Prompt Cast
The Rise and Evolution of Mechanical Bulls in Country Music Culture
TLDR This podcast episode explores the rise of mechanical bulls in the late 70s and early 80s as a popular attraction in country music culture, tracing its origins from amusement parks to bars and its connection to the movie "Urban Cowboy". The episode also discusses the injuries and lawsuits associated with mechanical bull riding.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The podcast episode discusses the popularity of country music in the late 70s and early 80s, particularly its transition from underground outlaw country to mainstream pop, with a focus on the movie "Urban Cowboy" and its connection to mechanical bulls.
05:14
Mechanical bull riding became popular in the late 70s and early 80s as a way to show off and mimic the sport of bull riding, and its origins are unclear as to whether it was used for training rodeo riders or as an amusement at bars first.
10:22
The origins of mechanical bulls are unclear, but there are mentions of a mechanical bull at an amusement park in New Jersey in the 1930s.
15:23
Mechanical bulls are hydraulic-based machines with motors that spin and move the platform the rider sits on, and they have evolved from old carnival funhouse rides to modern touch screen versions.
20:17
Mechanical bulls have evolved from old carnival funhouse rides to modern touch screen versions, and there are now various settings and options available, including a sexual element and the ability to ride other animals like bison or sheep.
25:05
To ride a mechanical bull, you should grip the bull with your inner thighs, dig your heels in, and keep your feet ahead of you, while leaning back if the bull bucks forward and leaning forward if it goes back.
30:08
Gilly Saloon was a popular bar in Pasadena, Texas that eventually became a 40,000 square foot honky tonk named after Mickey Gilly, Jerry Lee Lewis's cousin, who had 42 top 40 country singles in his career.
35:25
The success of the movie "Urban Cowboy" led to the popularity of mechanical bulls and Sherwood Cryer, the owner of Gillies, bought the patent for the mechanical bull and made a lot of money off of it.
40:16
The mechanical bull craze was part of a larger movement that blurred the lines between Southern and Western culture, and Urban Cowboy capitalized on this trend while also commodifying and diluting the authenticity of the original bar scene.
44:49
The podcast discusses injuries and lawsuits related to mechanical bull riding, including a woman who became quadriplegic and a man with permanent injuries, as well as a New York woman who won $70,000 for tearing her ACL.
49:24
The listener corrects the hosts on their use of the term "CIA agent" and explains that they are actually called officers.
Categories:
Society & Culture
