The Olympic origins of those wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube men

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Today, flapping wildly in the breeze and grinning maniacally with outstretched arms, the giant balloon men known as “tall boys” grace shopping malls, banks, and Family Guy cutaway gags, but these ubiquitous, colorful, arm-waving inflatable novelties have a surprisingly noble backstory, far removed from any used car lot or boat show. The folks at Great Big Story did some delving into the history of these promotional characters, and they have turned their findings into an informative little video called “Tale Of Tall Boy: The Origin Of The Inflatable Man.”