While several days have gone by since he left the desert isle for good, I feel compelled to comment on the passing of Bob Denver or, as I'll always remember him, Gilligan. Gilligan's Island is one of those shows that people either love or hate. I've never encountered a single person who said, "Eh, it was okay." Let's face it, the show wasn't all that deep. The narrative sequencing is repetitive, the characters one dimensional, and the general content is kind of like cotton candy--it looks and tastes great but there isn't a whole lot of substance.
And I loved every episode. Gilligan provided a nickname for my dog and child (I frequently refer to both as "little buddy"), introduced me to the wonders of banana and coconut cream pie, and never failed to elicit a smile from my face. I really can't put my finger on why I found Gilligan such a likeable fellow or why I still count the television show as one of my all-time favorites (right up there with The Dick Van Dyke Show and Buffy the Vampire Slayer). He was a bumbling fool, and an absolute imbecile, especially when the castaways were about to be rescued. That said, Gilligan was a genuine nice guy. He always helped the others out and rarely, if ever, put his own interests before anyone else.
My old authentic US Navy cap, provided by J (J could do a damned good imitation of Gilligan howling, "Skipper"), is off to the original little buddy. Thanks for everything, Willy.
2 comments:
"eh, it's okay" hehehe
Dobie Gillis was also an interesting show. Maynard was always my favorite.
While I find the fact that you refer to Bishop as 'little buddy' amusing, I hope you don't swat him with your hat when he does something stupid... ;)
Post a Comment