Overview of Selects: Flagpole Sitting: A Real Fad
This Stuff You Should Know episode explores the bizarre American fad of flagpole sitting—a stunt where people sat atop tall flagpoles for as long as possible to win publicity, money, and bragging rights. The hosts trace the craze to the 1920s, center on its most famous pioneer, Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelly, and follow the fad through its rise, decline, and a few especially extreme later examples.
What Flagpole Sitting Was
The stunt
- A flagpole sitter would climb to a small seat near the top of a pole and remain there for hours, days, or even months.
- The goal was usually:
- to set a new endurance record,
- attract crowds and newspaper attention,
- or earn sponsorship money from promoters and businesses.
Why it mattered at the time
- In the 1920s and 1930s, endurance stunts were wildly popular.
- The public was fascinated by spectacles like:
- dance marathons,
- skipping contests,
- yo-yo feats,
- and other physically punishing endurance challenges.
- With fewer entertainment options and a strong hunger for novelty, these stunts could become national news.
Shipwreck Kelly and the Birth of the Fad
Who he was
- Alvin Kelly, later known as Shipwreck Kelly, is widely credited as the first major flagpole sitter.
- His early life was rough:
- born in New York City in 1893,
- orphaned early,
- moved among relatives and orphanages.
- He spent much of his life around heights and dangerous work, including:
- stunt work,
- aviation,
- boxing,
- steeplejack work,
- and naval service during World War I.
The origin story
- Kelly claimed various colorful backstories, including surviving multiple shipwrecks and even the Titanic, though the podcast notes that some of these claims were almost certainly exaggerated or false.
- Around 1924, he reportedly sat on a flagpole for 13 hours and 13 minutes as a publicity stunt.
- Whether it was in Hollywood or Philadelphia, the result was the same: he got massive attention and helped launch a fad.
How he did it
- Kelly’s setup was basically a small seat at the top of a pole.
- He allegedly:
- ate sparingly,
- drank coffee,
- smoked cigarettes,
- used a helper to send food and supplies up in a bucket,
- and rigged a system to keep himself from falling asleep and toppling off.
- He turned flagpole sitting into a highly promotable profession and became an early celebrity stuntman.
The Peak of the Craze
Why it spread
- Kelly’s 13-hour sit inspired others to try to beat his record.
- Newspapers gave the stunts national visibility, which encouraged more challengers.
- Like dance marathons, flagpole sitting became a way for ordinary people to chase fame.
Notable endurance feats
- The episode mentions several record attempts that surpassed Kelly’s original mark:
- Bobby Mack in Los Angeles
- Joe Holdom Powers in Chicago, who sat for 16 days
- Bill Penfield, who sat for 51 days
- a 15-year-old boy who set a youth record of 10 days, 10 hours, 10 minutes, and 10 seconds
- One of the most extreme later examples was Kenneth “Gidge” (or similar spelling), who sat for 248 days in 1971.
A broader fad culture
- The episode compares flagpole sitting to other 1920s/1930s endurance crazes, especially dance marathons.
- Dance marathons, kicked off by Alma Cummings in 1923, followed a similar pattern:
- one person does something extreme,
- newspapers cover it,
- others try to outdo it,
- and promoters monetize the spectacle.
The Decline of the Fad
Public interest faded
- By the Great Depression, the public had less appetite for silly endurance spectacles.
- People were more concerned with survival than with watching someone sit on a pole.
- Kelly himself eventually became a symbol of the fad’s decline.
Shipwreck Kelly’s fall
- Kelly’s later flagpole sits drew less interest.
- In 1935, he was arrested for public nuisance while attempting another sit in the Bronx.
- He eventually fell into poverty and obscurity.
His final days
- Kelly’s last known sit was in 1952 in Orange, Texas, during a publicity stunt.
- He suffered heart attacks during the event and died shortly afterward from a third heart attack in New York.
- He was reportedly found holding a scrapbook of his old newspaper clippings, which gives his story a particularly sad ending.
Later Oddities and Tragic Cases
Dixie Blandy
- Another notable flagpole sitter, Dixie Blandy, kept the tradition alive into the later decades.
- His story ended tragically when a pole collapsed and he fell to his death in 1974.
- He had also previously been injured in other flagpole-related accidents.
Modern echoes
- The episode briefly mentions David Blaine, who in 2002 stood atop a 90-foot pole in Bryant Park for 35 hours.
- This was framed as a modern spiritual descendant of endurance stunts, though with a more performance-art feel.
Main Takeaways
- Flagpole sitting was a real American fad, not just a joke or pop-culture reference.
- It was powered by:
- newspapers,
- public curiosity,
- and the pursuit of fame through absurd physical endurance.
- Shipwreck Kelly was the central figure who turned the stunt into a national craze.
- The fad’s rise and fall show how quickly spectacle can become celebrity—and then disappear when public interest moves on.
- The episode also highlights a recurring theme in American entertainment history: people will do almost anything for attention, money, or a place in the record books.
Notable Closing Note
- The episode ends with a listener email about funny doctor names, which fits the show’s usual mix of history, humor, and audience interaction.