Mechanical bulls are kind of weird, but they have certainly made a place in American pop culture over the years. Largely due to one movie, Urban Cowboy.
AI Summary
# Summary
This Stuff You Should Know episode dives into the surprisingly fascinating history of mechanical bull riding, tracing it from its origins in rodeo training to its explosion as a bar phenomenon in 1970s America. The hosts explore how the mechanical bull became a cultural icon through its connection to the movie Urban Cowboy, which featured the famous honky-tonk bar Gilley's in Texas, and how bar owner Sherwood Crier smartly purchased the patent to capitalize on the craze. They discuss the mechanics of how these hydraulic machines work, share wild stories about the rise and fall of Gilley's, and reveal the surprising truth that the mechanical bull's origin story is far murkier than most people realize, with roots possibly going back to 1930s amusement parks.
B.J. and the Bear
1978
1h 40m
★ 9.0
"BJ and the bear and the Dukes of Hazard — Mentioned as a popular TV show that exemplified the country/western culture phenomenon of the late 1970s."
— Chuck
Convoy
1978
PG
1h 52m
★ 6.3
"if you look at Convoy, that Chris Christofferson movie, that's from 1978 — Referenced as an example of country/western themed films from the same era as Urban Cowboy."
— Chuck
Dallas Buyers Club
2013
1h 57m
★ 7.9
"the TV show Dallas and when country had these big crossover stars — Referenced as a major TV show during the country music crossover era of the late 1970s-early 1980s."
— Chuck
Fantasy Island
1977
1h 40m
★ 6.8
"a Fantasy Island episode from 1982 called Everybody Goes to Gillies, Mickey Gilly played himself — A 1982 episode featured Mickey Gilly and Gillie's bar, showing the cultural reach of the mechanical bull phenomenon."
— Josh
Johnny Mnemonic
1995
R
1h 37m
★ 5.8
"You're going to catch some Johnny Mnemonic on that thing — Used as a joke reference when mentioning Johnny Utah's bar and potential contamination from the mechanical bull."
— Josh
Point Break
1991
2h 2m
★ 7.2
"Urban Cowboy bar that's referential to Point Break — Johnny Utah's bar in NYC is themed after both Urban Cowboy and Point Break, combining references."
— Josh
Saturday Night Fever
1977
1h 58m
★ 6.7
"reminded me very much and it's weird that they're both Travolta, but a Saturday Night Fever — Compared to Urban Cowboy as similar John Travolta films with parallel cultural impact and origin stories."
— Chuck
The Bionic Woman
1976
TV-PG
★ 7.0
"every once in a while, probably every sixth or seventh episode of Bionic Woman — Used as an example of a TV show that occasionally featured country/trucker themes during the 1970s."
— Josh
The Six Million Dollar Man
1974
TV-PG
★ 7.3
"every once in a while of Six Million Dollar Man will suddenly have some weird country trucker — Referenced alongside Bionic Woman as a show with country-themed episodes from the 1970s."
— Josh
Urban Cowboy
1980
PG
2h 12m
★ 6.5
"the easy listening was featured prominently on the soundtrack for a movie called Urban Cowboy — Central to the episode; discusses how John Travolta's film popularized mechanical bull riding and country culture."
— Josh
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