notify the execs–Here we come on the run with a burger on a bun and a dash of coleslaw on the side. oh your taste buds we will tickle with a coled dill p ickle and all of our potatoes are french fried fried fried. oh our burgers cant be beat cuz we grind our own meat. grind grind grind grind grind. fred flintstone and barney rubble are the cause of all our trouble. and if they think we’ll forget–they’re outta their mind mind mind mind minds!
The link to the Mailbag item is: http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mflintst.html – it is helpful to others if you post the link in your first posting on a topic. Thanks. – CKDextHavn, Board Admin
[Note: This message has been edited by CKDextHavn]
Now, i don’t want to be prejudice, or racist, because I’m not. This statement might offend someone, but it is not intended to. And if it does, I am greatly sorry. I heard on a TV show this statement:
"If you look at The Flinstones, you see that there are no Black characters. If you look at the Jetsons, there are no Black characters, either. The creators (Hannah-Barbarra) are saying that there were no Black people in the Stone Age, or the distant future! I find that very disturbing to know! Were Hannah-Barbarra prejudice? On the other hand, they might be saying that there were no Black people in Bedrock, and there are no Black people in the city that the Jetsons live in.
In the Stone Age, there were few black/white mixed communities because airplane travel was generally unavailable. If one member of the tribe was white (or black), usually all were.
In the future, there will be no blacks or whites or slanteyes or roundeyes, there will just be various shades of tan. The Jetsons only LOOK white to us, similarily to how Japanese cartoon characters look white to us: when drawn without consciously exaggerating perceived racial characteristics, individuals of any race draw pretty much alike.
The last two posts lead me to ask: When did Satuday morning cartoons become racially integrated? Was it before “Black” cartoons like “Cosby Kids”, “Globetrotters” and, “The Jackson 5”?
I don’t remember seeing any when I last watched “kidtv” (1970s). I assume the shows are integrated now, however I haven’t checked. Was this ever a issue?
And when we walk away,
A tip upon our tray
We hope to find find find find find
We hope to find find find find find
Also lest we not forget:
Barney as a lyricist
Boy do we know how to bust Monte Carlo
And to never be blue
It’s a lot like praying
Just keep a saying
Yabba dabba dabba dabba do
If you think your sweetie
Left for Tahiti
We can give you a clue
No need for cryin’
Roar like a Lion
Yaba dabba dabba dabba do
Badda means bad
Dabba means good
Oh what magic in word we found
By switching the letters around
So if someday the bases are loaded
And there counting on you
You just can’t strike out
If you’ll up and shout
Yabba dabba dabba dabba do
Well, Daffy Duck is obviously black and Donald Duck is obviously white, going by feather colour; and Mickey Mouse is black (with whiteface). Not sure what to make of Sylvester the Cat.
you are a better man than I am. (Especially since I’m not a man lol) I had all but forgotten that one. Bet I could beat ya on any brady bunch stuff. Thanks!
How about Barney and Fred as singers Backed up by Ann Margrock
I ain’t gonna be your fool no more
Cried & cried until my eyes were sore
Gave you all the love I had
And then you tried to treat me bad
I love you but I ain’t gonna be your fool
I’m sick and tired of all your cheating and lying
Gonna find myself a boy to keep my heart from crying
And then you will be so blue
A weepin’ and a moaning and a cryin’ too
I love you but I ain’t gonna be your fool
Last night I thought about you
'Bout things that we used to do
'Bout things that we used to say
But that was yesterday
I’m a gonna change my way
Now it’s my turn to play
Gonna find me somebody new
Take a place of you now
I ain’t gonna be your fool no more
Cried & cried until my eyes were sore
Each and ev’ry day of the week
I can’t eat my dinner and a I can’t sleep
I love you but I ain’t gonna be your fool.
Or maybe it’s “a fool” I could never decipher it. Also why does Ann sing the word “a” so much
Also did any of you notice how disproportional Fred & Barney are to Ann?
As for the racial mix of cartoon cave dwellers, it appears that the Hannah Barbera folks did create an all black spin-off of The Flintstones called – hold onto your hat – The Blackstones. I’m not sure if this project made it to the pilot stage or not but there are drawings of it in a book about the history of the series that I saw. (Note: It was in the bargain bin and ‘No’ I didn’t buy it.)
In the musical realm, why did they bother to change the lyrics (and tune) to ‘The Twitch’ in the so-called live action movie of the same name? Would there not have been humor in hearing Fred Schneider of the B-52s shouting
“Yellow belly pot of beans
Go put on your old blue jeans
Tell your mama not to wait
We’re not coming home 'til late…
We’re gonna TWITCH!”
[[In the Stone Age, there were few black/white mixed communities because airplane travel was generally unavailable.
If one member of the tribe was white (or black), usually all were.]]
Whew. Glad to hear the Flintstones show was historically accurate, then.
I’m not trying to derail this conversation but I do have a question about Dino. I seem to remember an episode where he (or some kind of proto-dino-dog) spoke. To the best of my recollection the Flintstones found him while camping and he begged to be taken home as their house pet.
Questions: Were dinosaurs really so easy to domesticate and, if so, could that be why they are extinct?
Also, what happened to Dino’s powers of speech? Was it a case of instant evolutionary adaptation or was he just playing “dumb” for the kibble?
In the first or second season, Ricky, Lucy, Ethel and Fred. . . er, sorry, Fred, Wilma, Betty and Barney went camping and met a snorkasaurus, a large dinosaur that spoke. They were initially scared of the critter, but he proved himself to be friendly, and even followed them home. Thus was born Dino. For some reason, his color immediately changed from blue to purple, and he lost the gift of gab. I don’t believe any reason was ever given on the show for these changes; I’m not sure if any staffers have offered opinions in any books.
Any connection between Dino’s vocal transformation and that of Barney Rubble himself? The original Barney sounded more like a doofus than his more affable sounding descendent. Was Mel Blanc responsible for both characterizations?
As well, why is the yipping, slurping, non-talking Dino featured in the title sequence? If he didn’t show up until somewhere in the middle of the first or second season – and he had the power of speech when he did – why does he bark over the credits? Is the this an example of flashback, surrealism, or poor continuity?
I’m not sure Dino was always in the title
sequence.
I know the version in my head has Dino in
the car going to the drive-in movie with
everybody else (and popping his head through
the Flinstone-mobile’s ragtop, but I also
know that the title sequence did change
some, and the crew that went to the movie
(“The Monster”) changed.
The end credits always had that cat that you
never saw in the show, I think because Dino
hadn’t been invented yet.
I remember slight additions that include Pebbles and Bamm Bamm when they became part of the show. I could be wrong but I seem to remember the inclusion of Hoppy the Hopperoo, as well. Still, I can not remember a Dino-less version.
Since you brought up the cat, I think its name was Baby Puss. At least that’s what they called it in a comic book I once owned.
