Tall Tales
Howdy, Bubba! Hey, if you're new around these parts, I just want to say how much I appreciate you dropping by! Oh, and you may want to subscribe to my feed. Thanks, and a tip o' the hat to ya!
Back when I was, um, shorter, my mom had to get pretty creative when it came to finding ways to keep my sister and me occupied while she was at work. Luckily, during the school year it was no problem; she’d drop us off at school in the mornings, and afterwards we’d walk to the nearby library where she picked us up after work.
Now, spending two to three hours a day in a library definitely presented some interesting opportunities. Mom pointed out it was a perfect time for us to do our homework. I suppose my sister spent the time, you know, actually doing hers (but then, she was always the “good” one). As for me, I spent the time getting to know some pretty fascinating people (not to mention a bevy of unusual animals).
[Note - click on any image to make it larger]
Amazing New Worlds
Having already discovered the exciting possibilities of science fiction in my grandparent’s attic (you can read about that in my post, In Praise of Attics Everywhere), naturally I immediately gravitated to that section first. Without a doubt, my favorite books at the time were the series of Tom Swift, Jr. adventures. I thrilled to the exploits of the young inventor and his fabulous Triphibious Atomicar and Ultrasonic Cycloplane, not to mention the enigmatic Polar-Ray Dynasphere.
But once the sci-fi section had been exhausted (as it turned out, I was an extremely fast reader), I began to explore the rest of the place. I wanted to see if there was anything else that could prove worthy of my attention. Thus, my world broadened.
There were, of course, the usual suspects in children’s literature of the day: Babar the Elephant, Curious George, the imaginative works of Dr. Seuss. But, except for the latter (I admit to becoming fascinated with Horton Hears a Who), they simply weren’t all that interesting to me. After all, I never liked monkeys (probably a holdover from watching the poo-throwing monkeys at the Houston Zoo), and even after reading several of his adventures, Babar never said a blessed word…
Anyway, one day while diligently studying wandering around, I accidentally stumbled upon a section of American Literature known as Tall Tales. Huh? What in tarnation was this? I knew what tales were, but what in the world could make them tall?
Well Bubba, I found out pretty quickly, this was fascinatin’ stuff! Now here were all kinds of interesting stories filled with colorful, unforgettable characters. Like one of my favorites, the giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan, who, when he was born, was so big it took five storks to deliver him!
One cold winter night (Chorus: How cold was it? Answer: It was so cold, folks’ words froze and fell to the ground. They had to wait until the sun came up to find out what they had said the night before!) Paul found a baby blue ox in the snow, so he took it home with him and named him Babe. Naturally, like Paul, Babe the Blue Ox grew to heroic proportions too, and together they went on to plenty of amazing adventures, each more improbable than the last. (Never mind the physics; this was just plain fun!)
There were others, too, and just as colorful (though not quite as humongous). Folks like Johnny Appleseed, Mike Fink, Febold Feboldson, Bigfoot Wallace, and of course Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett (who was, as legend had it, once married to Davy Crockett). And let’s not forget Texas’ own Pecos Bill, who not only rode a lightning bolt but helped put the wild in the wild, wild West.
They Weren’t All Made Up
Ironically, though, some tall tales were about folks who were actually real - Davy Crockett, for instance, and Jeremiah Johnson. Stories about them, and many like them, tended to get bigger and bigger over time, what with their retelling and all. (Not to mention the book and movie rights!) Thus, they ended up becoming legendary.
So what makes a tale, er, tall, anyway? It’s an interesting question, I think. The ones I mentioned above originated back from the 1800s, and were pretty much all set in the U.S. frontier (the parts of the country that hadn’t been settled yet - or at least, hadn’t been for long).
There was a pioneering spirit rampant at the time, and as folks looked out at all that unexplored territory, they figured you could find just about anything out there. It didn’t take long for real people to go exploring, and as their stories got circulated, they just sorta grew and grew until the people themselves became bigger than life.
