now I'm a poker genius. Here's how to be good at poker. But it's just polls. And you were just like, look at this guy, this guy. You're just all of a sudden just like, these guys are some of the best athletes ever. And you'd be like, he's getting cheeseburger on the cards.

[Dave Anthony]

So this is how it went. Poll after pole sitter, one upping the other. Week after week. It's just a constant. Month after month, it's just a constant breaking the records. People would bet on how long they would last. Venues set up bleachers for people to watch. Vendors sold snacks and souvenirs. Alvin remains the big name and kept having to break records to stay on top. You can see how problematic this is going to get, right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, it's not great. It's setting up for some sort of failure, disaster, death.

[Dave Anthony]

He's the ambassador of the sport.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

And then in 1929, kids start getting in on the action.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Ah, nice yeah, that's. That's good. That's good. Definitely good. So they gotta put the little jackass warning up before anyone does. A poll.

[Dave Anthony]

In Baltimore, 15 year old Avon AZ form. Form AZ is his nickname. Foreman climbed up and stayed atop a pole for 10 days, 10 hours, 10 minutes and 10 seconds. At the end of August, he put an ironing board on top and then just plunker down. And as he slid down the pole on August 31, a crown of 4,000 people applauded.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, they're enabling him.

[Dave Anthony]

Yes. His girlfriend Lena exclaimed, quote, oh, ain't he grand?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, this can only set off a terrible trend.

[Dave Anthony]

His prizes from different businesses were a set of golf clubs, a lucky stone.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What that guy was like someone hands up golf clubs. That goes like. Maybe I shouldn't give him mine. What do you got there, mister? What is this?

[Dave Anthony]

That's a lucky rock.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, okay, great. It looks like a regular rock. What makes it lucky, mister?

[Dave Anthony]

It's been. It's been in the forest, the magical forest, but also near.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What forest?

[Dave Anthony]

The emerald.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Ah. Where the.

[Dave Anthony]

That's where the. The little goblins and such. Forth.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, all right, cool.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, their things.

[Gareth Reynolds]

All right. Yeah, I heard you. A wreath. That's awesome.

[Dave Anthony]

By the way.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Please, please, please, sir, please.

[Dave Anthony]

There you can get more lucky stones.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. All right.

[Dave Anthony]

Down on fourth Street.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, a trophy. Look at the size of this actual truck, huh?

[Dave Anthony]

There's a lot of lucky rocks for sale.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, it means a lot to me. Thanks. Can you kind of move out of the way a little bit? Some of these people are trying to.

[Dave Anthony]

Get you heal your horse.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh my God. All right, well look, I don't want to get.

[Dave Anthony]

I don't want a broken leg.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't even want to get into it. I don't have a horse.

[Dave Anthony]

It'll heal yourself.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't. Thank you very much for it. Thank you. My girlfriend and I are probably gonna try to go. Oh, look at that. Look at all those oysters. Thank you, sir.

[Dave Anthony]

You can win the lottery with my rock.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's a regular rock.

[Dave Anthony]

It is not, sir.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You've told me. Nothing very special about it.

[Dave Anthony]

From the emerald Forest and came from a bed of.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You have a lot of corn in your teeth. Teeth. You're mid chew or you haven't brushed them? Blessed by elves. What? What?

[Dave Anthony]

Blessed by the forest elves.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The rock.

[Dave Anthony]

Hence, son. Sir, I gotta go.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sir, I gotta go. There's 4000 people here trying to celebrate me right now.

[Dave Anthony]

I want a yacht.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, well that if you Came over here with a yacht to give me. That would be great. Reason why is because I'm assuming the cor teeth is there from before. Because it's not. It doesn't look like you're chewing. So you just have a mouthful of half chewed corn. So can let me get some of these other gifts, please? All right, look, we're going to get out of here, sir. Take care, sir. Why are you smelling your fingers? Why are you smelling your fingers, sir?

