Flagpole sitting is exactly what it sounds like: a person climbing on top of a towering pole, usually in the middle of a city, and testing their endurance by sitting atop it for as long as their body holds up. It began in Hollywood in January 1924, when a former sailor, boxer, steelworker, and stuntman named Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelly was hired by a local theater to sit on a pole outside of the building for as long as possible to drum up publicity for a new movie.
But why did this fad come into fashion? What's the longest time spent on a flagpole? And how did they go to the bathroom? In this episode, Kelly and Alex explore the trend of flagpole sitting in the 1920's and beyond.

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