The defining factor, I think, is the fact that whatever they did, well, they did it with gusto: pure, unadulterated passion. They loved the life they led, and did everything they could to live it to the fullest. That’s the quality that resonated so well with listeners.
Agreed, the things they said about ‘em were outlandish, ridiculous, and patently impossible (although that one about riding a lightning bolt… But so what? It was the style of the story that made the characters so much larger than life. Oh, sure, they might have been, you know, imaginary. But who cared? They were inspiring to little ol’ me just the same.
Say, Are You Getting Taller?
What about today? Do tall tales exist today? Well… maybe.
Consider, for a brief moment, blogging. Hey, by any definition, blogging is still in its infancy, wouldn’t you say? As such, couldn’t we consider it as a sorta “new frontier”. I wonder (sound of grinding gears)… are there any tall tales in the blogging world?
Now that I think about it, there are some pretty tall tales I’ve heard about Darren Rowse, the ProBlogger himself. (”Did you know Darren makes $500,000 a week blogging?” “I heard he only works two hours a day, three days a week.” “I heard he’s physically unable to sleep; that’s how he has the time to manage so many enterprises at once.” “You know all those guest writers on ProBlogger? They’re actually all his clones!”) OK, maybe that last one might be true.
You’ve probably heard a few wild ones about Liz Strauss, too. (”She’s the Queen of Relationship Blogging.” “I heard she lives in your computer.” “Talk about 6 degrees of separation? For Liz it’s only 2.”) Actually, those are, well, ALL true. But I think you get my meanin’.
And no matter what you’ve heard about Yours Truly, it’s simply not true that I wear my hat, six-guns and boots to bed. Nor do I herd cattle for a living. Although that bit about having a horse named Lightnin’ Rod… (The poor thing; it was just Lightnin’ until, you know, that freak thunderstorm.)
A Tall Tale, or a Pack of Lies?
So all this discussion really begs the question: What’s the distinction between tall tales and, for instance, a pack of lies? How would you answer that question? Personally, I think there’s a lot of obvious, as well as subtle clues.
How about this, though: Do you think there’s still an acceptable role for tall tales today? When would they be useful? On the other hand, are there times when using them could end up instigating a disaster of epic proportions? Can you think of any examples either way? Think you could write one?
Please contribute, if you would, your responses in the comment box.
[BONUS: Wanna have some fun? Pick someone you know and, in a sentence or two, write a tall tale about ‘em. Then let them write one about you. Compare ‘em over the beverage of your choice. Try not to blow it out your nose. Share them with us, if you dare!]
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21 responses so far
Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
Hehe, I think most of us where live in the world that full of tall tales, especially when we’re younger the adults always tell us some sweet tall tales, which we only knew it after we have been grown up!
A lot depends on intent. Stories meant to entertain or instruct are good and good for you.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..10 Ways To Free Your Business Writing, by Joanna Young
We only have to look at the present political scene to see/hear all sorts of tall tales. Creating an image that sells is what elections are all about.
Jean Browman–Cheerful Monks last blog post..Serendipity or The Law of Attraction?
And what about The Secret and the Law of Attraction? In some cases that belief can be energizing and help a person take charge of her/his life, but I’ve also known people who worked hard, had the right attitude and wound up bitterly disappointed.
Jean Browman–Cheerful Monks last blog post..Serendipity or The Law of Attraction?
@Wilson - Yeah, I know what you mean. My dad had to walk 15 miles to school, uphill - both ways, too! And it took me years to overcome my fear of eating watermelons. I was afraid if I swallowed a seed a vine would start growing from my ears!
@Brad - You’re right about intent. Despite the outrageousness of the tale, they still illustrated a spirit of adventure and excitement that was appropriate for the time.
@Jean - I’m not sure marketing or political campaigns would qualify as tall tales in my mind, Jean. Although some of them certainly have the “outrageous” part down cold.
Did you hear the one about Karen Swim? She woke up one morning and had to shovel a path through the poop outside her door.
Karen Putz / DeafMoms last blog post..Wordless Wednesday–Leap!