[Dave Anthony]

Smell like lucky rock.

[Gareth Reynolds]

All right, goodbye. Baby's still behind us.

[Dave Anthony]

I'm not going anywhere, son.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Baby's following.

[Dave Anthony]

I'm with you.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, you're not.

[Dave Anthony]

I'm your dad.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Take your rock back.

[Dave Anthony]

He also got neckties, a book, free dance lessons, a pair of shoes, a dental exam, assorted ice cream, cakes, candy and $60 in cash.

[Gareth Reynolds]

They say this list with the guy who gave him the rock. Rock here's ice cream. What did you keep an eye on the rock? Hold on tight.

[Dave Anthony]

Az originally got up after a local baker offered him $1 a day. And he said he didn't need the dance lessons as he could already do a clog in the Charleston.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wow, what a prick.

[Dave Anthony]

He also said the first three days were the hardest. And that that night there was a large community celebration in his honor. Japanese lanterns were hung on the street which was roped up for dancing. The mayor gave a speech, a band played Hail the Conquering Hero. Quote, Another prominent guest for tonight's function will be Al Turner, to whom the hero last night graciously presented the cap he wore during his great sit. Mr. Turner has considered presenting the cap to a museum Him.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We've just always been the dumbest country. We just keep tweaking the details. We are so dumb. It's on a. It is incalculable. There's just never been dumber. It's just shocking.

[Dave Anthony]

This is in Baltimore. So Now Jimmy Jones, 12, announces he's going up on a pole in the backyard of his home. And that he would break Avon's record.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This he did not have. Trend is getting bad.

[Dave Anthony]

He did not have an ironing board, but would strap himself in at night. His mother said. His mother was said to be acting as his manager and handling all pr. Avon's success led to what one newspaper called an orgy of sitting all by kids.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Language needs not very delicate.

[Dave Anthony]

Not great for a moment, not great maybe. And this is just me as a journalist observer. Maybe we shouldn't use the word orgy when kids are doing something.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Super into this call. Super agree with this Call.

[Dave Anthony]

Quote, all over Baltimore, boys and girls took the the to the tops of trees and poles. So kids are just climbing trees, which is okay considering the pole option, but they also probably just don't have poles. But people are putting up poles in their backyard for their kids to climb.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, God. I'm sure they're just barely putting them under too.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, it can't be great if you're. If you're quickly putting up a pole.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No death numbers have to be going up. I would love to see some of the polling.

[Dave Anthony]

The Baltimore sun reported 25 girls and boys from 10 to 15 years old were battling it out. The mayor was congratulating and encouraging.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Mayor, the man, the mayor. The mayor is encouraging them.

[Dave Anthony]

It shows know how in the American.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The mayor should be going, look, 18 is the legal age.

[Dave Anthony]

Oh, so now. So now you probably want to shut down all of our American pole training centers.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes, very much so.

[Dave Anthony]

Jesus Christ. You want the Russians to win this?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

The mayor said the kids had grit and stamina, and that was essential in the great struggle of life.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We're seeing great Americans be great Americans.

[Dave Anthony]

Today and that they had the old pioneer spirit of America.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This is what America was founded on.

[Dave Anthony]

This is much like the pioneers.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. This is exactly what our founding fathers did. Genocide and walking. This is what they're doing up there. That's basically what American pioneers used to do.

[Dave Anthony]

Son, can you kill a Native American while you're up there?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I could sure try. Boy, oh boy, that would be awesome.

[Dave Anthony]

City inspectors were sent to test the safety of poles all around the city in case kids climb them. People wrote in to express their opinions in papers.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, I can only imagine.

[Dave Anthony]

Oliver Lewis and Johnny Sudhop were on the same pole. But then Oliver's mother decided to go to Cambridge and said he had to come down.

