We can see subculture beginning to be featured in Dobie Gillis. How was this evidenced in the episode we viewed?How might either Dobie's or Maynard's masculinities be considered non-normative? Feel free to compare the two characters.
The show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, focuses on the new teenage generation of the late 50s and the “hip outsider” in youth culture. Popular media was not hesitant to look into the role of younger generation in a post war family. The series revolved around Dobie Gillis, who wanted popularity, money, and the attention of beautiful girls, which seemed to reflect the goals of teenage boys of that era. The show leaned towards youth appeal through Dobie, who would open the show by engage the audience about the philosophical problems of his life and the life of an American teenager. Dobie Gillis was a guy’s guy since he fit all of the criteria for a normal American kid. He went after girls constantly, led the life of a teenager in high school trying to get by, and dealt with situations that guys had to face back then, such as getting drafted for the Vietnam War. However, Dobie’s masculinity was often in question, since he could never get the pretty girls or have an abundance of successful traits. Furthermore, Dobie tended to struggle against the forces in his own life, such as high school and the military, which was not seen as normal for teenage boy in that era. They were supposed to be good kids who did what their parents told them to and strived to be the best they possibly could.
Dobie Gillis can be considered a “guy’s guy” in The Many Lives of Dobie Gillis; however, because the show takes place in the early 1960s, the portrayal of teenagers was very different than that of teenagers today. One example of the changes in masculinity of teenagers can be seen in the scene that takes place in the ice cream parlor. In this scene, Dobie and his friends are gathered around a piano, singing along to the song being played. The song was very much an old timey hymn and many teenagers today would consider a group of boys to be weird or unnatural if they were singing while gathered around a piano in a public place.
Another instance where Dobie could be considered a little different in today’s teen culture is when he goes off by himself to reflect on life by the statue The Thinker. One might see adults do this from time to time, but it is rare for a teenager to sit by himself in a public park and reflect upon his daily thoughts. However, this does not seem to bother anyone in the show and Dobie still seems to relate to the individuals in his class. Although, Dobie may have qualities that seem unusual for a teenager in the present day, he was very much depicted as a normal teenager for the time and certainly not someone that other teenagers felt was out of the ordinary.
During the 1960’s subculture era, “Dobie” was the first aspect of teen culture and it became a hit in American audiences. Dobie demonstrated good looks, popularity, and masculinity and proposed the idea that young men should be shaped in this aspect. He was the prime character in the show and was given close-ups and testimonials during the show. Dobie Gillis masculinity shaped the bridge of teenage behavior, he was “star quality” and he created this notion of what it meant to be an American teenager at the time. The media focus was on the post war economy and at the time, teenagers weren’t the society’s concern. However the producers and creators of the show saw productive methods to enhance the quality and worth of the 2nd generation. Yes parents were the prime focus on television, but teens would be the next icons of the new revolution of television. The way Dobie was described is nothing like the teenagers and shows in today’s society. Much has changed since the 60’s and now the expectations are way different and more complex than before. I can tell that after watching “Dobie” I can see a lot of “spin-offs” to the show. I believe that Dobie relates to Saved By The Bell a lot and that the main character “Zack” shares many of the masculinity and popularity features.
The television show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, featured the stereotypical lifestyle of teenagers of the 1950s. Almost every teenage stereotype of the 1950s can be summed up from this one television show (for example, all of the teenagers would hang out at ice cream parlors.) Dobie Gillis portrays a typical American teenager who deals with many trivial matters, which includes love, school, etc. For instance, in the beginning of the episode, Dobie gets irritated at his friend Maynard, who forgot to deliver his love letter to a girl. One thing that the writers added that made the episode intriguing was the between trivial and heavy topics. Particularly in this episode, the issue of being drafted poses as the heavy topic. Dobie, unknown of what happens when being drafted is confused and struggles by Maynard’s drafting. This episode depicts the draft of being a very unknown and perhaps scary thing to happen to teenagers at the time. The portrayal of Dobie struggling over the issue relates to how American teenagers across the nation feel about the issue. While he would joke amongst his friends of trivial matters such as girls and school, he and the others would be confused at the idea of being drafted. This television show in fact does correlate to how teenagers during the 1950s and 60s really felt through Dobie’s portrayal.
