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September 06, 2005

Just Sit Right Back, And You'll Hear A Tale....

I never fell victim to the inexplicable (to me) spell of Gilligan's Island. Oh sure, Dawn Wells' "Mary Ann" played a very significant role in my puberty, but the less said about that the better. For the most part, I never was captivated by the show; I found it a bit silly and too full of slapstick humor for my taste.

That said, I am enough of a student of popular culture to recognize an icon when I see one... or in this case his passing. Bob Denver, immortalized as that bumbling Little Buddy, Gilligan, has died at the age of 70.

"Gilligan's Island" was one of the leftover shows from the 1960s that raised kids like me, who were in our pre-teen years during the 1970s when the rerun was, if not invented, then certainly perfected. Along with "Batman," "The Brady Bunch," and "The Monkees," the castaways helped my entire generation sit around after school watching television instead of getting up and doing something. And what's even more remarkable is that the show has now done the same thing for two generations that follow mine.

Bob Denver created one of television's most enduring and beloved characters. It's an achievement few in his profession have ever reached: playing a character still as known and loved 40 years after his creation as his first year on the air. Denver's Gilligan was and remains an indeliable icon of Americana, a goofy Everyman whose good heart saw him through countless screw-ups and mistakes... and in fact made him loved even more deeply.

Thank you, Bob Denver. Your three hour tour has now ended. Thank you for traveling with us.

Posted by Christopher on September 6, 2005 10:46 PM

Comments

--a moment of silence for Bob--

Posted by: Cuzin Jose at September 7, 2005 12:32 AM

And who could ever forget him singing with the muppets?

Posted by: Ethan McCarty at September 7, 2005 10:12 AM

No mention of Maynard G. Krebs? You embryo!!

Posted by: SarahsDad at September 8, 2005 01:32 PM

you embryo?
wtf?

your such a zygote

Posted by: Cuzin Jose at September 8, 2005 05:16 PM