[Gareth Reynolds]

They were on the same pole.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, well, they probably had some sort of little board. Board. Yeah. So. So Oliver stunt ended. And that just meant that Johnny was up there alone. He's 8.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Jesus Christ.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, Gareth, after a couple days, his mom started to worry and said, quote, he was getting on her nerves up there, so she ordered him down.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God. Because he's 8, she's angry. He's 8.

[Dave Anthony]

He's 8. 14 year old Charles Wilson was up a poll at 1717 West North Avenue. He had also placed an ironing board on top, but he was uncomfortable sleeping on it. And after one sleepless night, his mom ordered him to come down.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Let's. I mean, look, it's Glad. I'm glad they're stepping in, but the idea that they're worried about the sleep schedule seems like a low tiered issue.

[Dave Anthony]

10 year old Ruth McCrudden, 10, went up a 25 year old pole in her backyard. Quote, every preparation was made for her to do her sitting attempt to house her boyfriends.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, wait, what?

[Dave Anthony]

At the base of the pole at night so they could keep her company.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Who was at the base of the pole?

[Dave Anthony]

Her boyfriend's. The neighborhood. She's 10. But they're not, not like boyfriend boyfriend, like just friends that are boys.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't agree with that either.

[Dave Anthony]

Had every monitor, appliance. There was a reclining board and electric light. And Ruth frequently dined on ice cream and combed her hair and spare moments.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What the is happening?

[Dave Anthony]

Another girl, 13 year old Dorothy Taylor, was also up a 17 foot pole. She had even more stuff, quote, two pillows and a blanket, a tent and a light, a sweater, a cap, a silk scarf, raincoat, umbrella, belt to keep her from falling. Magazines, a library book and a radio.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Dave. Dave. Dave. David.

[Dave Anthony]

What? What? She got her bedroom up there, Dave.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Exactly.

[Dave Anthony]

Yes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

How are you doing? How is she?

[Dave Anthony]

You need more stuff?

[Gareth Reynolds]

How is she doing that yet?

[Dave Anthony]

What do you mean? She's got a big, she has a.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Board that can, that can hold all that stuff. Yeah, I, I have to look at a picture. I, I have to see.

[Dave Anthony]

She's gonna stay for 15 days. That's her plan.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Look, it's.

[Dave Anthony]

Now, Gareth, as with you, a question of ethics began.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

People are asking when is a flagpole sitter not on a flagpole? Yeah, but some, some said it doesn't.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Matter as long as they, no, they're.

[Dave Anthony]

Up high and that's where they're sitting. So that' what really matters.

[Gareth Reynolds]

My ethical issue is different.

[Dave Anthony]

Ruth's mother was upset to learn Dorothy had cushions and a backrest and a radio and other comforts. Ruth had none of that, Gareth.

[Gareth Reynolds]

She had a house.

[Dave Anthony]

She wasn't looking to be pampered and make it easy. So Ruth's mom went to look at Dorothy's perch and announced, quote, Ruth is sitting on a regular pole and not on a dimmin 15ft high in the air.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh my God.

[Dave Anthony]

My daughter's doing this the real way.

[Gareth Reynolds]

There's a lot hap. What you're saying is overwhelming. And the images are.

[Dave Anthony]

Did you find images?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I, I.

[Dave Anthony]

You find any images?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't know.

[Dave Anthony]

I recommend everyone just Google Pulse sitting and you can put kids in there and what not because the, the images are Insane. It's a madhouse.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't.

[Dave Anthony]

Okay, well, describe what you're seeing.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, one guy looks like he's in a torture chair and he has. It's a lot. He has a lot of stuff atop the pole. We'll get to that guy. Huh?

[Dave Anthony]

We'll get to that guy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It actually does. I can't believe I'm actually weighing in on the ethical framing of this. It does. It seems very easy when you have multi, when you have chairs and boards and stuff.

[Dave Anthony]

Here we go.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Part of Alvin.

[Dave Anthony]

Oh, okay. Yeah. You're an older purist.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Was just a big bit of steel versus an whole sitting advanced old man.

