Wichita in Pop Culture
What is the first song, show, movie, or piece of literature that comes to mind when you hear the word Wichita?
Depending on what generation you fall into, you probably said Wichita Lineman or Seven Nation Army. In both cases, you’re not wrong, but those aren’t the only places Wichita pops into pop culture.
Music
Wichita has an allure that no one can deny including Jack White. So, what songs mention Wichita?
- Seven Nation Army – White Stripes (2003)
Lyric: “I’m going to Wichita, Far from this opera forevermore”
I don’t think anyone really knows why they mention Wichita, but whenever someone covers this at a concert, you know immediately who is from Wichita.
- Wichita Lineman – Glenn Campbell | Song & Album (1968)
Glenn Campbell recorded a whole album called Wichita Lineman. And well, Wichita is in the name. The hit song “Wichita Lineman” was written by Jimmy Webb and is one of the most iconic mentions of Wichita in pop culture. The song was a huge hit when it was released, and it has since become a classic. It has also been covered 10 times by artists including James Taylor, R.E.M, Ray Charles, Kool & The Gang, Dan Navarro, Dwight Yoakam, Jose Feliciano, Black Puma, Glen Campbell with Stone Temple Pilots, and Sammy Davis, Jr.
- I’ve been Everywhere – Hank Snow (1962) / Johnny Cash
Lyric: “Been to …Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota, Wichita, Tulsa…”
Not a huge call out, but hey we’ll take what we can get.
- Wichita Skyline – Shawn Colvin (1996)
Lyric: “Now I’m just a flat fine line like the Wichita skyline”
I’m not super familiar with this, but take a listen if you’d like.
- Jack Straw – Grateful Dead (1972)
Lyric: “Jack Straw from Wichita”. Yup. That is about as much as I know.
- True Dreams of Wichita – Soul Coughing
Literature
- Dennis the Menace – Comic (first printed in 1951) – set in Wichita, Kansas – the perfect middle-class suburban setting
- The Testing – Joelle Carbonneau (2013) – based in Tosu City (aka post-apoclyptic Wichita)
- Thunderhead – Neal Shusterman (2019) – Wichita is the location of a major event
- Hospitality Suite – Roger Pueff – Stage Play set in Wichita
- Wichita Vortex Sutra – Allen Ginsberg – Anti-war Poem (1960’s)
Movies / Television Shows
- Ted Lasso – Wichita currently does not have a football team, but at one time, Ted Lasso led us to greatness.
- Wichita (1955) & Wyatt Earp (1994) – Both of these films highlight Wichtia nd the life of Wyatt Earp (Earp was a member of the Wichita PD in the 1870’s). The 1994 film had an all-star cast featuring Kevin Costoner, Dennis QUaid, Gene Hackman, and more.
- Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff (1979) – Set in Kansas in the 1950’s.
- Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) – Quote:
Neal: Are you saying I could be stuck in Wichita?
Del: I’m saying you are stuck in Wichita.
- The Ice Harvest (2005) – This film features John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, and Connie Nielsen in a “neo-noir black comedy” set in Wichita on Christmas Eve.
- Knight and Day (2010) – This Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz film was originally called Wichita
- Zombieland (2009) – Emma Stone’s character is named Wichita after the character’s hometown
- Mars Attacks! (1996) – This film was primarily filmed in Burns (~40 miles northeast of Wichita), but some shots were in town here.
- The Big Kahuna (1999) – Set in Wichita, this Kevin Spacey movie actually has a couple shots of downtown Wichita unlike many “Wichita-based” movies.
- Twister (1996) – Some scenes from Twister were filmed in Wichita.
- King Kung Fu (1976) – One of the greatest cinematic masterpieces of the last 100 years. This deserves a whole deep-dive on it’s own
- Christmas at the Golden Dragon (2022) – This is one of the more recent pop culture references and took us by surprise as we were cuddled up on the couch with the fire crackling and we turn on Hallmark just to hear the Wichita name dropped (as well as University of Wichita).
- Supernatural – Wichita is either mentioned or featured in 7 different seasons of the popular show.
- Up in the Air – This film has a heartbreaking scene in Wichita. The movie features George Clooney and Anna Kendrick.
- Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives – Guy Fieri once came by Brint’s Diner
- Criminal Minds – There have been a couple episodes involving Wichita.
- NCIS – There is an episode based in Wichita.
As we can see, Wichita is no stranger to being featured or highlighted in pop culture.
From films and music to television, the city has been featured in various forms of media over the years. Whether it’s the hit song “Wichita Lineman” or appearances in popular television shows, Wichita has made its mark in pop culture.
What did we miss? What did you not know about?
