# 'Gilligan's Island' - This one stretched the limits of credibility **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 22, 2000, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321 "2000-11-22T17:54:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/1 "2000-11-22T17:54:53Z")
OK, the whole program did, but still there are limits to the “suspension of disbelief.” In one episode, the castaways find a map that shows how to get off the island. However, at the very end, the Professor determines that he was wrong–that the map didn’t show how to get _off_ the island, but how to get _to_ the island. Can’t the same map do both??? ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/2 "2000-11-22T18:17:56Z")
If you’re going from a place with lots of supplies and provisions to a place with little available; it could be easy to sail the 2000 miles and get there but not back. Since there are absolutely no other inconsistencies or leaps of faith required in the show, I am sure this is what the Professor meant. Punto final. ---
**Author:** ![nolt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f19dbf/32.png) [@nolt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nolt)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/3 "2000-11-22T18:45:16Z")
omg this episode was just on the other night. the professor laments at the end how he incorrectly read the intructions from left to right. apparently the language in question was meant to be read from right to left. he proclaims that the instructions wouldve been on how to get to the island rather than how to get off. does that mean all of the native writings were written in palindromes? btw: ive been reading here awhile but this is my first post. hello everyone. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/4 "2000-11-22T18:54:51Z")
Oh yeah, I remember that one bugged me. Way less plausible than the one with the radioactive seeds that grew giant vegetables that gave them all super powers. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/5 "2000-11-22T18:56:04Z")
I think that because of currents and prevailing winds it is much easier to travel one way in open ocean, than it is to travel in the opposite way. However, I want to know how Mary Ann made all those pies without an oven. ---
**Author:** ![Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tommy_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/6 "2000-11-22T19:06:34Z")
And the one where the satellite crashes on the island and all the castaways end up covered in feathers and the “NASA” guys think they’re giant alien bird creatures on Mars. WTF? Did they not have ANY tracking capabilities on the (I’m assuming) very expensive satellite? Didn’t they do any preliminary observation and see that Mars (I think that is the planet they assumed it was) shouldn’t look anything like a tropical island? And why wouldn’t they try to find the satellite after (assuming again) they found out it didn’t make it to the planet? ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/7 "2000-11-22T19:12:49Z")
And don’t forget the Professor’s line in Roseanne’s spoof of the show: “Sorry, we don’t have the technology to repair the Minnow. Well, I’m off to build a dentist’s office out of coconut shells.” ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/8 "2000-11-22T19:17:08Z")
Did anyone see the 1986 movie “Back to the Beach”? It was a remake of the Frankie Avalon/ Annette Funachello 60’s movies. John Denver was in it as a bartender, in full Gilligan atire. He was serving drinks in pineapples to a drunk Frankie Avalon. He says " See this(points at pineapple) I lived for a while with a guy who was a real genius. He could take 2 of these and some string and make a nuclear reactor. But he couldn’t fix a 2 foot hole in a boat" My vote for funniest line of 1986. ---
**Author:** ![Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tommy_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/9 "2000-11-22T19:20:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by weirddave \* > \*\*John Denver was in it as a bartender, in full Gilligan atire. \*\* I think you mean Bob Denver. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/10 "2000-11-22T19:23:48Z")
John??? JOHN??? Jesus, I _am_ an idiot. BOB! I swear I said BOB! really! ::weirddave sulks away, really really wishing the edit feature was enabled:: ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/11 "2000-11-22T19:25:21Z")
Thank you Tommy. Was typing previous reply as you posted. Nice to see everyone recognises my idiocy! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/12 "2000-11-22T19:36:06Z")
And is it just me, or is the phrase “Streaching the limits of credibility” mutually exclusive with Gilligan’s Island? ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/13 "2000-11-22T19:46:54Z")
Personally, I’d love to see John Denver in full Gilligan attire. I can just see him climbing to the top of that island’s volcano and singing . . . ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/14 "2000-11-22T22:19:05Z")
> [@](#): > > John Denver was in it as a bartender, in full Gilligan attire. He was serving drinks in pineapples to a drunk Frankie Avalon. > [@](#): > > Personally, I’d love to see John Denver in full Gilligan attire. I can just see him climbing to the top of that island’s volcano and singing . . . HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! 😃 Hey, why not? John Denver might be the _one_ person who visited the island, went home, and didn’t suddenly develop amnesia when he should have told the authorities what happened to the people on the _Minnow!!_ ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/15 "2000-11-22T22:41:46Z")
Watch it **Cervaise** , that radioactive vegetable epsisode was my favorite. Who could forget Gilligan, the wimp, benching Thurston Howell III over his head with one arm? Classic! Personaly, I thought it started losing credibility when Gilligan started driving around the island in that little bamboo car of his. ---
**Author:** ![Rich\_G7subs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85e7bf/32.png) [@Rich\_G7subs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_G7subs)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/16 "2000-11-22T22:44:56Z")
\>\>\>\>\>\>HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Hey, why not? John Denver might be the one person who visited the island, went home, and didn’t suddenly develop amnesia when he should have told the authorities what happened to the people on the Minnow!! \<\<\<\<\<\< I think it is possible that John Denver was returning from Gilligans Island to report the 7 castaways predicament,when his experimental aircraft crashed in the pacific.NTSB officials were stumped as to why repairs to the plane was repaired using palm fronds and cocoanut shells. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2000, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/17 "2000-11-22T22:56:44Z")
> [@](#): > > NTSB officials were stumped as to why repairs to the plane was repaired using palm fronds and cocoanut shells. With fronds like these you don’t need anemones. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/18 "2000-11-23T02:14:50Z")
Nobody from the extended family has welcomed you, their newest member, too busy were they discussing at length the intricacies of this televisual icon of yesteryear. Having nothing of substance to add to the advancement of the present thread, I will simply say: “Welcome aboard, mate!” ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/19 "2000-11-23T02:33:15Z")
The car, yeah. It was so cute though!! Okay but the limits- a lion floats in in a box and out again in a cage? (I did love that episode, though.) Still, it just struck me as odd…🙂 Um, lets see. That’s all for now but i’ll be back. i love gil’s island!! ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2000, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321/20 "2000-11-23T02:46:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dougie\_monty \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > NTSB officials were stumped as to why repairs to the plane was repaired using palm fronds and cocoanut shells. > > With fronds like these you don’t need anemones. 😃 \*\* That could explain why John Denver’s plane crashed. But I digress. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gilligans-island-this-one-stretched-the-limits-of-credibility/42321.md?page=2)