[Dave Anthony]

And now we're doing different things with it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Easy. Anyone can do it.

[Dave Anthony]

I want it to be fun, old man.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It should be a test of your fear of height and the steel of your bum. But it is. It's also just shocking that now everyone's doing. You know what it is? It's podcasting.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, you're right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's podcasting.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah. Now we have the Rogans. The mayor came to visit Ruth and told her to have some of her boyfriends come up and keep her company. And then. And then he signed her autograph album and he checked the support wires to make sure they were safe. Safe.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The mayor. That's good.

[Dave Anthony]

Meanwhile, Dorothy is up there blasting her radio and said she doesn't care about pole sitting. Ethics, quote, I'm sitting. Anyway, some people said Dorothy couldn't fall off if she tried.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

I love that. They're talking about it's not fair because a kid could fall down like other kids could fall down and she can't. Yeah. No kid should be falling down.

[Gareth Reynolds]

She's not gonna die, and that's an issue. She's not gonna die, and I don't like that.

[Dave Anthony]

And then people start asking why the mayor isn't visiting the kids in South Baltimore. Quote, he's spending too much time out on Pall Mall Road. He doesn't seem to know that South Baltimore's on the map.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Jesus Christ, what have I done?

[Dave Anthony]

I didn't realize. I honestly didn't realize how stupid this could get.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I just made a mistake. Now I gotta go see every kid. How's my pulling on handling polls?

[Dave Anthony]

Dorothy has now gotten so much that she ditched her cushions and was now lying on the hardwood.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Jesus Christ.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, we showed that 10 year old girl, didn't we?

[Gareth Reynolds]

That'll teach this kid to do something. Thank God we stepped in.

[Dave Anthony]

Jimmy Jones. Mother didn't give a quote. She had entirely too easy. Most of the time. It's impossible for her to fall out.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God. Just go kill her. Why don't we just kill. Throw her in fire.

[Dave Anthony]

But then she then did say that she helped Jimmy would come down soon. Quote, I've been up for eight nights now. I just can't go to bed and leave him up there out alone. He's only. He's only a child. And I just have to stay up.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What are you talking. There's another option. He. He's. He's your child.

[Dave Anthony]

He's a child.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I haven't been able to sleep since my child went missing up that pole. I can't.

[Dave Anthony]

Oh. Young Melvin Floyd wrote the son to say he had started his sit on August 6th at 9am and he wanted the paper to send him what the rules were. The Pikesville police were upset by how young Ralph Knott had been treated by the press and said he deserved better write ups. Others said the same about Harry Jeffrey, who was on a 30 foot pole. Quote, he's sitting on the highest pole in town. And he's really sitting too.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Were the cops saying that?

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

They just start shooting people on lesser poles.

[Dave Anthony]

Someone held the pool party.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God.

[Dave Anthony]

And Avon.

[Gareth Reynolds]

When I was a boy, that was called an orgy.

[Dave Anthony]

Avon came as the guest of honor. The sun chastised the criminal who stole the mayor's signature out of Ruth's autograph book while she was sitting on her pole.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God. Dave, it. Go ahead. I'm not even.

[Dave Anthony]

When Avon heard that someone had stole the mayor's signature, he went to see Ruth and told her to have courage. New kids were climbing poles daily. One climbed a tree, but fell after an hour and broke his arm. He was 10.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's. I'm shocked. That's the worst thing we've heard so far.

[Dave Anthony]

All the kids put donation boxes at the base of the poll. Ruth collected.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Now we gotta pay for it.

[Dave Anthony]

Ruth collected $22 in nine days. Jamie Stanton took on $40 in nine days. William Vettel had $20. Then everyone just kind of got tired of it. Probably because so many kids were saturated. Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You were probably like, I don't see kids on the ground anymore. Then it was like this kid stayed on the ground for nine days.

[Dave Anthony]

By September, the whole thing had just kind of faded away. Everyone just stopped paying attention. That was it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's classic us too. The burnout.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We just can't do it in moderation.

