I was thinking about the Gilligans Island TV show from the 1970's and it came to me that the cast were not some random pick of characters but that each one represented a component of the American population.
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale
a tale of a fateful trip,
that started from this tropic port,
aboard this tiny ship.
The mate was a mighty sailin' man,
the Skipper brave and sure,
five passengers set sail that day,
for a three hour tour,
a three hour tour.
Gilligan in the show represents the US political caste, bumbling fools that take center stage and pretend to know everything but invariably cock up everything they touch. From the President down to the local school board members, self-seeking, aggrandized idiots
(aggrandized: enhance the reputation of (someone) beyond what is justified by the facts)The Skipper, Here we have the Fat Cat corporate class. These are the true Captains of the USS Experiment. The Gilligan's do their bidding.
The Millionaire and his wife? Speaks for itself doesn't it. The parasite class in America that live off other people's hard work, when did you ever see Thurston or his wife with a shovel in their hands. A movie star! She represents all the Actors and sports heroes, musicians and overpaid "DJs". In these latter years the influencer class too. All of them having one function, to distract the working class from the drudgery of their lives. Each one typically a narcissist obsessed with their image, their looks. These people
are entertainment, they add nothing to society, the money spent on them is wasted.
Then we round out the cast with the professor and Mary Ann, the scientific class, who no one listens to and whose best efforts Gilligan always manages to destroy. And Mary Ann, she represents middle America, the working classes, always obediently running around baking pies.
Why would the producers of the show look any further than the real world examples right in front of them? Give the people something they can identify with, themselves, and the SS Minnow? That's the nation itself, set sail on the 4th July 1776 on a 300 year cruise. Like the TV show it looks set to end in disaster, that much is obvious now. How do you encapsulate the theme of "Gilligans Island" represented in the episodes? One disaster after another after another after another. All portrayed as comedy. Sound familiar?
Of course other people see the show differently.
From 2001
Gilligan's Island
Jan, 8, 2001
The island is a direct representation of HELL. Nobody on the island wants to be there, yet none are able to leave. Each one of the characters represents one of the 7 deadly sins:
Ginger represents LUST - she wears skimpy outfits, is obsessed with her looks, and is a borderline nymphomaniac.
Mary Ann represents ENVY - she is jealous of Ginger's beauty.
The Professor represents PRIDE - he is an annoying know-it-all.
Mr. Howell represents GREED - no explanation needed.
Mrs. Howell represents SLOTH - she has never lifted a finger to help on any of their escape plans.
The Skipper represents two sins: GLUTTONY - no explanation needed; and ANGER - he violently hits Gilligan on each show.
This leaves Gilligan. Gilligan is the person who put them there. He prevents them from leaving by foiling all of their escape plots. Also, it is HIS Island.
Therefore, Gilligan is SATAN.
Crazy? He does wear red in every episode.
Les Rogers
Love it.
The 'peak oil' story is not over by any means. Fracking was a desperate and ruinous sort of pause, which has been used to crank up demand.