# The Flintstones (Betty Rubble) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 3, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073 "2003-07-03T17:20:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/1 "2003-07-03T17:20:55Z")
I just got a new bottle of Flintstone vitamins and there is one of every character BUT Betty Rubble. Do you think that was intentional (if so, why) or do you think the machine stuffing the vitamins in the jar just missed her by accident? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/2 "2003-07-03T17:34:58Z")
I know **Cecil** covered this in one of his books—I tried doing a search on the Home Page, but came up blank. If I remember, various answers included that Betty had to be cut in favor of the car (!), and that her neck was too thin and would break in vita-form. ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/3 "2003-07-03T17:48:00Z")
Thanks for the insight. I will see if I can turn anything else up on it too. SIlly question! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/4 "2003-07-03T18:04:59Z")
Either that or Dino ate her. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/5 "2003-07-03T18:06:51Z")
Mmmmmm… eatin’ Betty Rubble – SCHWING!!! Even though I’m usually a sucker for redheads, I’d take Betty over Wilma any day. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/6 "2003-07-03T18:09:05Z")
Betty was finally included after Rosie O’Donnell portrayed her in the first movie. She’s gone again? ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/7 "2003-07-03T18:51:37Z")
I remember the column **Eve** mentioned. Cecil noted that Betty was a minor character, in that the Flintstones show revolved around Fred and his relationships with his wife and his best friend (Wilma and Barney, respectively). Betty wasn’t considered an important character. Cecil even created a “conversation” between the marketing execs as they were pondering what shapes to use for the vitamins, which went something like: Marketing exec 1: Okay, we’ve got one more shape left to create for the vitamins. We’ve got the hero, his wife, his buddy, his car … what else is important? Marketing exec 2: There’s his best friend’s wife, or his pet. (The two look at each other for a moment.) Marketing exec 1: This is a family-oriented product. Marketing exec 2: Ditch the broad. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/8 "2003-07-03T19:04:23Z")
Didn’t the Flinstones also have a cat? A saber-toothed tiger or some such creature? How sad that the cat is exploited in the final credits for a cheap gag, ignored for nearly the entire series during the actual episodes, and then excluded again in the vitamin process. At least Betty had a decent role in the show. How sad. Right a wrong. Put the cat on a vitamin. ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/9 "2003-07-03T19:07:54Z")
They had an elephant that washed the dishes too! And a bird that cooked the eggs ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/10 "2003-07-03T19:09:22Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by Frankd6_ > Mmmmmm… eatin’ Betty Rubble – SCHWING!!! > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > Betty was finally included after Rosie O’Donnell portrayed her in the first movie._\* Gyeah! Don’t _DO_ that! Now I gotta go find the brain bleach… ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/11 "2003-07-03T19:26:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Isabelle \* > \*\*They had an elephant that washed the dishes too! > And a bird that cooked the eggs \*\* True enough, but only the cat was a part of _every_ episode…and yet not a part. We were promised a cat, and all we got is endless Dino. That’s why the cat belongs on a vitamin, but not the bird or the elephant. Of course, the day they put Gazoo on a vitamin will be yet another major step towards the end of civilization. ---
**Author:** ![NutWrench](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nutwrench/32/20193_2.png) [@NutWrench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutWrench)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/12 "2003-07-03T20:49:40Z")
What I don’t get is why Fred always orders the extra-large brotosaurus ribs at the end of every show when he knows damn well that they will tip over his car. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/13 "2003-07-03T21:07:43Z")
The OP must have a very old bottle of Vitamins, because Betty has been included for several years. They even added the Great Gazoo. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/14 "2003-07-03T23:39:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Isabelle \* > \*\*They had […] a bird that cooked the eggs \*\* It never occurred to me before now just how sick that is. Forcing the bird to cook its own (?) eggs for the human masters to eat. Ick. ---
**Author:** ![SnugTheJoiner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@SnugTheJoiner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnugTheJoiner)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/15 "2003-07-04T01:03:02Z")
Ahem. The cat does appear in the story of several episodes, especially in the first season. Eventually he just vanishes (perhaps to whatever place the Bradys’ dog mysteriously went). In case anyone cares, the cat’s name is Baby Puss. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/16 "2003-07-04T15:11:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astorian \* > \*\*The OP must have a very old bottle of Vitamins, because Betty has been included for several years. > > They even added the Great Gazoo. \*\* That’s right. The whole gang, and Gazoo too, are now vitamins. Betty made her debut in 1995. ---
**Author:** ![Mariemarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@Mariemarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mariemarie)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-flintstones-betty-rubble/186073/17 "2003-07-04T15:27:24Z")
Someday, maybe, Fred will win the fight. Then that cat will stay out for the night!