[Dave Anthony]

You can't have that many kids climbing poles. And everyone's like, all right, I know.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I said, no, no, no. It's an epidemic.

[Dave Anthony]

It's only interesting if it's.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Is this how polio started?

[Dave Anthony]

Yes. Whoa. But it's only interesting if it's a couple people once it's 20, 30 all over the place. It just doesn't mean anything. Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Podcasts.

[Dave Anthony]

In July 1930, Almond's current record was 23 days. And that's when William Penfield, a professional Steeple Jack, decided to break it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't even want to know what a steeple. No, I don't even care.

[Dave Anthony]

They go up onto churches to repair steeples.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, okay. I thought it was a little more.

[Dave Anthony]

Graphic or build them or install them, whatever.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

He lived in Strawberry Point, Iowa, and.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Decided to be called Steeple People. Go ahead, I'm done. Go. Just talk.

[Dave Anthony]

And decided to pulse it atop the town's 100 foot flagpole, which he himself had installed five years before.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So that's high.

[Dave Anthony]

That's very high. But at the same time, at this exact moment, Alvin is pulsating in Atlantic City, trying to break his record. Businessmen in Strawberry Point love the idea that Bill is going to go up and they back him. Now, Bill makes a special chair, which is, I think, is the one you probably saw.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The chair basically looked like a barber's chair with all the fixings.

[Dave Anthony]

He could sit, lie down, and stand up in the chair. He had a heavy rubber blanket for rain and cold and a quilt.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He's camping.

[Dave Anthony]

A phone. Yes, he is camping. Now, a phone was put on top of the pole so he could communicate with the ground. Now, I haven't been a purist up until this moment. Well, now I am a purist.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well. Well, the problem with your late purity in the game is that some of us have been saying, this is what's going to start to happen. And you let the line get pushed. The line get pushed. And now the fact that some guy's up there in a Lazy Boy, you actually have an issue. Well, tough shit, Jack. If you jumped on the gate, if you jumped on board, what we were going for a little bit earlier, maybe you'd have a pole to stand on, but you no longer do because now there's some guy up there who's basically got a studio apartment, and you're just sitting down there going, I have an issue with this. Well, yeah, some of us had issues where people were sitting on boards. Some of us said real Poland was when it was a man. Yes, a man, a pole and an anus. And that was it. You let him push it.

[Dave Anthony]

Look, I made mistakes. I think we all did. We were caught up in the fever.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Not all of us. Not all of us. I'm not apologizing. I could go bring a couch on a pole.

[Dave Anthony]

I apologize, but let's just fix it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What do you want to do now? Well, what's the line?

[Dave Anthony]

We need to regulate it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What are you going to regulate? What is the rule? You're going to make bar stools only. It's a pretty good pitch.

[Dave Anthony]

And we'll call it Bar stool sports.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I can't see it getting weird.

[Dave Anthony]

And I'm gonna run it. I'm gonna be a dick.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, I don't like it.

[Dave Anthony]

I'm a real piece of Dave.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm. I'm out. Let's see.

[Dave Anthony]

So, yeah, so he builds this. I mean, the pig. Like, you guys can look it up. It's William Penfield, and he's up on this chair. It's like. You can't. Like, it's just like, what are you. Like, it's really like, what are you doing now? Now it's absolutely. Now it's just like, I'm. Well, just go sit out on a levy or something.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Like go on a balcony.

[Dave Anthony]

He also has a phone up there so he communicate with the ground.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Crazy.

[Dave Anthony]

The city council is worried about liability and they tried to get an injunction to stop him before he goes up. So he. So they got it. But he climbed up at 3am before it could be served to him. Oh, that I respect.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. It's just the race.

[Dave Anthony]

That's American man.

[Gareth Reynolds]

But what are they trying to. Why they're trying to get him to not do it. But why?

