Inflatable Tube Men

Come Labor or Memorial Day, you might be lucky to spot a colorful inflatable tube man aggressively dancing outside your local car dealership or mattress store. These air-powered groove machines – also known as “Tall Boys” – made their debut at the 1996 summer Olympics in Atlanta, and street corners have never been the same since. Recently, they were featured in Jordan Peele’s 2022 sci-fi horror, Nope, to detect the presence of an alien; however, they are most commonly used to attract attention to businesses or blowout sales . . . and to put a smile on people’s faces.

Perhaps surprisingly, Tall Boys have their roots in Caribbean artistry and dance. Peter Minshall, a Trinidadian Carnival artist, is credited with the idea of inflatable tube men and was inspired by dancers in Trinidad and Tobago. A more comprehensive history of how Tall Boys came to be can be found here.

In 2008, the City of Houston outlawed inflatable tube men along with other “attention getting devices.” This category also prohibits festooning, propellers, streamers, and whirligigs, among other similar devices employed by commercial businesses to attract attention (Sec. 28-37.). Supporters of the ban argued that inflatable tube men were not only distracting, but also tacky and adversely impacted the city’s image. The law still stands, but given its relative obscurity, some businesses still decorate their properties with the gyrating inflatable tube men.

Whether you find them unsightly, distracting, or just plain silly, inflatable tube men are here to stay. They have become iconic symbols of roadside advertising and pop culture since their debut in the 1990s. Relatively harmless and unmistakably ridiculous, Tall Boys will continue their dance on street corners for many years to come. . . and no doubt leave many people smiling along the way.