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Maynard G. Krebs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maynard G. Krebs (the G. stood for Walter) was the "beatnik" sidekick of the title character in the early 1960s U.S. television sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.
The Krebs character, portrayed by actor Bob Denver, began as a stereotypical beatnik, with a goatee, "hip" slang usage, and a generally unkempt, bohemian appearance, studiously avoiding anything resembling work, which he seemed to regard as the ultimate four-letter word. Whenever the word was mentioned, even in a line like "That would work," he would jump with fear, exclaiming, "Work!" He was a stark contrast to the well-groomed, well-dressed, straight-laced Dobie, and the contrast between the two friends provided much of the series' humor. The character became a well known figure in American popular culture, especially among members of the mainstream culture who had never had any contact with actual "beats". Gradually, he became less of a stereotyped beatnik and more a free soul who did his own thing-including collect tinfoil or petrified frogs, see the old Endicott Building get torn down and see the movie The Monster Who Devoured Cleveland. (In fact, Maynard might be described as the prototype of the late-60s hippie.) The popularity of the series extended into the 1980s as stations like Nick at Nite reran it for new generations
In a Simpsons episode, Homer Simpson yelled, "Take that, Maynard G. Krebs!" as he imagined himself riding a hydrogen bomb after it was dropped from a plane to blow up beatniks in a scene that parodied Dr. Strangelove.