 Gilligan, like Barney Fife, Gomer Pyle, and other comic figures of the era, is considered an unlikely or "backdoor" hero, whose good intentions always win out over sheer stupidity.Today, Gilligan is widely recognized as an American popular culture icon; he ranked at 122nd place in the July 2003 list of 200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons compiled by VH-1 and "People".Gilligan's full name has been a subject of debate among fans of the series for decades.