Reality television can be classified into two general categories. The first involves unsuspecting people finding themselves confronted by odd situations. This includes the grand daddy of all reality TV, Candid Camera, as well as shows such as Punk'd and The Jamie Kennedy Experiment. The brand of show we watch to see what will go wrong or what I like to call the will Ashton Kutcher try to punk Bernie Getz factor. The other category involves putting willing people together in closed environments to see what sort of society develops. This includes shows such as Survivor and The Real World. I also lump into this category the dating shows as they also tend to form closed societies (The Bachelor, Average Joe, etc.). These shows lean towards a Lord of the Flies scenario where someone new plays the role of piggy each week.
Of course, what we all secretly crave is a show that would combine the two categories. Unsuspecting and unwilling participants thrown into a closed society; a cross between Survivor and jury duty. The closest we have ever come was in the world of scripted television with Gilligan's Island.
Of course, what we all secretly crave is a show that would combine the two categories. Unsuspecting and unwilling participants thrown into a closed society; a cross between Survivor and jury duty. The closest we have ever come was in the world of scripted television with Gilligan's Island.
Seven people from seemingly different social and economic backgrounds forced to live and work together in order to survive. Unfortunately, each character came across as a one dimensional stereotype (just like on reality TV). Tom Carson's Gilligan's Wake attempts to more fully round the personalities of the seven castaways by allowing them to tell us tales of their lives long before that 3 hour tour.
The novel begins with its best and funniest story about Gilligan himself. Written in Beat style prose, Maynard G. Krebs (Bob Denver's other well known character) finds himself in a mental institution. He struggles to reconcile his perceived reality with that of the doctors and family members who insist he is Gilligan.
"The Skipper's Tale" comes the closest to the goal of adding depth to its TV character. The skipper is portrayed as a brooding yet fearful man. He commands a PT boat along with his friends Captain McHale and JFK while trying to escape his prewar life. Still he realizes he will never achieve the social standing of JFK or the ill-begotten wealth of McHale.
The novel begins with its best and funniest story about Gilligan himself. Written in Beat style prose, Maynard G. Krebs (Bob Denver's other well known character) finds himself in a mental institution. He struggles to reconcile his perceived reality with that of the doctors and family members who insist he is Gilligan.
"The Skipper's Tale" comes the closest to the goal of adding depth to its TV character. The skipper is portrayed as a brooding yet fearful man. He commands a PT boat along with his friends Captain McHale and JFK while trying to escape his prewar life. Still he realizes he will never achieve the social standing of JFK or the ill-begotten wealth of McHale.
The story provides a hint of the bitterness and explosive anger of the future skipper who can't even fulfill a humble dream of operating a successful excursion company.
In Contrast to the skipper, the story of Lovey Howell is a complete contradiction to the character we see in the TV show. Lovey vamps through the 1920's squandering both the fortune and freedom that her suffragette mother sought for her. She eventually finds herself a morphine addicted lover to Daisy Buchanan of Great Gatsby fame. In the end she runs to the security of Thurston and a loveless marriage when her mother dies and her addiction becomes too great. There is a great disconnect between the deep affection displayed by the Howells on the TV show and the implication that it is merely a marriage of convenience.
"Hello Nurse" pokes fun at the sex goddess image of Ginger. She finds herself making low budget porn and providing an evening's entertainment for the rat pack. Throughout the story, Ginger acknowledges that she is not so much a real woman as the sexual fantasy of adolescent boys. Noting the absurdity of the odd situations she finds herself in yet resigned to play her role, explaining,
In Contrast to the skipper, the story of Lovey Howell is a complete contradiction to the character we see in the TV show. Lovey vamps through the 1920's squandering both the fortune and freedom that her suffragette mother sought for her. She eventually finds herself a morphine addicted lover to Daisy Buchanan of Great Gatsby fame. In the end she runs to the security of Thurston and a loveless marriage when her mother dies and her addiction becomes too great. There is a great disconnect between the deep affection displayed by the Howells on the TV show and the implication that it is merely a marriage of convenience.
"Hello Nurse" pokes fun at the sex goddess image of Ginger. She finds herself making low budget porn and providing an evening's entertainment for the rat pack. Throughout the story, Ginger acknowledges that she is not so much a real woman as the sexual fantasy of adolescent boys. Noting the absurdity of the odd situations she finds herself in yet resigned to play her role, explaining,
"I disrobed and ran a bath, idly doing jumping jacks and deep knee bends to pass the time as the tub filled."
The Professor is of course the protagonist of the story "Professor X" which is the most over-the-top tale in the book. The professor's career takes him from the Manhattan project to the head of a secret illuminati organization responsible for everything from Ronald Reagan to the Vietnam War. Along the way he has sex with every man, woman, and child who crosses his path and of course who can't resist his dashing looks and charms. However, his boredom with easily achieving all he could desire in life leaves him only satisfied when he is pleasuring the ugly and deformed.
The weakest stories in the book involve Thurston Howell and Mary Ann. Mr. Howell finds himself in a dead end tale about providing references for Alger Hiss and locked away from reality reading comic books that distort world events. It completely squanders the wealth of material provided by Jim Backus' portrayal of both Mr. Howell and Mr. Magoo. Also, I found myself annoyed at the inclusion of Mr. Howell's son as a hippie radical when we all know from the reunion movies that Thurston Howell the IV is a chip off the block of his old man.
The Professor is of course the protagonist of the story "Professor X" which is the most over-the-top tale in the book. The professor's career takes him from the Manhattan project to the head of a secret illuminati organization responsible for everything from Ronald Reagan to the Vietnam War. Along the way he has sex with every man, woman, and child who crosses his path and of course who can't resist his dashing looks and charms. However, his boredom with easily achieving all he could desire in life leaves him only satisfied when he is pleasuring the ugly and deformed.
The weakest stories in the book involve Thurston Howell and Mary Ann. Mr. Howell finds himself in a dead end tale about providing references for Alger Hiss and locked away from reality reading comic books that distort world events. It completely squanders the wealth of material provided by Jim Backus' portrayal of both Mr. Howell and Mr. Magoo. Also, I found myself annoyed at the inclusion of Mr. Howell's son as a hippie radical when we all know from the reunion movies that Thurston Howell the IV is a chip off the block of his old man.