[Dave Anthony]

Because it's so stupid and it's dangerous. He could fall and then sue them. Like, it's. The whole thing is just about. It's a bad idea. It's a bad idea.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right? Okay. Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

From just a. From just a. Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's a lot more than could fall. Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

The business guys love it because it's gonna bring a business. But the government's like, what the are we doing?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, Right.

[Dave Anthony]

So once he's up there, though, there's no way to get him down except by maybe shooting him.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm not above it.

[Dave Anthony]

Within two days, 600 people have gathered, of course, and they're watching him shave. Five days later, it's 6000.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God.

[Dave Anthony]

People for coming from other states. A week later, the temperature hits 108, but he remains.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God. He's on top of thermometer. Oh, I'm out For sure.

[Dave Anthony]

I'm so out. I don't want to be anywhere when it's 108.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No. I'll wear my rubber blanket. It. Because he's just cooking bands.

[Dave Anthony]

Come and play. No one. It's a small town. No one. It's a town of a thousand. No one can find a place to park. A traffic jam into town goes on forever after 46 days.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Holy.

[Dave Anthony]

He says he has no plans to stop.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God.

[Dave Anthony]

He said he had put on weight from eating milk, milk, toast, chicken, fish, cantaloupes and fruit. And then just sitting there. It's not like you can exercise. I guess you could exercise. You could find a way to exercise up there.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I really think it's very limited. Mainly core.

[Dave Anthony]

Very hard. A lot of bends.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Dave Anthony]

Up and up and sit ups.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I would. I would focus on diet.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, I focus on diet. But my core would be rocking.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

Abs. I come down from that thing and people like shredded.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Study. Coming down 40 pounds heavier.

[Dave Anthony]

No, my. My arms and my legs are really small and weak, but my abs are.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Just like Stallone abs.

[Dave Anthony]

It's crazy. And like, I look like the weirdest man alive.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Jesus. What happened? Abs. Everything else is just for 60 days in a chair.

[Dave Anthony]

But I can barely lift my arms. Like, it's crazy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

My arms don't work.

[Dave Anthony]

Only one visitor went up and he was a fellow steeplejack. Just to say hi. He listened to the radio. He and his wife celebrated their 23rd anniversary at the poll. At the same time, Alvin is in Atlantic City up his poll and he sets a new record. 20,000 people gathered to watch.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Jesus.

[Dave Anthony]

You can't get close to see it now. You're not watching anything.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No.

[Dave Anthony]

It's like going to see comedy at the Madison Square Garden. It's not. It doesn't work well.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Unless it's Dane, but go ahead.

[Dave Anthony]

This is Dane Cook. Yeah. 20,000 fucking people.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Crazy.

[Dave Anthony]

49 days. That's how long he was up there on September 10th. Yeah. No, Alvin. Yeah. But then on September 10th, just a few days later, Bill passes Alvin's record. So it's the same thing. You set a record, but there's a guy waiting for you to get down so that he can set the record.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yep.

[Dave Anthony]

Two days later, a lightning storm drove Bill to the ground. 51 days.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wow.

[Dave Anthony]

But there's a problem. The town had planned a celebration for the 19th. They had a stage. They had speakers coming in, bands. So Bill goes back up on the 14th.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Can't take a break.

[Dave Anthony]

And then he comes back down on the 19th. For the.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, you can't clock in. It's not a job. You don't get to go have land break breaks.

[Dave Anthony]

He went back. I'm going back.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He's.

[Dave Anthony]

Now he's down for two days. He's like, all right, I'll go back up.

[Gareth Reynolds]

How's it look?

[Dave Anthony]

Well, we got a whole thing planned. What are you doing?

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's consecutive, though. That's what we're going for, not cumulative.

[Dave Anthony]

Look, you can go back up. No one will know the difference. People are just excited to see send a double. He had hoped this stunt would make him rich. But after expenses, he made $1. He. He needed a manager.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What's that in today's money?

