I would like your opinion on something I have wondered about. What if Maryann were not so obviously sexy and attractive, do you think then that the MAG romantic connection would have more impact?

We all know that Maryann "wins" the polls of the men. Many of them choose her not because of her "personality." Even most of those who would cite Ginger as prettier would acknowledge Maryann's attractiveness or even see her as a close second. But what if she were still pretty underneath it all but more "plain" and toned down in a way to appear like a real Midwestern girl about to tend to the cows and pigs. Maybe clad in regular jeans rather than in they type of things she wears and maybe with a more subdued hair color (a wispy blond or a more medium brown, perhaps). Not a "Wrangler Jane" type, over the top with some kind of blatant accent, but more like the type of girl who is "pretty" but more in a plain way (not librarianesque like Eva Grubb, though), who wouldn't stand out so readily.

When you think about it...what kinds of girls would Gilligan be attracted to back home. He is interested in the obviously sexy and beautiful Maryann, is cognizant of the charms of Ginger and reacts to the attractions of Brigid Bardot, Tuesday Weld (knockouts) and imagined beautiful women in bikinis.
He is repulsed by the native girl, whom he sees as overweight and unnattractive. Now I know that many guys who are romantically immature are sometimes fixated on media types, models, actresses, singers, etc. more than on actual women, even if they are involved or dating. But Gilligan's connection with Maryann undercuts this possibility for me. I can't picture him being fixated on a media knockout over Maryann. In any case, whom would Gilligan notice while hanging out by the dock?

Anyway, I wouldn't change the characters we know and love on GI--this is just a speculation. If Maryann were "plainer," don't you think his interest in her over someone like Ginger would give any romantic MAG connection more meaning, in a way? Tell me your thoughts on these things.

I know what you mean about if she were 'plainer'. Not necessarily looking different, just not so interested in beauty and clothes. Those tiny shorts, ay yi yi. If she wasn't so bothered about her hair, and didn't wear much makeup and wore jeans.
I'll start with Ginger. I think Gilligan is as affected by the ideal media stereotype as any young man would be. He'd probably stare at Brigitte Bardot in a towel. But those media types are for looking at and joking about with the guys. In reality, he doesn't really pay attention to whether Ginger is wearing her hair up or down, her gold dress or her leopard print bathing suit. He barely batted an eyelid when Eva Grubb turned up in her Ginger garb, except to smile in a friendly way and say "boy, you sure do look like Ginger." In Mary Ann's case, I think he likes her anyway, and it wouldn't matter if her hair were untidy or her jeans were ripped or muddy. She's his friend. He doesn't see her as a threat, she's not overtly sexual, even in those tiny shorts. I've never seen him stare at her. He acts like a brother most of the time. In fact, when she banged her head and 'became' Ginger in the Second Ginger Grant, he was quite scared of her, despite the fact that she looked gorgeous.
He didn't like the unattractive native girl, but it's mainly because she wanted to marry him. He wasn't keen on the beautiful native girl he rescued from the lagoon, either. And she was very attractive, and throwing herself at him!
I don't think Mary Ann's looks would make a difference to her relationship with Gilligan. I think Gilligan looks beneath the surface, even if he doesn't realise he's doing it. And he definitely doesn't trust overtly sexy women.