Monday, Lafayette, Indiana

Although the show has been gone more than 40 years, most people recognize the name Flipper. The show only lasted three years (1964-67) but made an indelible impression on popular culture. The star was a Dolphin living in a bay near a Marine Preserve. Flipper befriends the Warden, Porter, and his two sons Sandy and Bud.

The show bore a strong resemblance to Lassie, where the humans found themselves in serious predicaments and relied on their animal friend to save them. Another similarity is the physical appeal of the animals. Lassie was a beautiful collie dog with a luscious coat of hair. And Flipper, although a fish, always seemed to be actually smiling and even laughing whenever he came up for air.

Why We Watch

There are many layers of psychological meaning to Flipper. This remarkable creature is in fact a powerful symbol for idealized self esteem. The key to a strong sense of self is that you can face life’s challenges without succumbing to the anxiety rooted in self doubt. Flipper can overturn a boat and its dangerous criminal without hesitation or emotional over-reaction. He sees the task ahead, instinctively assesses his capacity for accomplishing the task, and proceeds without fanfare to tackle the problem.

In addition, Flipper communicates a hopeful message about nature. While we all live with some anxiety about the danger of our world, Flipper tells us that we can make peace with the natural order. Despite what is seen on shows depicting predators, it is not a foregone conclusion that all of nature is a heartless killer. Flipper says we can become allies, even companions. As such, this show is a powerful teaching model for our own lives.

And as for the meaning of his species, remember, sometimes a bottlenose is just a bottlenose!

The Flipper Song

They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning,
No-one you see, is smarter than he,
And we know Flipper lives in a world full of wonder,
Lying there under, under the sea!
Everyone loves the king of the sea,
Ever so kind and gentle is he,
Tricks he will do when children appear,
And how they laugh when he’s near!
They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning,
No-one you see, is smarter than he,
And we know Flipper lives in a world full of wonder,
Lying there under, under the sea!