[Dave Anthony]

It's like 500 bucks. It's not much.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Whoa.

[Dave Anthony]

He really. He really needed a manager. Yeah, he went, he went into a. He was an amateur. He didn't know what he was doing.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wow.

[Dave Anthony]

He. But here's the thing. Offers roll in then, okay. In 1831, he was paid 3,000 to a stay up on a radio tower for 79 days.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Holy.

[Dave Anthony]

A few days later, someone broke that record. But he had enough.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Good for you to stay on a radio tower.

[Dave Anthony]

It's great. Okay. He bought an 80 acre farm though. So.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, he won. Sure, sure.

[Dave Anthony]

In 1930, a mass pole sitting contest was held in Baltimore with over 20 competitors simultaneously turning the city into a carnival. But the luster is coming off. There's accidents.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure.

[Dave Anthony]

I mean, you could just go in and if you go into like a newspaper site and you could just pull sitter, fall, pulsar accident, and they just come up like crazy. Like a pulsar was electrocuted to death in Chicago when he touched the wires on top of the pole.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, don't touch the wires on the pole.

[Dave Anthony]

Well, you. You pick the wrong pole.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Look, you're either gonna die or become the Hulk.

[Dave Anthony]

So in Buffalo, the health inspector forced a man down, calling him crazy and a. So tide is turning.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, right.

[Dave Anthony]

In Kentucky, a 16 year old fell and broke his neck.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh.

[Dave Anthony]

Local governments became worried about the safety issues. Some began requiring permits.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Permits? A fishing license for poles.

[Dave Anthony]

That's so American. It's so dumb. Wow, look, people are dying up there. So what do we do? What do we do?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, the stupidest thing we could possibly do is what we'll do. People get licensed to sit on top of one and they'll pay a small fee and that'll go to the city.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, there you go. And, and we make sure they've been to like the one of the training camps.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yep, yep. For sure. Yep, yep. Ah, man. We'll show Adelaide who's boss.

[Dave Anthony]

That's right. Good job of governing here today, boys.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, real good. I think in the future we'll be good to go.

[Dave Anthony]

Others just banned pole sitting. New York City did. Religious leaders were calling it frivolous. By the late 1930s, public interest had Wayne. Radio and movies were the dominant entertainment people.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So much no. So many times in this show, it's just like. And then there was tv, so that. Then there were movies. So people are like, hey, what the fuck have we been doing? We can go watch something that's actually entertaining.

[Dave Anthony]

It also didn't seem exciting anymore because of the Depression because people were literally suffering everywhere. And then watching a guy go up on a pole to suffer is not as exciting.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'll tell you. If that. If that Blue Orbit space mission had just gone a little more south, that would have been a nice release for society, man, they.

[Dave Anthony]

They have no idea. Like, if that had crashed, they would be absolutely shocked. Shocked at the celebration.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Shocked. It would have been space Luigi.

[Dave Anthony]

So. Right. So people don't want to spend money to watch people sit on polls because it's the Depression. And Kelly starts to be seen as a nuisance.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Dave Anthony]

In 1935, he tried to break his flagpole sitting record in Bronx, but cops stopped him after a day freeze. So he took work as a gigolo in a Broadway dance hall.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Of course, this is why you need a manager.

[Dave Anthony]

I mean, ladies probably want to dance with them, right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sure, I know I would. See what he's got down there.

[Dave Anthony]

And he did do some pole sitting on the side.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, that must be his stomach.

[Dave Anthony]

In 1939. Don't ever say nothing like that again.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Why?

[Dave Anthony]

And just don't.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's an interesting take and it's not.

[Dave Anthony]

What we're here for.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's fun.

[Dave Anthony]

Not those kind of people.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Ivan. John, making a little bit of fun out of your words. And I'll do it again.

[Dave Anthony]

The eye rolls across America.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, those are drum rolls.

