Breaking "The Gilligan Code"
Published October 30, 2005
Jesus and Mary Magdalene?
Now that Bob Denver has made it off the island, as we say in spiritland — where no man is an island, indeed, no island is an island — we can now begin to unravel the many mysteries presented by the television classic.
For example:
Consider this list...
- Gilligan
- the skipper
- the millionaire
- his wife
- the movie star
- the professor
- Mary Ann
Only the Alpha and Omega have actual names attached to them. Gilligan and Mary Ann.
Is this because they are in fact the Alpha and the Omega?
We know that Alpha is a hurricane, and Omega is a vitamin suppliment made of fish oil.
Hurricanes travel OVER water, and fish swim IN the water. But is this important?
Is the Pope important? We like to think so.
They all have names. Thurston Howell, of course. But Lovey Wentworth, Jonas Grumby (skipper), and Roy Hinkley (professor)? Sound familiar? Granted, Ginger Grant sounds a little familiar, but that might be because we had a president and a Lou named Grant.
But what else is it about Gilligan and Mary Ann? Is it that they were meant to be together from the very start, and that they are the only characters worth their salt? Salt too, remember, is IN the ocean, like fish, but that Salt II is something else entirely.
Or is it???
Were Gilligan and Mary Ann, in fact, desposyni? Did they have olive eyes? Are they the true vitalismen?
Now some will argue that the professor and Mary Ann are the only important characters...since they were first distinguished as being the original "and the rest". Clearly an important title.
But remember, Mary was the name of Jesus' wife and mother, and Ann was the name of Mary's mother, although she spelled it with an "e" although placing in the creative spot in the second space, producing "Aenn"...although she preferred the more friendly "Annie", at least according to dental records.
- Breaking "The Gilligan Code"
- Published: October 30, 2005
- Type: Satire
- Section: Culture
- Writer: anonyMoses
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Comments on this articleComments
Actually Ginger sounds familiar because I used to confuse her with Ginger Rogers.
I was hoping you'd go deeper into the Alpha and Omega, but nice piece!
Jude. Leave it to you to find these oblique references so necessary for breaking the code.
Great work! We should have our team of researchers look into it.
-Nonny
Uao...I had not considered the Ginger Rogers angle, but see the value in its pursuit. The similarity of Gilligan and Fred Astaire's bodies is also something to consider, if serious science is to be sought.
I'll try to get back to the Alpha and Omega.
Thanks for the comments!
Dave
Great post! I don't get this many laughs from sitcoms (well, come to think of it, I don't get any laughs from them at all).
Just wondering about surviving cast members.
Mary Ann = M
Professor = P
Ginger = G
MPG ??? Hmmm.
Wow. I had not even seen the obvious MPG connection. Miles, as in Standish, and the professor was nothing if not standoffish, and moreover (to be biconjuntionistical), nothingness is next to godliness. Hmm. Maybe the professor is god, or even God??? Ya think?
If there is a there there, I want a percentage!
Time to call out the phrenologists!
I cannot thank you enough for this new piss, I mean piece, to the pizzle, I mean puzzle.
Piss to the pizzle! Hmm. New political slogan?
Do wonders never cease?
Hey man...I cannot wait to read Move or A Death in Prague. Have you a favorite?
Thanks again for your help.
All the best,
Dave
Dave,
Yes, the professor is godly in his wisdom. Hmmm. This gets better and better.
Thanks for mentioning my books. Both are semi-autobiographical, so it's hard to choose. I think reading "Move" over makes me feel so solemn, so I guess I like that one a bit more.
Regards,
Vic
moses,
This post was chosen by the section editor as a BC pick of the week. Go HERE (link) to find out why. Put a graphic button on your page.
And thank you
- Temple
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What about Harold Hecuba, who appeared in a Season Three episode - in which "heck" could mean "hell"...and "cuba" - the largest island in the West Indies, since 1959 a Communist country under the control of Fidel Castro could mean "evil"!? ;)