Every Tulsan has photos like these stashed somewhere in their photo albums or digital files. Why? Because this here is the Golden Driller, and he's one of our top tourist attractions here in T-Town.
Yes, a 76-foot tall, 22-ton likeness of a roustabout is something that every visitor to Tulsa wants to see. St. Louis has The Arch. Seattle has the Space Needle. San Antonio has The Alamo.
Here in Tulsa, we have this tall drink of sweet tea.
Why, Mr. Golden Driller. What big feet you have.
You know what they say about guys with big feet. They have...
Big shoes.
Judi Grove of Breast Impressions and Scott Smith of The Blue Jackalope Groceries and Coffee gave this great intro at last year's Tulsey awards about this very issue. These two came up with this story about how Mr. Driller's - ahem - package was - cough - downsized back at the end of the oil boom of the early eighties. According to the fiction, oil prices went into a free fall not long after Mr. Driller was, erm, reduced.
So, Judi and Scott proposed an initiative - the Repackage Tulsa initiative. To, you know, restore Tulsa as the Oil Capital of the World.
I'll have to remember to ask Judi and Scott how Repackage Tulsa is coming along. I'll keep you updated.
Do you have Golden Driller photos? Can I see 'em?
2 comments:
The early 80's huh? Say back when people were possibly taking pictures of the more endowed Driller? I'm heading over to my parents to see if they have any in their stash. Come on Tulsa! Tasha needs one of these pictures.
AAAARRRGGGHHHH! if you had asked this Saturday(13th) I would have been able to walk into my bead room/studio, pick up my driller pix & send them to you, but I cleaned up Sunday & now they are put away somewhere,(I'm sure it made sense just where @ the time)somewhere where I can't find them. So, picture this, the Philbrook has this fabulous bead exhibit & the Driller is wearing beads made from plastic cups & cut up swimming 'noodles'. darn my burst of energy that caused me to clean up in there!
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