Two Questions

[ladybug_archive]

1. What are the ages of the Monkees' characters on the show? Are they meant to be the same ages as the actors or something a bit different? I think Mike's age is the only one we actually know; in episode #12 he says he's 21. But in The Success Story Davy is called a minor. Is it just because he's short and maybe looks younger, or is he really supposed to be a teenager? Peter identifies himself as a "kid" in The Devil and Peter Tork, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's a teen. They're also collectively called "boys" by most all adults on the show. Although guys in their early twenties often, or at least sometimes, are called as such.

2. What is Tony's accent? I have always thought Brooklyn, but recently I started wondering if it could be the Bronx, because there was a character on a show and I think he said he was from the Bronx, but later on Mom called him a Brooklyn guy. Are the accents of those boroughs similar?

Thoughts?

Comments

[rose-of-pollux.livejournal.com]

Hmm, interesting. Mike came across to me as the oldest (I guess because he seems to be the "wise one" of the quartet), so if he's 21, then I think it could mean that the others are 19/20-ish. 17 for Davy does seem to be a bit of a stretch, though... I don't think I buy that, unless "minor" was meant to refer to under-21 in this case?

And Tony's accent... huh. I didn't think he sounded like a Brooklyn accent--he actually reminded me of Sharona's accent a little bit. XD; But, on the other hand, maybe it's because all the Brooklyn accents I've heard are highly exaggerated--like Bugs Bunny and Meowth. XD

And then there's Sean, who *is* from the Bronx and doesn't seem to have an accent at all... XD;

You know, I'd just classify it as a "New York" accent in general.

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Mike definitely comes off as the oldest. In real life I think Peter is the oldest. I don't think any of them are younger than 18. I wonder if minor ever has been used to mean under 21....

I'm mostly familiar with genuine Brooklyn accents, Scott Baio for one. I didn't think Tony sounded like he's from New Jersey, but I actually have considered that too. If Tony is from Jersey, then saying New York accent in general is incorrect too. Now I shall pull on my hair.

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

After rereading the bit of information I have on Tony's actor, apparently he hails from Detroit, but attended schools in Chicago and New York. Unless he's got a Detroit accent (and after watching a news video with several Detroit people, I didn't pick up on any accents from them), it probably is a New York accent of some description. I can surely set aside the New Jersey idea. But I still don't know what part of New York. After listening to some Brooklyn accents, however, I'm still thinking that's it.

[ladyamberjo.livejournal.com]

I always assumed they were all supposed to be in their 20s, 19 at the youngest, but that was before I knew their real ages. I know that canonically, we're supposed to believe Mike is the oldest of the group (they actually tooled around with their birthdates on released material back in the '60s to make Mike look older than Peter), and I remember the band being referred to as "teenagers" as a whole in the Captain Crocodile episode, so I think Crystal guess of 19/20-ish would be a pretty safe bet. I don't know that "boys" is a very reliable indicator of age...any male 18 or over is legally "adult"...and Charles routinely refers to the members of Dethklok as "the boys," and it's generally accepted that everyone save Toki is in their 30s or very early 40s...but then it's generally accepted that Charles is in his mid-40s, so maybe "boys" is a term relative to whoever's speaking?

...I wonder if it's possible that Tony's from Ohio or someplace mundane, and was faking an accent to come across as more authentically "gangster."

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I wasn't really using "boys" as a legitimate argument, but just idly including it. 19/20ish is a pretty good guess. I think that's around what I was thinking. And I'm pretty sure they were called teenagers more than once on the show....

LOL. **snickers.** Considering it's really the accent Jimmy Murphy has, I'm going to say Tony really has the accent too. It's just a matter of Where the **blip** is he from?!

[ladyamberjo.livejournal.com]

I think, during that brief period I was toying with the idea of Monkeefic (before I even knew actual Monkeefic existed) I put Mike at 21, Micky and Peter a 20, and Davy at 19...or Mike at 22, Peter and Micky at 21, and Davy at 20. One of those, I think. I really need a refresher-watching, methinks...the last episode I remember watching semi-recently was "Monkees a'la Carte." And that was ages ago. I should see if the DVDs play on the laptop...it's so much more convenient to watch things like that nowadays.

Well, knowing that would certainly make things easier, then. XD Did any of your trivia-foraging back in the day turn up anything? I tried a quick Googling just now and all I could find was that he used to box professionally.

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Those sound like logical ages!

Monkees a la Carte is awesome. Yes, try watching them on the laptop! I've been having trouble with my DVD player lately. Half the time I'm watching things on the laptop.

Yes, and I'm the one who put up that bit of information. LOL.

Apparently he really is from Detroit, but he went to schools in Chicago and New York. So he could have picked up the accent in New York. I wish the article had mentioned what school he went to in New York. Although maybe it did; all I got was a summary of the article's contents from someone who found it.

[ladyamberjo.livejournal.com]

...they also sound weirdly young, now that I'm past that age. I remember when 22 sounded ancient.

Oh, that reminds me, I have a DVD I need to check on...apparently it's not laptop-compatible for Celinra, and I was hoping to take screencaps to use as desktops...I should do that now, before I forget again.

Ahah! Really? XD ...I suppose you could always just call it a "murky Detroit accent," or suchlike...

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

LOL. They do sound pretty young, especially Micky.

Ahh. Yeah, it's a good thing to take care of stuff like that while you remember.

Yep, that was another tidbit from the article. And he was once the road manager for Sammy Davis, Jr. I've meant to try getting a biography of Mr. Davis to see if there's any mention of Jimmy in there.

LOL. I guess. But I couldn't hear any accent when I played a Detroit news clip interviewing several people there. And I've called Tony's accent Brooklyn/New York within the stories all this time, so I'd hate to change it unless I know I have to.

[ladyamberjo.livejournal.com]

I wonder what age specifically left me feeling "SO TINY!" after years and years of "that's so old D:" It seems like it crept up on me when I wasn't looking.

...so of course as soon as I typed that, I wandered off to poke things on Tumblr and forgot about it again. MY BOOKSHELF IS RIGHT THERE WHY DOES THAT SEEM FAR IT'S JUST A COUPLE OF FEET.

Hm, interesting. o.o Are you looking for books specifically, or biography-type-stuff online?

Well, unless somebody specifically complains about the accent, it's probably not too big a deal...I can understand it being a detail you want to get right, but unless somebody specifically screams "NO!" it's probably not something you need to stress too much over. I don't think I ever put a name on his accent watching that episode, meself...I think it just filed itself away under "generic gangster accent."

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Yeah, same here. Suddenly realizing it isn't old at all is such a strange feeling.

LOL. I've been there too.

Books, I think. I think I tried online searches.

I think I automatically thought "Brooklyn!" I still thought it tonight after listening to some definite Brooklyn accents.