The beatnik subculture is presented in the 1960 episode “Dobie goes Beatnik” through Dobie’s sidekick, Maynard Kreb. In many ways the representation of Maynard in this episode can be seen as a stereotypical media portrayal of “beatnik’s” as people who are uncivilized, protest-loving pseudointellectuals. The show seems to poke fun at the beatnik culture, as seen through in the episode when Maynard is berated by both Dobie and Dobie’s father, Herbert, for participating in protests, which they claim he himself doesn’t understand the meaning of.
The two boys are differentiated from one another on a basic level through their appearances. Dobie’s appearance defines him as the perfect-All-American boy and the epitome of mainstream culture. He has a crew cut, is clean-shaven, and wears a button-up shirt with nice slacks. In contrast, Maynard’s outfit of a short-sleeve, torn sweatshirt and baggie pants combined with his unruly goatee mark him as belonging to an alternative culture, outside the norm.
At first it seems that the show’s view of the beatnik generation is negative. This is exemplified through a part of the plot in which Herbert tries to impress a visitor by telling him that Dobie’s community service involves “helping Beatnik boys find their proper way in life.” The ironic twist comes after an incident in which Dobie knocks his father’s visitor over and is forced to trade places with Maynard. Dobie’s portrayal of Maynard is over-exaggerated with the intent to be humorous. He acts more like a barbarian eating with his hands and is incapable of holding a conversation with the adults. In contrast, Maynard shows himself to be perfectly capable of assuming the role of the mainstream, “All-American boy” which makes it apparent that his “beatnik” is a maintained appearance and a conscientious choice.
In the end, Maynard proves to be a loveable character despite his oddities, making it apparent that the show does not necessarily condemn this subculture. Instead the show seems fascinated by the nuances beatnik culture presents to everyday life and decides to manifest these peculiarities through Maynard.
The subculture beginning to emerge in 1960s television was made apparent in the episode of "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" that we watched in class. This was achieved primarily through Maynard's character, whose beatnik style and unconventionality served to portray the rapidly growing counterculture. Not only was the character of Maynard a relatively new type of television personality, but he also transcended cultural norms and expectations of the time period. The episode that we watched seemed to support the subculture rather than discriminate against it. The chair of the Bison Lodge is depicted as harsh and stuck in the past, even though he plays the typical American. Maynard, on the other hand, is shown to be helpful and selfless despite the stereotypes of beatnik culture. Dobie is still portrayed as the popular, polite, All-American, and seems to be the role model for young viewers. However, the episode also gives value to Maynard's character and focuses on his personality traits over his exterior ones. We discussed this a little bit in class, but to elaborate, it's interesting to compare the main characters of teen television from the 1960s to today. Maynard would likely be played by a Heath Ledger-esque actor, the "bad boy" rather than the nerdy, awkward beatnik. Dobie wouldn't be as conformist or as family-oriented, although the charm would still be present.
The beatnik subculture is presented in the 1960 episode “Dobie goes Beatnik” through Dobie’s sidekick, Maynard Kreb. In many ways the representation of Maynard in this episode can be seen as a stereotypical media portrayal of “beatnik’s” as people who are uncivilized, protest-loving pseudointellectuals. The show seems to poke fun at the beatnik culture, as seen through in the episode when Maynard is berated by both Dobie and Dobie’s father, Herbert, for participating in protests, which they claim he himself doesn’t understand the meaning of.
ReplyDeleteThe two boys are differentiated from one another on a basic level through their appearances. Dobie’s appearance defines him as the perfect-All-American boy and the epitome of mainstream culture. He has a crew cut, is clean-shaven, and wears a button-up shirt with nice slacks. In contrast, Maynard’s outfit of a short-sleeve, torn sweatshirt and baggie pants combined with his unruly goatee mark him as belonging to an alternative culture, outside the norm.
At first it seems that the show’s view of the beatnik generation is negative. This is exemplified through a part of the plot in which Herbert tries to impress a visitor by telling him that Dobie’s community service involves “helping Beatnik boys find their proper way in life.” The ironic twist comes after an incident in which Dobie knocks his father’s visitor over and is forced to trade places with Maynard. Dobie’s portrayal of Maynard is over-exaggerated with the intent to be humorous. He acts more like a barbarian eating with his hands and is incapable of holding a conversation with the adults. In contrast, Maynard shows himself to be perfectly capable of assuming the role of the mainstream, “All-American boy” which makes it apparent that his “beatnik” is a maintained appearance and a conscientious choice.
In the end, Maynard proves to be a loveable character despite his oddities, making it apparent that the show does not necessarily condemn this subculture. Instead the show seems fascinated by the nuances beatnik culture presents to everyday life and decides to manifest these peculiarities through Maynard.
The subculture beginning to emerge in 1960s television was made apparent in the episode of "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" that we watched in class. This was achieved primarily through Maynard's character, whose beatnik style and unconventionality served to portray the rapidly growing counterculture. Not only was the character of Maynard a relatively new type of television personality, but he also transcended cultural norms and expectations of the time period.
ReplyDeleteThe episode that we watched seemed to support the subculture rather than discriminate against it. The chair of the Bison Lodge is depicted as harsh and stuck in the past, even though he plays the typical American. Maynard, on the other hand, is shown to be helpful and selfless despite the stereotypes of beatnik culture. Dobie is still portrayed as the popular, polite, All-American, and seems to be the role model for young viewers. However, the episode also gives value to Maynard's character and focuses on his personality traits over his exterior ones.
We discussed this a little bit in class, but to elaborate, it's interesting to compare the main characters of teen television from the 1960s to today. Maynard would likely be played by a Heath Ledger-esque actor, the "bad boy" rather than the nerdy, awkward beatnik. Dobie wouldn't be as conformist or as family-oriented, although the charm would still be present.