For people of my generation, Bob Denver will forever be Gilligan, the Skipper’s “Little Buddy.” But to my parents’ generation, Bob Denver remains Maynard G. Krebs from The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (also known as simply Dobie Gillis ), a sitcom that aired from 1959 to 1963. Maynard was TV’s first beatnik and jive-talking bongo player, and wannabe hepcats thought he was cool. Even Montgomery Ward took notice and offered trim tapered cotton ivy shirts for those in the know.
In case you missed it, here’s a close-up:
So it wasn’t Moon Zappa or Valley Girls who coined “like” after all. Mainstream American catalogs were doing it way back in 1962. They even used Maynard’s bongo-playing likeness to sell their combed cotton eversheen coats.
Facial hair? What the what? And check out these bobble heads. I wonder what they’d be worth today, American Pickers? Antiques Road Show? Pawn Stars? Anyone?
In case you’ve never seen Maynard in action, here’s a clip of him, showing his classmates the first portable music player, so he can listen to smooth jazz.
Ain’t it a gasser?
I Don't Get It 
That is too cool. I used to watch that show as a kid. I never knew Mitchell taught school. I guess that was before Dennis. You never cease to amaze and amuse. Thanks.
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Gee, that’s pretty swell. I wonder if Maynard will get his personal portable back after class?
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If the music is in his soul, does he truly need it?
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He thought it pretty spiffy. He may want it back for moral support.
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Like cool, man! I used to watch Dobie Gillis. His pretty girlfriend was Tuesday Weld. Seems like ages ago.
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It was.
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I suppose I’m as old as your parents because I remember Dobie and Maynard very well. You could tell even as a kid that Denver would be around for a long time and sure enough, out came Gilligan.
Great memories.
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🙂
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I recognize item #6. Its part of the button up all the way green coat that I hate to get beat up in collection. The top his younger brother is wearing (item #7) a brown BOGO that came with bongo’s.
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How can you pass up a coat that comes w/ bongos? Not possible.
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