The Many Loves of Dobie Gills portrays stereotypical 1950’s American teenage boy behavior. He is dressed in classic, preppy clothing and engages in appropriate, respectful behavior. Despite his difficult on the romance front, at the time, he would be seen as the ultimate, All-American boy, but in modern times, these ideas seem ridiculous. Any group of men that hangs out in an ice cream parlor in cable knit sweaters would absolutely not be considered normal. They would most likely be mocked, or viewed as abnormal outcasts. In the episode we screened in class, the draft was the main topic. One of his friends gets drafted. While this is a particularly deep topic, it is dealt with using an heir of humor. Teenagers in the 1950’s were very nervous about potentially being drafted into the military. That would be considered a very masculine topic to be dealing with, however, the humor and send off dinner scene would be considered abnormal by today’s standards. The kids were the focus, which was less sitcom like than other shows of the time. His behavior was shown to enforce masculine stereotypes, but by today’s standards, fell short. The show reminded me of Happy Days, with its preaching of All-American values and classic boyish behavior.
Through the establishment of humor, various character representations, and subtle illusions to culture and daily life during the 60’s, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis appealed to a broad audience across all ages and backgrounds. Dobie Gillis draw was simple... Teenagers dealing with the struggles of high school, girls, parental demands and the changing political climate in America in the 1960’s. Dobie Gillis and his sidekick Maynard Krebs are best friends but do not have exactly the same personalities, thus offering a diverse portrayal of boys at this time.
Dobie Gillis aspires to be Mr. Popular, have all the money in the world and get all the beautiful girls but these efforts seem to fall short. The show becomes extremely humorous as Dobie tries to obtain these goals and take on a serious role in the show. For example, when he sits on the bench in the garden; he tries to be pensive, but one cannot help but laugh at his nerdy voice, outfit and smile. Maynard is also extremely humorous, but in a different way than Dobie. His “hippie” almost dirty clothing and scruffy beard, paired with his goofy way of speaking is very comical. For example, Maynard’s overuse of the word “like” makes viewers laugh at the incorrect and stupid placement of the word. This particular moment in the show is actually very relevant to our culture in 2013 as the word “like” is still extremely overused and engrained in typical conversation between teenagers and young adults today. Overall, The Many Loves of Dobie Gilis is a show reflective of the 1960’s as well as entertaining for an audience in 2013.
This show showcased a very unique subculture of "like" saying casual and sometimes feminine men. Dobie himself is seen as very small and dainty, as he narrates the show. There masculinity is not necessarily built around the idea of being macho and manly, and instead he is seen as a small school boy who is polite and speaks professionally. Another really interesting thing that I noticed was how Maynard was seen as a mess up but he was also seen as a really nice guy, that everyone knew was good at heart, but couldn't stand to be around. This is a much more complex character than I had seen in the era of television. He didn't fit a specific stereotype and he had more qualities that made him interesting and intricate. This made the show much more intriguing and led me to believe that TV was progressing. Characters are an important part of shows today, and it seems like this was a stepping stone. Also seen was the record store owner, who said like in every sentence and wore sunglasses. This was a different type of person than what had been shown in previous recent TV. I also found it interesting that Dobie’s parents didn’t even want him around, which contrasted with the family and togetherness view of the 1950s.
Since I missed the in-class screening due to a physics exam and since the class didn’t watch the intended “Flying Millicans” episode, I watched an episode of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis that had been posted on YouTube entitled “Here Comes the Groom.” In this episode, Dobie is depressed over the number of girls who keep turning him down so he decides the best way to get over his insecurities is none other than to get married! He decides his best bet is Zelda, a girl he knows who is in love with him, and the antics begin from here. This show gives us a very interesting look into the beginnings of a well-defined teen culture in America, which was the result of similarly aged baby boomers growing up to be the most powerful teenage demographic up to that time. One thing that stuck out to me in particular during the show was the way Maynard talks. He often uses slang words and has a strong preference for using the word “like” before every other word in a sentence. These are characteristics clearly used to associate the characters with the teen audience. Another teen cultural moment the show features is the classic parenting trope of using reverse psychology on teens. In the episode, Dobie’s and Zelda’s parents both tell the two to get married thinking that this will cause them to not want to get married. This plan eventually backfires, but it’s a tactic we see played out in sitcoms today as well as real life households. Teenage rebellion has been exaggerated to almost mythic proportions in which teens will do anything, as long as it is the opposite of what an authority figure has told them to do. From the its portrayal of teenage rebellion to the characters’ use of “hip” language, we can see how The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis attempts to depict teen culture of the 1960s.
