# Mr. Dobalina, Mr. Bob Dobalina **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 11, 2004, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744 "2004-06-11T00:54:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/1 "2004-06-11T00:54:15Z")
I can’t get enough of Del Tha Funkee Homo Sapien these days, and his most infectious song \*has \* to be Mistadobalina. From the lyrics, which seem very specific, it sounds as if Bob Dobalina is a real person. But google after google, all I can find is a bunch of people who’ve used Bob Dobalina as a screen name: I can find no concrete evidence of a real person with that name. Anyone know any different? ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/2 "2004-06-11T02:24:14Z")
While Del is a fun band and all…I think you’re taking this a bit too far. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/3 "2004-06-11T02:34:58Z")
The line was first used by Peter Tork on a Monkees album, although I do not remember the exact details. Moment, bitte… From the song **Zilch** , on the **Headquarters** album, 1967. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/4 "2004-06-11T06:21:37Z")
DrF is correct. I once heard a bystander being interviewed “at the scene” on the news radio identify himself as Bob Dobalina and almost spit my drink onto the windshield. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/5 "2004-06-11T12:49:03Z")
But all the lines in the Monkee’s ZILCH come from somewhere else. I know that “Nevermind the furthermore, the plea is self defense” is from the movie of OKLAHOMA and I’m about 90% certain that “China Clipper calling Alameda” is also from a movie. I seem to recall that Tork said that they were in a hotel room and were flipping stations and heard those lines and just cobbled them into “Zilch”. Fenris ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/6 "2004-06-11T13:16:50Z")
We used to drop acid, go to the airport, have Bob Dobalina paged, and then go out and lay down near the runways to watch the planes take off and land. Talk about your squandered youth! ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/7 "2004-06-11T14:01:34Z")
Hey, _Headquarters_ was the first album I ever owned! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/8 "2004-06-11T16:02:33Z")
Hmm. So Bob Dobalina is a kind of urban legend? Like the Candyman? Does anyone know the first use of the name? ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/9 "2004-06-11T16:22:27Z")
Well, dammitall. I saw the title of this thread and spent about 10 seconds thinking “where have I heard that before…?” and came up with Monkees, Zilch. Clicked on the thread while congratulating myself mightily, and thinking that **no one** will be able to make the connection before me. I will be ultimate trivia all-time champion king of the world; look on my works, ye mighty, and despair. Fooey. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/10 "2004-06-11T19:21:09Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Well, dammitall. I saw the title of this thread and spent about 10 seconds thinking “where have I heard that before…?” and came up with Monkees, Zilch. Clicked on the thread while congratulating myself mightily, and thinking that **no one** will be able to make the connection before me. I will be ultimate trivia all-time champion king of the world; look on my works, ye mighty, and despair. > > Fooey. I feel your pain, brother. Maybe Bob Dobilina is somehow related to Rob Loblaw? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/11 "2004-06-12T02:27:06Z")
He’s Bob Dobb’s second cousin. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/12 "2004-06-12T02:28:49Z")
You know, I mean that as a joke, but now that I think about it, I might be onto something. Any Subgeniuses out there know anything about a Bob "Dob"alina? ---
**Author:** ![ColonelPate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@ColonelPate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelPate)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/13 "2011-04-11T15:17:23Z")
I have run across some geek on Twitter by that name. He seems to be some sort of big shot there for he’s allowed to be something like the Twitter P.C. Police. He keeps “lists” of people that he doesn’t like and makes disparaging remarks about them. He’s clearly in the Progressive/Socialist/Communist camp and he dislked me, a conservative Republican, right off the bat and “listed” me as an undesirable. I presume that if I further enrage him, I’ll be banned from Twitter. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/14 "2011-04-11T16:28:55Z")
Whoa. Braaaaaaains! ---
**Author:** ![LaurenIpsum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@LaurenIpsum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LaurenIpsum)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/15 "2011-04-11T17:01:24Z")
I have no cite for this, because I can’t remember where I heard this, but I heard that the name was actually “Bob Dovalina” and it was someone they heard being paged over an airport PA system. They liked the sound of the name and decided to use it in the song. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/16 "2011-04-11T17:20:19Z")
The name makes me think of \*\*Crazy Joe Davola \*\*from Seinfeld… ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/17 "2011-04-11T17:47:31Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > You know, I mean that as a joke, but now that I think about it, I might be onto something. Any Subgeniuses out there know anything about a Bob "Dob"alina? I can say with some certainty that Bob Dobalina is not part of Subgenius lore. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/18 "2011-04-11T18:00:06Z")
The “China Clipper” line is [apparently](http://home.bendbroadband.com/scottishheritage/townhall.html) from [_China Clipper_ (1936)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027445/), starring Pat O’Brien and Humphrey Bogart. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/19 "2011-04-11T18:48:27Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I can say with some certainty that Bob Dobalina is not part of Subgenius lore. Thank you. You have no idea how much that question has been tormenting me for the last seven years. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mr-dobalina-mr-bob-dobalina/249744/20 "2011-04-11T20:13:12Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > The name makes me think of \*\*Crazy Joe Davola \*\*from Seinfeld… And not Bob Sacamano?