# Today show chimps **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 29, 2004, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-show-chimps/242669 "2004-04-29T13:59:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-show-chimps/242669/1 "2004-04-29T13:59:37Z")
[In this article,](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_360b.html) We are given the names of the Today Show chimps. But what do those initials stand for. **J.** Fred Muggs Phoebe **B.** Bee Does anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-show-chimps/242669/2 "2004-04-29T19:51:22Z")
The J stands for “Jay” and the B stands for “Bea.” 😃 (I don’t know this for a fact, I just made it up. I never met a chimp with a birth certificate.) ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-show-chimps/242669/3 "2004-04-29T21:25:22Z")
Interesting how times change, eh? Back in those balmy days before the internet, Cecil often tackled “trivia” type questions, because they weren’t so easy to look up. Nowadays, of course, such info is readily found on the internet, and Cecil doesn’t bother with 'em. He still gets asked a lot of such, of course; he just doesn’t bother to answer 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-show-chimps/242669/4 "2004-05-06T10:53:43Z")
The J never stood for anything - it was [invented](http://www.tvacres.com/adanimals_jfredmuggs.htm) by the Today Show > [@](#): > > The chimp got his name when the pet shop had a “Name The Chimp” contest. A young boy won with the entry “Mr. Muggs.” The name “J. Fred” was later added by THE TODAY SHOW to add a bit of uniqueness to his name. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-show-chimps/242669/5 "2004-05-06T10:58:14Z")
Just as a follow-up, apparently [Mr. Muggs is still alive](http://www.sptimes.com/2002/03/14/TampaBay/Trainer_of_famed_chim.shtml) (at 50 :eek: ), but his trainer recently died ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-show-chimps/242669/6 "2004-05-06T19:39:09Z")
Wow. Thanks for the update. I wonder how the monkey is taking it? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2004, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-show-chimps/242669/7 "2004-05-06T20:40:43Z")
> [@Tapioca Dextrin](#): > > Just as a follow-up, apparently [Mr. Muggs is still alive](http://www.sptimes.com/2002/03/14/TampaBay/Trainer_of_famed_chim.shtml) (at 50 :eek: ), but his trainer recently died ☹ Since that article was written in 2002, Muggs is presumably now 52. The oldest chimp on record, however, is Tarzan’s friend [Cheeta](http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/912885/posts), who is now 72.