Q: Why did Constantinople get the works?

A: That's nobody's business but the Turks.



The above first aired (holy crap -- 16 years ago!) February 1st, 1991, as part of the "Music Television" episode of Tiny Toon Adventures -- one of two They Might Be Giants songs chosen for the episode, along with "Particle Man."

I don't know how TMBG came to get involved with Tiny Toons. Presumably, the show's writers were fans. Keep in mind, though, synergy between alt-rockers and cartoon characters was unheard of back in those days (unlike now, where it's standard operating procedure). And it predated by more than a decade the Brooklyn duo's first official foray into kids music.

Regardless, the musical cameo had to have been a fantastic long-term marketing maneuver. At the very least, it's produced a steady revenue stream from my brother and I, and in fact prompted us to buy our first rock cassette: the 1990 classic Flood, from which both "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" and "Particle Man" were culled. If you're looking to get a geeky 11-year-old into modern music, it's a good place to start.

POST-SCRIPT: Here's the video for "Particle Man."