The show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, focuses on the new teenage generation of the late 50s and the “hip outsider” in youth culture. Popular media was not hesitant to look into the role of younger generation in a post war family. The series revolved around Dobie Gillis, who wanted popularity, money, and the attention of beautiful girls, which seemed to reflect the goals of teenage boys of that era. The show leaned towards youth appeal through Dobie, who would open the show by engage the audience about the philosophical problems of his life and the life of an American teenager. Dobie Gillis was a guy’s guy since he fit all of the criteria for a normal American kid. He went after girls constantly, led the life of a teenager in high school trying to get by, and dealt with situations that guys had to face back then, such as getting drafted for the Vietnam War. However, Dobie’s masculinity was often in question, since he could never get the pretty girls or have an abundance of successful traits. Furthermore, Dobie tended to struggle against the forces in his own life, such as high school and the military, which was not seen as normal for teenage boy in that era. They were supposed to be good kids who did what their parents told them to and strived to be the best they possibly could.
ReplyDeleteDobie Gillis can be considered a “guy’s guy” in The Many Lives of Dobie Gillis; however, because the show takes place in the early 1960s, the portrayal of teenagers was very different than that of teenagers today. One example of the changes in masculinity of teenagers can be seen in the scene that takes place in the ice cream parlor. In this scene, Dobie and his friends are gathered around a piano, singing along to the song being played. The song was very much an old timey hymn and many teenagers today would consider a group of boys to be weird or unnatural if they were singing while gathered around a piano in a public place.
ReplyDeleteAnother instance where Dobie could be considered a little different in today’s teen culture is when he goes off by himself to reflect on life by the statue The Thinker. One might see adults do this from time to time, but it is rare for a teenager to sit by himself in a public park and reflect upon his daily thoughts. However, this does not seem to bother anyone in the show and Dobie still seems to relate to the individuals in his class. Although, Dobie may have qualities that seem unusual for a teenager in the present day, he was very much depicted as a normal teenager for the time and certainly not someone that other teenagers felt was out of the ordinary.
During the 1960’s subculture era, “Dobie” was the first aspect of teen culture and it became a hit in American audiences. Dobie demonstrated good looks, popularity, and masculinity and proposed the idea that young men should be shaped in this aspect. He was the prime character in the show and was given close-ups and testimonials during the show. Dobie Gillis masculinity shaped the bridge of teenage behavior, he was “star quality” and he created this notion of what it meant to be an American teenager at the time. The media focus was on the post war economy and at the time, teenagers weren’t the society’s concern. However the producers and creators of the show saw productive methods to enhance the quality and worth of the 2nd generation. Yes parents were the prime focus on television, but teens would be the next icons of the new revolution of television. The way Dobie was described is nothing like the teenagers and shows in today’s society. Much has changed since the 60’s and now the expectations are way different and more complex than before. I can tell that after watching “Dobie” I can see a lot of “spin-offs” to the show. I believe that Dobie relates to Saved By The Bell a lot and that the main character “Zack” shares many of the masculinity and popularity features.
ReplyDeleteThe television show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, featured the stereotypical lifestyle of teenagers of the 1950s. Almost every teenage stereotype of the 1950s can be summed up from this one television show (for example, all of the teenagers would hang out at ice cream parlors.) Dobie Gillis portrays a typical American teenager who deals with many trivial matters, which includes love, school, etc. For instance, in the beginning of the episode, Dobie gets irritated at his friend Maynard, who forgot to deliver his love letter to a girl.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that the writers added that made the episode intriguing was the between trivial and heavy topics. Particularly in this episode, the issue of being drafted poses as the heavy topic. Dobie, unknown of what happens when being drafted is confused and struggles by Maynard’s drafting.
This episode depicts the draft of being a very unknown and perhaps scary thing to happen to teenagers at the time. The portrayal of Dobie struggling over the issue relates to how American teenagers across the nation feel about the issue. While he would joke amongst his friends of trivial matters such as girls and school, he and the others would be confused at the idea of being drafted. This television show in fact does correlate to how teenagers during the 1950s and 60s really felt through Dobie’s portrayal.
The Many Loves of Dobie Gills portrays stereotypical 1950’s American teenage boy behavior. He is dressed in classic, preppy clothing and engages in appropriate, respectful behavior. Despite his difficult on the romance front, at the time, he would be seen as the ultimate, All-American boy, but in modern times, these ideas seem ridiculous. Any group of men that hangs out in an ice cream parlor in cable knit sweaters would absolutely not be considered normal. They would most likely be mocked, or viewed as abnormal outcasts.
