# Do you know who Al Jean is? Do you know who Leonard Stern is? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 12, 2017, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395 "2017-11-12T02:48:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Newtosite](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/newtosite/32/8623_2.png) [@Newtosite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newtosite)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/1 "2017-11-12T02:48:11Z")
These are not trick questions. šŸ™‚ Iā€™m deciding which person to include in a book Iā€™m writing, and I need to gauge how well known each of their names is. Should I post this as a poll? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/2 "2017-11-12T02:55:32Z")
I would say Stern is way more well known, but some people might confuse him with Leonard Cohen if you are just going to mention the name in passing as someone vaguely connected with entertainment. If you are going to be clear that he was a TV innovator, thatā€™s clearer. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/3 "2017-11-12T02:55:52Z")
Poll would probably work better. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/4 "2017-11-12T03:48:32Z")
Al Jean has been producing, ā€œThe Simpsons,ā€ since Hector was a pup. IDK who Leonard Stern is. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/5 "2017-11-12T03:53:40Z")
I do not know who Leonard Stern is. I do know who Al Jean is. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/6 "2017-11-12T04:08:28Z")
Leonard Stern; a much more varied career. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/7 "2017-11-12T04:09:06Z")
I know Al Jean, not the other guy. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/8 "2017-11-12T04:27:30Z")
I couldnā€™t place either of them by name, even though I watch The Simpsons every week and have watched about a dozen seasons with DVD commentary. Never heard of Stern. Iā€™ve watched a lot of those shows but his name doesnā€™t stick out like Jeanā€™s does. I HAVE heard of Leonard Sheldon šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/9 "2017-11-12T04:35:39Z")
Iā€™ve never heard of Leonard Stem. I recognized Al Jeanā€™s name immediately. He also co-created The Critic and was a writer for A.L.F. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/10 "2017-11-12T06:17:51Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Leonard Stern; a much more varied career. He was a writer a producer and a director. He did comedy (Get Smart, The Honeymooners) and drama (McMillan and Wife). Active for decades in the movies and TV. His stories would be fascinating for people who love show biz history. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/11 "2017-11-12T06:21:46Z")
I do not know either of them. Am I to understand they are the type of people whose names only come up in credits? I tend not to remember those. I have a hard enough time remembering names in real life to try and remember people I canā€™t even put any sort of face or voice to. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/12 "2017-11-12T06:23:29Z")
Neither name is familiar to me. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/13 "2017-11-12T06:28:10Z")
nm. I thought you said _Lincoln_ Sternn. šŸ˜› . ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/14 "2017-11-12T08:23:23Z")
Wasnā€™t Leonard Stern one of the team of Price/Stern/Sloan, creators of _Mad Libs_? ---
**Author:** ![Newtosite](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/newtosite/32/8623_2.png) [@Newtosite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newtosite)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/15 "2017-11-12T12:16:04Z")
Thanks everyone for your very helpful responses! Yes, kaylasdad99, he was. Iā€™ll try to convince my publisher to let me include both of them. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/16 "2017-11-12T12:45:08Z")
I remember Sternā€™s name from credits on ā€œGet Smartā€. Donā€™t remember ever reading about him. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/17 "2017-11-12T16:06:01Z")
I knew Al Jeanā€™s name, but not Stern. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/18 "2017-11-12T16:35:58Z")
You seem to have hit your threshold, but I want to participate too. Al Jean yes (Simpsons), no idea who the other guy was. Upon first look I thought you were putting Leonard Cohen. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/19 "2017-11-12T17:11:11Z")
I did not know who either person was. Never heard of them to the best of my knowledge. For what itā€™s worth, Iā€™m late 50s and lived outside the US for most of my adult life. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395/20 "2017-11-12T17:16:45Z")
I vaguely knew Iā€™ve seen the name ā€œAl Jeanā€ somewhere. Ah, yes, _The Simpsons_ makes sense. I feel like I should immediately know that, but I didnā€™t. Itā€™s one of those things when you tell me, Iā€™ll smack my head and say ā€œof course!ā€ The other guy, no clue whatsoever. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-who-al-jean-is-do-you-know-who-leonard-stern-is/801395.md?page=2)