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Trivia

From This Might Be A Wiki

Q. What is John Linnell's middle name?

A. Sidney

Q. What is John Flansburgh's middle name?

A. Conant

John Flansburgh is left-handed.

Birthdays:

John Linnell: June 12, 1959
John Flansburgh: May 6, 1960

What is the story behind the cardboard face of the old man seen in so many videos, concerts, etc? --SR

"Exhaustive research reveals that he's William Allen White, known in his day as 'America's most famous small-town newspaperman.' Editor and Publisher of the Emporia (Kansas) Gazette from the 1890's until the 1940's. White's editorials were widely reprinted. He was best known for an 1896 editorial attacking perennial Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan and a tribute he wrote for his daughter Mary, who was killed in a horseback riding accident at age 17 (some of you may remember a made-for-TV movie about her life which aired about 10 or 15 years ago). Although he was a life-long Republican, White was nevertheless a strong supporter of Woodrow Wilson's League of Nations and Franklin Delano Roosevelt's social and economic reforms. White died in Emporia on January 29, 1944." -- The Might Be Times, Winter 1991

"He's no one famous," says Linnell, "just someone from the encyclopedia." -- Reflex, June/July 1988

"It doesn't matter who he is..." --John Linnell

What makes this particular photo of White interesting is that it was included in an encyclopedia under someone else's heading. I can't remember who this was, but I'm looking into it. -- Jolene

It was E.B. White, wasn't it? William Allen was under E.B.'s heading according to the Johns. That interview is on one of the first two Bootleg Videos but I couldn't tell you which one. -- Tisher

Q: Where did the name They Might Be Giants come from?

Short A: See They Might Be Giants (Film)

Long A: The band obtained the name from the movie indirectly; Raoul Rosenberg, ventriloquist friend had procured the name from the film for his own act, and discarded it. John & John liked the name so They asked him if They could use it.

Q: Who are Edith Head and Helen Gurley Brown, and why don't we know a lot about them?

A: See Edith Head and Helen Gurley Brown

Q: Who are the Dashiki Lovers?

A: List Of Dashiki Lovers

Q: Where can I play some TMBG trivia games?

A: http://www.funtrivia.com/quizlistgold.cfm?cat=1716

Q: Who are the Tuva's?

A: Beats Me.

Q: Have there been any references to the band in general?

A: Yes. Hundreds. One example is in the game Ape Escape 2, an enemy called They Might Be Slime looks like green jello and splits into several pieces when attacked. It also sports the trademark Flansburgh hairdo and glasses.

Originally, R.E.M. and They Might Be Giants were approached to do the theme to Friends, but both turned it down. That may sound like a stupid thing, but noting The Rembrandts haven't been able to live up to the hype caused by the track and disbanded until fairly recently, I feel safer in the knowledge TMBG DIDN'T do it. The Rembrandts are, however, very rich because of it. -MooseBlaster

TMBG's first official release the Wiggle Diskette, was released on Jan. 1, 1985, making the Johns eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

Q: Where did John Linnell go to college? I know Flans went to Antioch, George Washington and Pratt... Linnell was in Rhode Island and mentioned working in a darkroom, which makes me think he went to RISD...

A: John Linnell attended UMass Amherst for a year before making his way to Rhode Island.

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