ReplyDeleteIn the episode we screened in class, the draft was the main topic. One of his friends gets drafted. While this is a particularly deep topic, it is dealt with using an heir of humor. Teenagers in the 1950’s were very nervous about potentially being drafted into the military. That would be considered a very masculine topic to be dealing with, however, the humor and send off dinner scene would be considered abnormal by today’s standards. The kids were the focus, which was less sitcom like than other shows of the time. His behavior was shown to enforce masculine stereotypes, but by today’s standards, fell short. The show reminded me of Happy Days, with its preaching of All-American values and classic boyish behavior.
Through the establishment of humor, various character representations, and subtle illusions to culture and daily life during the 60’s, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis appealed to a broad audience across all ages and backgrounds. Dobie Gillis draw was simple... Teenagers dealing with the struggles of high school, girls, parental demands and the changing political climate in America in the 1960’s. Dobie Gillis and his sidekick Maynard Krebs are best friends but do not have exactly the same personalities, thus offering a diverse portrayal of boys at this time.
ReplyDeleteDobie Gillis aspires to be Mr. Popular, have all the money in the world and get all the beautiful girls but these efforts seem to fall short. The show becomes extremely humorous as Dobie tries to obtain these goals and take on a serious role in the show. For example, when he sits on the bench in the garden; he tries to be pensive, but one cannot help but laugh at his nerdy voice, outfit and smile. Maynard is also extremely humorous, but in a different way than Dobie. His “hippie” almost dirty clothing and scruffy beard, paired with his goofy way of speaking is very comical. For example, Maynard’s overuse of the word “like” makes viewers laugh at the incorrect and stupid placement of the word. This particular moment in the show is actually very relevant to our culture in 2013 as the word “like” is still extremely overused and engrained in typical conversation between teenagers and young adults today. Overall, The Many Loves of Dobie Gilis is a show reflective of the 1960’s as well as entertaining for an audience in 2013.
This show showcased a very unique subculture of "like" saying casual and sometimes feminine men. Dobie himself is seen as very small and dainty, as he narrates the show. There masculinity is not necessarily built around the idea of being macho and manly, and instead he is seen as a small school boy who is polite and speaks professionally. Another really interesting thing that I noticed was how Maynard was seen as a mess up but he was also seen as a really nice guy, that everyone knew was good at heart, but couldn't stand to be around. This is a much more complex character than I had seen in the era of television. He didn't fit a specific stereotype and he had more qualities that made him interesting and intricate. This made the show much more intriguing and led me to believe that TV was progressing. Characters are an important part of shows today, and it seems like this was a stepping stone. Also seen was the record store owner, who said like in every sentence and wore sunglasses. This was a different type of person than what had been shown in previous recent TV. I also found it interesting that Dobie’s parents didn’t even want him around, which contrasted with the family and togetherness view of the 1950s.
ReplyDeleteSince I missed the in-class screening due to a physics exam and since the class didn’t watch the intended “Flying Millicans” episode, I watched an episode of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis that had been posted on YouTube entitled “Here Comes the Groom.” In this episode, Dobie is depressed over the number of girls who keep turning him down so he decides the best way to get over his insecurities is none other than to get married! He decides his best bet is Zelda, a girl he knows who is in love with him, and the antics begin from here. This show gives us a very interesting look into the beginnings of a well-defined teen culture in America, which was the result of similarly aged baby boomers growing up to be the most powerful teenage demographic up to that time. One thing that stuck out to me in particular during the show was the way Maynard talks. He often uses slang words and has a strong preference for using the word “like” before every other word in a sentence. These are characteristics clearly used to associate the characters with the teen audience. Another teen cultural moment the show features is the classic parenting trope of using reverse psychology on teens. In the episode, Dobie’s and Zelda’s parents both tell the two to get married thinking that this will cause them to not want to get married. This plan eventually backfires, but it’s a tactic we see played out in sitcoms today as well as real life households. Teenage rebellion has been exaggerated to almost mythic proportions in which teens will do anything, as long as it is the opposite of what an authority figure has told them to do. From the its portrayal of teenage rebellion to the characters’ use of “hip” language, we can see how The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis attempts to depict teen culture of the 1960s.
ReplyDelete