Now that the sister of somebody who used to work in the Tufts Office of Publications has won the Boston Pops’ American Idol–style POPSearch competition, the Tufts takeover of popular culture is virtually complete. It seems there isn’t a movie or TV show that doesn’t feature a Jumbo among its characters (or at least its viewers). And the best-seller list? Sheer Tuftemonium. Here are a few reasons media execs are diving under their sustainably harvested bamboo desks and yelling, “It’s a Jumbo stampeeeeeeede!”
| Where |
What |
Tufts
Connection |
| Body
of Evidence novels |
Young-adult
mystery series by Christopher Golden |
Heroine Jenna
Blake attends Tufts-inspired “Somerset University” |
| Cheats |
Mary Tyler
Moore movie about high school life (2002) |
Character
Julie Merkel is desperate
to get into Tufts |
| Crossing
Jordan |
NBC crime
drama about a medical examiner (2001–present) |
Heroine Jordan
Cavanaugh is a Tufts medical school grad |
| Ed |
NBC series
about a lawyer who runs a bowling alley (2000–04) |
Bowling alley
employee Kenny went to Tufts |
| Everwood |
WB network
drama about a small town in Colorado (2002–06) |
Character
Amy Abbott was rejected
by Tufts |
| Jack
Ryan novels |
Tom Clancy
spy series including The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games |
Recurring
character Scott Adler, who becomes Secretary of State, graduated from
the Fletcher School (natch) |
| The Man of
My Dreams |
Coming-of-age
novel by Curtis Sittenfeld (2006) |
Heroine Hannah
Gavener goes to Tufts |
| More Than
It Hurts You |
Forthcoming
novel by bestselling author Darin Strauss, A92 (Chang and Eng) |
Rumored to
be set largely at Tufts |
| Prep |
Coming-of-age
novel by Curtis Sittenfeld (2005) |
Heroine Lee
Fiora is rejected by Tufts |
| Sabrina the
Teenage Witch |
Sitcom first
on ABC, then WB (1996–2003) |
Opening credits
feature the President’s Lawn |
| Seinfeld |
NBC sitcom
about neurotic Manhattanites (1990–98) |
Character
Elaine Benes went to Tufts (her “safety school”) |
| The Sopranos |
HBO drama
about a mob boss in therapy (1999–2007) |
Psychiatrist
Jennifer Melfi is a Tufts medical school grad |
| Spenser:
For Hire |
ABC mystery
series about a private investigator in Boston (1985–88) |
“Taft
University,” a frequent setting, is a thinly disguised Tufts |
