I was wondering about something. Do you think Maryann would still win in the GN or M polls if she did not wear the kinds of outfits she does? If you still think she would win (please be honest, even if you love Maryann and hate Ginger), do you think the margin would be less?

The polls wouldnt change, cause, its her personality that makes Maryann so much more attractive

^^

I agree.Mary Ann is the girl next door.She's a natural beauty and she has a good personality.Men love her and women can relate to her.Guys would date Ginger but,they would marry Mary Ann.

I agree with those who commented already. I think Mary Ann's appeal has less to do with her outfits and more to do with her personality. She's approachable and nice and a little vulnerable.

If you think about it, from a male perspective, Ginger can be kind of intimidating. One would think that in a relationship, Ginger would call most of the shots. There's a lot of guys who couldn't handle a girl like Ginger, but I think Mary Ann is appealing to everyone.

(Keep in mind I'm a steadfast Ginger-fan!) ;)

Just look how many times Ginger intimidated Gilligan....sometimes Gilligan ended up passed out ! For that matter, she also intimidated the Skipper and the professor (the time they made the movie).

But the Skipper turned the tables on her, when he lost his memory. Then he intimidated her !

Thanks for all your thoughts on the matter. Hmmm. At this point, without thinking about it too much, I think both points (the outfits and not the outfits) might have some merit.

But on the point about Ginger being so intimidating. Wouldn't an in-person star be much more intimidating than merely the fantasy, on tv character that Ginger is? Men have had no trouble desiring glamour girls through the ages (Marilyn Monroe, etc.) Even Gilligan reacts to Bridget Bardot, Tuesday Weld and Elizabeth Taylor.

Cool question Im, sorry it has taken me so long to respond.

It is my belief that MaryAnn would still win but with a lesser margin of victory.
As far as the intimidation idea goes, I agree with Im. It never made much sense to me. Maybe we come back to the old adage that a way to a man's heart is through his stomach. ;)

However... back to the poll. Let's say we turn the table and ask if the polls would be altered if Ginger didn't wear evening gowns but rather the type of outfits MaryAnn wore.

Nope, cause its still personality that wins the day! For instance, unlike Brad Pitt, I'll take Jennifer Anniston over that b**** Angelina Jolie ANYDAY!

Just as an aside to this conversation - Mary Ann/Dawn Wells got most of the fan mail during the run of the show. And a favorite conversation starter among men who are of the age to remember GI in its prime was "Ginger? Or Mary Ann?"

Well, not to stir the pot or start a nasty debate, a thought popped into my head. If polls hold such a margin of victory favoring MaryAnn, why is this still a popular topic? Wouldn't it get tiring, but no it always seems to carry on. I was on vacation and it came up, and this was not the first time! Anybody have an explanation for the longevity of this debate?