[Dave Anthony]

In 1939, Doug and Donuts sponsored Alwyn to perform a stunt for National Donut Week.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Once again, America is rare.

[Dave Anthony]

He was photographed selling donuts while doing headstands on a wooden plank sticking out of the 54th floor of the Shannon building.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Just. This probably is the end.

[Dave Anthony]

When World War II came, Alvin joined up. His last pole sit was in October 1952 in Orange, Texas. While sitting on a 65 foot pole, he had multiple heart attacks and then announced his retirement.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, my God. Wow.

[Dave Anthony]

Because you're not supposed to do it as an old guy. It's not an old guy thing because it's hard on your body.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Multiple heart attacks on the pole.

[Dave Anthony]

That's how I do it. Oh my God, I do. I would have a shard attack. You get it? A few days later he was back in New York and he was walking in Hell's Kitchen on the street and he collapsed and died. He was holding a book full of clippings of his pole sitting career.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wow, that's weird. That's like when you die and someone looks at your Google and you just googled yourself.

[Dave Anthony]

His wife had died, his son was serving overseas and his body went unclaimed. Alvin Kelly was eventually buried at Long Island National Cemetery. People tried to revive pulsating in the 60s and 70s.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Did people sit at half masts that day?

[Dave Anthony]

People tried to revive posted in the 60s and 70s. There was a bunch in the Netherlands, a bunch of like people you can see online, people sitting, sitting in pole polls in the water.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, well, look.

[Dave Anthony]

But it never came back. It never came back to the way it was. And that's the history of pulse hitting in America.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, Dave, it's completely ridiculous, totally stupid and the most believable story of America I've ever heard.

[Dave Anthony]

That's right. Sources Los Angeles Evening Express, the Sport in Adelaide, the Reading Times, the Long Beach Press Telegram, St. Louis Globe disp. Baltimore Evening sun, the book the American Popular Culture through History by Kathleen down and Patrick huber. Blurred by lines.com the 1920s, flagpole sitting, the legacy of Alvin shipwreck on medium.com of course, all these are through newspapers.com, thegrunge.com mentalfloss.com, sevenday adventure.com 1947 project.com the gazette.com old magazines.com I never like doing mental floss because they just never put up their sources. They don't list their sources, but whatever. Yes, that's all the sources. So that was fucking weird, right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yep, super weird. I mean, feel good.

[Dave Anthony]

I mean, I'm not kidding. I could have done several episodes. There are so many people.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You said the research, you said the research for this was.

[Dave Anthony]

I thought it was. I thought it was gonna be super easy. And then I was just going through newspaper story. Like in the 20s it's just guy competing after guy competing and it's just insane. It's insane. There is even. There was even one young woman who was black. And so that became like a civil rights thing or like a, you know, like this is an achievement. And like, black newspapers are coming. Like, it's just, it's just, it's.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What direction do you want to go in?

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah, it's the. It was the most pointless endeavor because there was, again, nothing to do. Yeah, there was nothing to do.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Nothing to do. And we sensationalized the dumbest shit. And it's effective and.

[Dave Anthony]

But nothing to do was also better.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I totally agree. Yeah, totally agree. Yeah, we, we, we, we, we had some sort of fight.

[Dave Anthony]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Now we're just like, let's, let's not do this. All right? Hey, dollop fans. I know you love the dollop. You love listening to the dollop. Do you want to watch the dollop? You're like, gareth, what are you talking about? By the way, it's not Gary, it's Gareth. Well, we have partnered with Lakeside Animation and we are starting to animate some of our episodes. So if you want to go watch a five parter animation, which is actually like a 22 minute episode or 30 minute episode, I can't remember, of the rube, you can go to LakeSide Animation on YouTube and watch a really awesome animation of the rube. It. It really genuinely kicks ass and we're very proud of it. And the more you share it, the more you give it to people, the more you follow Lakeside, all that stuff, the better chance we have of making a lot more of them. We're already making a second one, so go there and watch the rube.