Karen, ROFL!!! Did you hear the one about Karen Putz, she drove her car through a drive through waving a picket sign and when they didn’t listen she caused a sonic boom that took the whole thing down. The incident was caught on an iphone and uploaded to YouTube and the story was so big it was picked up by CNN. She is now retired and living in Fiji.
Robert, that nostalgic trip through the library was great fun! Well today we call tall tales “marketing.” Bwaaahhhhh. The internet and in particular, social media is reminiscent of the wild frontier and is rife with tall tales and gunslinging battles (well at least during the US election season).
Karen Swims last blog post..September - New Beginnings
@To My Two Karens - I understand Karen S. got so many responses to her “poop” post she’s now organizing a National Poop Festival! Prizes go to the best costumes, of course. Naturally, Karen P. stopped by to visit, but since she’s now a celebrity, she had CNN in tow, turning it into International News!
Karen S. - Actually, I think State level politics is more reminiscent of the gunslingers of old. Especially Louisiana. And now, of course, Alaska.
nice post. The only one of those tales about me that is even nearing truth is “I heard he’s physically unable to sleep; that’s how he has the time to manage so many enterprises at once.” - however, the reason is simply that we have a newborn in the house - and if anything it stops me from working rather than allowing me to
Darren Rowses last blog post..How to Make Money With Affiliate Programs on Your Blog - More Thoughts
I just watched a show about Roald Dahl… a GREAT man of tall tales and I was very surprised to discover that he told many a tall tales in his autobiography ‘Boy’. More fiction than truth apparently. Now there was a man who wouldn’t let the truth get in the way of a good story!
p.s So how much does Darren Rowse earn from his blog? That’s what I want to know.
Danielles last blog post..Dr. Phil wannabe
I spent 10 years in the Air Force. The military culture itself breeds wild tall tales. I think my favorite was the one about the guy who enlisted in the military, didn’t show up to basic, and yet still got paid for six years every two weeks. That story passes quickly through all the disgruntled mid level NCO’s. lol.
@Darren - I dunno; if you say so. But I still think you must have a clone or two hidden away in the back room somewhere!
Hey, I really appreciate your dropping by to set the record straight, though!
@Danielle - “…wouldn’t let the truth get in the way of a good story”
Yeah, I think that’s probably as good a definition as any of a tall tale, Danielle. Funny, I never knew he’s the guy who wrote those stories until I looked him up.
Regarding Darren, all I know is it’s “up there” somewhere.
@Trey - That one sounds like the one I think we’ve all heard about the guy who held two jobs for two different companies - in the same building! He’d spend his days moving from desk to desk. Until, that is, one day he rode up in the elevator with both bosses. After he got off, one of them said to the other, “That’s the best employee I’ve ever had!” and the jig was up. I think I’ve heard that one at least 20 different times over the years.
Hey, thanks for dropping by, Trey!
You know, I’ve never thought about media hype as the 21st century version of tall tales. I think you’re really onto something here, Robert.
About the importance of intentions… a tall tale becomes a lie when the audience doesn’t know we’re winking at them. And that’s the key. As writers, we have to make it reasonably clear when we are winking.
Mark Goodyears last blog post..Ten Commandments of Talking (or blogging) Politics
Actually, that was Jean Browman’s idea, Mark. But I think you may have something on the “winking”, though. Sometimes it can be even subtler than that: They have to know you’re winking, even when you’re only “winking inside”, if you get my meanin’.
Personally, I don’t consider media hype, marketing or political, to be tall tales - because nobody’s winking. They want you to actually believe that stuff. And if it ain’t the truth, Bubba, then it’s a _ _ _ (Three letters; starts with an “L”, ends with an “E”)
[...] and me an’ the boys are feasting on a hearty meal of chili and beans while sharin’ a tall tale or two. (Helpful hint: If you’re ever in this situation, I suggest you park yourself on the [...]
[...] of possibly discounting what you are hearing. What you are being told may be true, or it may be a tall tale in [...]
I love tall tales, some of the people I talk with everyday, almost have some tall tale to talk about, it’s great!