# Why was Davy Jones the most popular Monkee? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 5, 2004, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673 "2004-07-05T18:31:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/21 "2004-07-06T02:37:00Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > I thought Paul was the cute one? That’s why Davy was cast as him. Mike is John, Peter is George, and Mickey is Ringo. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/22 "2004-07-06T02:43:53Z")
> [@The Gaspode](#): > > Trivia time, kiddos: > He was also the reason David Bowie became David Bowie. Having been born Jones, Bowie didn’t want to be mixed up with a Monkee. > Mike Ne´smith was undoubtedly the most talented of the group, pioneering music videos with the show Videoclips, which was bought up and turned into MTV. He won the first grammy video award for Elephant Parts in the early 80’s. And his mom invented Liquid Paper. If I remember correctly, Elephant Parts featured a short video about an exconvict on a bus who is riding home on a bus to possibly see his exwife. He tells a fellow passenger that he told his wife that if she would like to see him, she should tie a yellow ribbon on an old oak tree and he would get off the bus. Of course, she does. This incident became a song afterwards. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/23 "2004-07-06T03:24:23Z")
The tie-a-yellow-ribbon TV minidrama was first broadcast in 1969 on a show called “Perpetual People Puzzle,” IIRC. It was just throwaway summer programming used as filler between the regular broadcast seasons. I happened to see it when I was a kid, and when Tony Orlando and Dawn came out with that hit song a few years later, I recognized it as the TV story set to music. Don’t know what Nesmith had to do with it, though. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/24 "2004-07-06T03:31:16Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > This incident became a song afterwards. 😃 Uh, no. _Elephant Parts_ came out in 1981. The song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon” was released in 1973. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/25 "2004-07-06T03:49:04Z")
Michael Nesmith was/is my favourite; he’s got at least three vids out there that are great silly fun. I also once played the white Gretsch he had on the television show. If I remember correctly, one of the Monkees’ shows had them all in some silly talent competition, and he played a (deliberately amateurish) terrible rendition of ‘Different Drum’, but at one point in the song, he looks up into the camera and tips a saucy wink…crikey… When I was wee, I had a girl friend who was mad for Peter Tork; this was in the mid-70s when one stood open to much ridicule from peers for admitting one liked the Monkees, of all things – I was at her house when her older sister discovered that Jean had cut all the photos of Peter Tork out of her sister’s phonograph albums :eek: ---
**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:** [July 6, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/26 "2004-07-06T03:51:57Z")
Lucy and Ramona, and Sunset Sam. That’s what I remember best from Elephant Parts. Oh, and _I think I will go down to Rio…_ ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/27 "2004-07-06T04:00:27Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Lucy and Ramona, and Sunset Sam. > > That’s what I remember best from Elephant Parts. Oh, and _I think I will go down to Rio…_ Crikey, now that’s stuck in my head! One of the skits parodied adverts, and had a Charlemagnish mediaeval king gloating, ‘I did blah blah blah and plunged Europe into the Dark Ages…[super chirpy advert voice] Just to prove a point!’ I have to admit, I’ve got quite a bit of mileage out of that last bit… ‘Dr Duck’ also featured comedians doing short bits, and there was the Irish Language Lab what always does me in…that and Sorority Girls from Hell…and Pope Brad…now I have to get out my vids! ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/28 "2004-07-06T05:02:52Z")
Mike was always my favorite but then, I became a fan in the early nineties as a (then straight) male teenager so Davy’s packaging didn’t do much for me. Peter was probably my second favorite, followed by Davy and then Mickey. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/29 "2004-07-06T06:25:00Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > Mike was always my favorite but then, I became a fan in the early nineties as a (then straight) male teenager so Davy’s packaging didn’t do much for me. So you’re saying you liked Mike’s package better than Davy’s package? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/30 "2004-07-06T07:00:06Z")
Nope. Mike’s not my type at all. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/31 "2004-07-06T14:41:50Z")
I think Davy Jones’ size, I mean stature, had a great deal to do with that popularity also, especially among teen and pre-teen girls. The olther Monkees were tall, and in the case of Dolenz somewhat hulking, especially to a small teenage girl, Davy on the other hand, was small in comparison to the other three and would almost seem doll-like, a stage the female audience were either still in or had just left. With that size would have come something of an identification factor for the young girls also who might at least on some level equate highth with age. And in turn age with availability to them. On a much lesser level, I will point to Jones’ style of moving on the set. As a former musical/comedy actor his movements were more dancish and fluid which I believe could have appealed, once again, to the female set. Lastly, I think that stage background also allowed him to steal a number of scenes subtly that the others had no experience doing (Yes, I know Mickey had done _Circus Boy_, but he had not had the stage experience of Jones). This is especially true that first year, watch him when he is just in camera, a raised eyebrow here a flicked finger there (very small things that steal eye lines). TV ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/32 "2004-07-06T14:46:22Z")
