# Why did Jethro & EllieMay wear rope belts? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2002, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206 "2002-11-11T00:40:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/1 "2002-11-11T00:40:55Z")
I mean the Clampetts were worth 25 million dollars! They couldn’t have gone to Rodeo Drive and snagged themselves a couple o’ Gucci lizard skin belts on Rodeo Drive?!?!?!?! 😕 ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/2 "2002-11-11T00:44:41Z")
(minus one Rodeo Drive up there) :o ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/3 "2002-11-11T01:13:58Z")
Maybe Ellie May had an aversion to killin’ lizard critters for makin’ duds? What would have been inexplicable was if Jethro walked around in a smoking jacket and spats, sporting a top hat & monocle, _then_ still wearing a rope belt. ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/4 "2002-11-11T01:17:30Z")
Oh yeah, Ellie May loved her critters. Maybe rope belts are just _better_. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/5 "2002-11-11T01:40:50Z")
> [@](#): > > Why did Jethro & EllieMay wear rope belts? To keep their pants up! Sheesh! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/6 "2002-11-11T13:53:16Z")
Well, they’re hillbillies. And…the’re cousins. And, they both wear rope belts. **Therefore** –they have a mutual intrest in bondage, & want the world to know. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/7 "2002-11-11T14:48:47Z")
Yeah, I doubt Ellie would wear any animal byproduct and would probably whip Jethro as well if he tried to do the same. I’ve not watched in years but I doubt if there were too many leather chairs or trophy game mounted on the walls either. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/8 "2002-11-11T18:03:43Z")
OHMIGAWD!!! **Lola’s** right! There was _no_ reason for them to be wearing rope belts!!! Just think of the message that sends to the viewers of the show!! The inaccuracy of it all!!! We gotta call CBS right away (BH was a CBS show, wasn’t it?) and get them to correct this - if Spielberg could CGI guns into phones in ET, they should be able to CGI their belts into Gucci… Where was Television Without [Pity.com](http://Pity.com) back then - we could’ve pointed out the error!!! The horror!!! :smack: 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/9 "2002-11-11T21:09:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WordMan \* > \*\*The inaccuracy of it all!!! \*\* Yeah, I didn’t get that, either. You would think, living for all that time in a big mansion in Beverly Hills, with millions of dollars at their disposal, they would have noticed what the people about them were wearing, doing, and eating, and adapted their own lifestyles to better fit the local norms. Or that that banker guy would have taken them to the haberdasher, at least. It just didn’t make any sense. ---
**Author:** ![DarkWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee59a6/32.png) [@DarkWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkWriter)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/10 "2002-11-11T21:30:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\* > Yeah, I didn’t get that, either. You would think, living for all that time in a big mansion in Beverly Hills, with millions of dollars at their disposal, they would have noticed what the people about them were wearing, doing, and eating, and adapted their own lifestyles to better fit the local norms. > > Or that that banker guy would have taken them to the haberdasher, at least. > > It just didn’t make any sense. \*\* OK, I’m probably being completely whooshed here, but isn’t that the entire premise of the show? They’re _hillbillies_ living in Beverly Hills. It wouldn’t be as “funny” if they completely fit in, right? ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2002, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/11 "2002-11-11T21:34:45Z")
Well, they coulda worn real belts, is all. :rolleyes: ---
**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:** [November 11, 2002, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/12 "2002-11-11T21:36:09Z")
They did spend the entire run of the series calling it the “cement pond” in the back yard, right? How long does it take to learn to call it a “swimming pool?” Answer: They were STUPID. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/13 "2002-11-12T02:16:16Z")
This is explained by one of the oldest axioms on the books. Surely you’ve heard it before: “You can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy.” ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/14 "2002-11-12T03:18:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoClueBoy \* > \*\*To keep their pants up! Sheesh! \*\* Drat. I wanted to say that. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/15 "2002-11-12T05:25:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*Yeah, I doubt Ellie would wear any animal byproduct and would probably whip Jethro as well if he tried to do the same. I’ve not watched in years but I doubt if there were too many leather chairs or trophy game mounted on the walls either. \*\* Slight hijack: Remember the “Beverly Hills Billy-yard” mounted on the wall? 😃 To the point: I think that the idea of the rope belts in contrast to everything else was to show their “slow-wittedness”, as well, as their charming “if it works don’t fix it” attitude. ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/73ab20/32.png) [@Kaitlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlyn)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/16 "2002-11-12T08:11:49Z")
From The Karate Kid: Mr. Miyagi: In Okinawa, belt mean no need rope to hold up pants. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/17 "2002-11-12T14:50:58Z")
I had an old car in which the seat belt was busted and I literally just tied myself in with the belt straps each time. Maybe Ellie just busted her buckle. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/18 "2002-11-12T15:07:10Z")
Here is the real question– If Jed was a multi-millionare-- why did he never have any dates? Jethro did. Ellie Mae did. Jed had the actual money, yet all he seemed to do is sit around a widdle on a stick every night. Where were the hoochies? This is California after all. The producers should have been ashamed of themseleves for such a plot hole. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/19 "2002-11-12T15:40:14Z")
Oh, Jed had some poon tang, but he never brought it to the mansion because Granny would be spying and gossiping about it to cousin Pearl over the telly phone. Just like when Jed found that French lady’s dog and she kissed him…Granny and Pearl were cackling like hens around him. How’s that for killing his _mojo risin’_. ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2002, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206/20 "2002-11-12T16:44:32Z")
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeell Doggie, I ain’t never thought about that before. Seems that Jed got citified after all. As an Aside anyone ever catch the horrible reunion they made where Jed returns to the hills and Mrs Hathaway, working for then president Jimmy Carter (oh the irony) has to find some of Grannies moonshine to solve the energy crisis? What a dud. Granny was dead so they replaced her with Grannies Granny. Gethro and Ellie Mae finally got their belts from the looks of it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jethro-elliemay-wear-rope-belts/136206.md?page=2)