Ranking Community's Dean Pelton's Best Outfits
Community may have premiered more than a decade ago, but that will not stop me from writing a tribute article for the show’s real star, Dean Pelton.
Briefly, if you haven’t seen Community, it’s a sitcom about the misadventures of a Spanish class study group at a surreally eccentric community college, Greendale. The main character is a lawyer who loses his J.D. because he fabricated his college degree. So there’s even a hook for law students! Go check it out. It may fill a giant hole in your heart that you didn’t even know was missing. Or you might hate it. It’s kind of a tossup.
Anyway, whatever your thoughts on Community, Greendale’s ambiguously queer dean, Craig Pelton, played by the incomparable Jim Rash, is universally acclaimed (in my heart). The Dean delivers some of the show’s funniest moments. But more famously, Dean Pelton’s keen sense for fashion makes for many unforgettable outfits. Unforgettable, and rankable! So without further ado…
#1: The Duali-Dean of Man
My personal favorite. So memorable. The simultaneous display of the Dean’s everyday ideantity and his not-so-secret femme side is a meta statement on the character itself. Sadly, they never made an Abed Batman vs. Dean as Two-Face episode. Missed opportunity.
#2: Uncle Sam
With the ongoing destruction of our constitutional order, I have not exactly been feeling very patriotic lately. But when I look back at the Dean’s Uncle Sam outfit? I am filled with American pride. And oddly lust.
#3: Paintball Cowboy Dean
Specifically paintball cowboy because “cowboy Dean” would really not narrow it down. This is the most iconic one though. The tied-up checkered shirt is classic. And extra points for showing a lot of skin—including cowskin. Though it’s probably faux. Dean would go for the PC option.
#4: “Mainstream Dream”
This one, from season 3’s introductory musical number, always gets me. Having the Dean wear the same outfit as Shirley was a great gag, and Yvette Nicole Brown’s reaction really sells it. Who wore it better?
#5: Judge Pelton
I really admire Dean Pelton’s commitment to the bit. An ordinary dean might have stopped at the judge’s robes, but this Dean goes for the court wig and even the lace cuffs. In retrospect, I wish I had worn a wig for the 1Ls’ oral arguments last year as a judge/writing fellow.
#6: Devil Dean
The Dean waving a chainsaw while yelling “gay marriage” is supposed to be a ridiculous exaggeration of queer culture, but it (unintentionally?) comes close to being a beautiful reflection of reality. One of the show’s most memorable (and GIF’d) moments.
#7: Dean Gaga
Dean Pelton as Lady Gaga (pictured here using his te-telephone) is a tremendous send-up. But it feels wrong that the Dean’s party playlist in this episode doesn’t have a single Lady Gaga song. Lots of ABBA though, which… concededly makes a lot of sense.
#8: “What’s Tron?”
Sometimes, the Dean’s outfits really make you wonder: why the hell does he even have something like that? But this... is not one of those outfits. I get it. 100 percent.
#9: Sexy Construction Worker
This one is very Village People coded. I can only assume Dean is a fan. I also love that he’s wearing a hardhat (safe) and shirtless (unsafe).
#10: “How Do You Like Me Now B*****s?”
The suited, bearded Dean comes in at the end of the list because it’s sad to see the Dean out of his element. But the beauty of this one is that the Dean, in his incredibly brief “serious dean” era, managed to transform a normal professional outfit into a costume of sorts…