With regard to the OP: It seems to me that Davy Jones’ popularity is one of simple mathematics… Assume the following: Roughly half of the population in the US is women. All women love Davy Jones. The other half of the population (being men) have their favorite member of the Monkees and it seems to be an even spread of popularity for the 4 of them. Therefore, you have approximately the following: 12.5% like Mikey 12.5% like Peter 12.5% like Mike and a whopping 62.5% adore Davy Of course, the likelihood that these mathematical facts are accurate is probably not very good. 😃 Still, one has to wonder. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/33 "2004-07-06T14:57:08Z")
When I was 16, which was precisely during the Monkees Revival of the 80s, I had a boyfriend who looked like a cross between Peter and Davy. Tall and thin with Peter’s hair and Davy’s face. Not surprisingly, they were _both_ my favourite 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/34 "2004-07-06T15:22:42Z")
I might also point out that when the program came out the “British Invasion” was not that small of a factor either. For anyone not around in the mid 60s, you cannot appreciate just how big anyone with an English accent was. British movie starts like Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Richard Harris and Richard Burton were all the rage. Many major television shows had a British presence, Man and Girl from U.N.C.L.E., The Rogues, Secret Agent, even Maverick brought on Roger Moore as James Garner’s replacement. Most of the rock n roll radio stations in major markets brought in English DJs. Look at the big names in bands at the time. Of course the Beatles, Hermans’ Hermits, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Dave Clark Five, the Rolling Stones, Chad and Jeremy and almost weekly a new British group or individuals like Petula Clark, Lulu, Tom Jones, Engleburt Humperdink would hit the charts. People were in love with the Brits. Some American bands pretended to be English just to get air time. I think this played to Jones’ advantage also. TV ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/35 "2004-07-06T16:05:35Z")
I was going to bring up the British Invasion thing, but TV Time just beat me to it. Btw, Jones made a guest appearance on _The Brady Bunch_ (when the Monkees were on their last legs) that also perpetuated the idea that he was the biggest dreamboat around (Marcia wants him to perform at the school dance or something). No doubt, reruns of this episode only helped to cement this image in people’s minds over time. ---
**Author:** ![monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/36 "2004-07-06T17:07:59Z")
Davy isn’t my favorite. Mickey is. And I’m going to see him July 23 at a festival in lovely downtown Aurora Illinois. Aren’t you all jealous?! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2004, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/37 "2004-07-06T21:08:55Z")
> [@monster](#): > > Davy isn’t my favorite. Mickey is. And I’m going to see him July 23 at a festival in lovely downtown Aurora Illinois. Aren’t you all jealous?! 😛 I rode down in an elevator with Mickey once. But Peter was my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/38 "2004-07-07T01:41:10Z")
Please people, on the Monkees, and throughout most of his professional career, he was MICKY (no e) Dolenz. I never would have thought of him as hulking, although the IMDB says that Dolenz is 6’ tall. Michael Nesmith is listed as being 6’1". You should check out the picture that is featured of Nesmith now on the IMDB. He’s hard to recognize. [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0626452/](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0626452/) ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Bongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a9adbd/32.png) [@Winston\_Bongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Bongo)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/39 "2004-07-07T03:56:44Z")
> [@monster](#): > > Davy isn’t my favorite. Mickey is. And I’m going to see him July 23 at a festival in lovely downtown Aurora Illinois. Aren’t you all jealous?! 😛 Finally another Dolenz fan! He was my favorite when I was a kid, probably because he was the looniest, in a Jerry Lewis sort of way. (Yes, I also liked Jerry Lewis. No, I am not proud of that.) Of course, with age and maturity comes a greater appreciation for the subtle wit of Mike over the outrageous antics of Micky. Either that or complete confusion over why we liked the Monkees at all. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673/40 "2004-07-07T04:08:50Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I liked Peter best. I thought he was with the Beatles? 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-davy-jones-the-most-popular-monkee/253673.md?page=3)