A pop culture icon is an item or a person that represents something far bigger than itself. The icon I chose to research is the “Terrible Towel.” Not only does this item represent the Pittsburgh Steelers; it also represents a city, its fans and the spirit of its citizens. On top of all that, it now helps to support the Allegheny Valley School. The school is located just west of Pittsburgh in Corapolis, PA and is home to autistic and mentally disabled individuals (Garber 2009).
Created as a gimmick in 1975 when the Pittsburgh Steelers advanced to the playoffs, it was the innovation of Myron Cope a Steeler broadcaster for the Pittsburgh ABC affiliate (Cope). Cope was tasked with coming up with a gimmick that was affordable, lightweight and portable. The idea….a towel, specifically a gold or yellow towel, that would provide contrast next to the crowd when they waved them in the air. Everyone has a towel and it’s useful as well; they can wipe the seat dry, protect you from the rain and warm you when it’s cold. For the first game, over 30,000 Steeler fans arrived at Three Rivers Stadium waving the so called, “Terrible Towel” (Cope).
The terrible towel is now said to have magical powers changing a 230-299-20 record in the 43 years before the towel to 336-22-1 with six Super Bowl wins in the 33 years since the towel (Garber 2009). It’s more than just a towel, it’s considered to be the Steeler flag. It reminds the Steeler players that there’s a city pulling for them, it reminds the city that they all pull together for something, and it shows a nation unity.
Since its inception and success, many sports teams have tried to duplicate the power of the towel, but it seems that none have come close. “The Terrible Towel is the best known fan symbol in professional sports,” written by Greg Garber for ESPN.com 2009. The terrible towel has been seen with fans all over the world. It’s been waved at the International Space Station, on top of Mt. Everest, appeared on “Saturday Night Live”, been to the Vatican and the Great Wall. It has also been a reminder of back home for soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan (Gerber 2009).
In 1996 Myron Cope, the “gimmick guy”, turned the copyrights of the towel over to Allegheny Valley School. The school is home to autistic and mentally disabled children and adults, in fact Myron’s own son Danny is a resident there. Since 1996, the school has earned over $2.5 million from the sales of the towel and related merchandise (Garber 2009).
Over the last 33 years, over 6 million towels have been placed into circulation (Garber 2009). Any time an individual views an image of the terrible towel or sees one on the back of a couch in a friend’s home; they know that represents Pittsburgh and the heart of a city united to support one cause.
References
Cope, M. The Terrible Towel. Retrieved July 9, 2009, from http://www.steelersfever.com/terrible_towel.html
Garber, G. (2009, January 29). 'Terrible' influence yields good results. Retrieved July 9, 2009, from ESPN Web site: http://sports.espn.go.com
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