Plot Points In The Flintstones That Make Us Go ‘Yabba Dabba What’?
Set in the stone age, The Flintstones follows a modern prehistoric family that always seems to get into unlikely situations. And while it was a popular animated sitcom when it premiered on ABC in 1960, there are many aspects of the series that don't really make sense, and we're not just talking about a pet dinosaur who's allowed to hang around babies!
Tiny points such as Fred getting gas for his foot-powered car and how time-traveling has no butterfly effect on the Flintstones' actual timeline leave people saying yabba dabba, huh? And those aren't even the most confusing points!
They Have Wood And Fabric, Yet Use Stone For Most Things
In many scenes in The Flintstones, viewers see Wilma, Fred, Barney, and Betty in one of their humble abodes. Their residences are very primitive, with all of the furniture being made mostly of some type of rock or stone. But, if you look closely, some items, such as pillows, are made of fabric, and even the bed frame is made of wood.
So, this begs the question, why on Earth would they subject themselves to hard rock furniture when, obviously, fabric and wood are readily available? Think about it, not only would the furniture be more comfortable, but labor costs would be much lower since there'd be less back-breaking involved.
Getting Gas For A Foot-Powered Car
One of the longest-running gags in The Flintstones is their foot-powered car. It's pretty much a staple of the entire series. But the car also raises a serious question. Why are there gas stations in the Stone Age universe of Bedrock? Obviously, their foot-powered vehicle doesn't have an actual engine.
So, that leaves us to assume the Flintsone family is buying something they really don't need. And considering it is the Stone Age, we can only assume gas is a hot commodity, and therefore really quite expensive. Are the Flintstones just a mega-rich family and didn't tell anyone?
Wilma Flintstone Doesn't Age And Yet Her Daughter Does
One thing that viewers may or may not have noticed while watching The Flintstones is the aging of the characters (or lack thereof). If you recall, Wilma Flintstone gives birth to Pebbles. And while a lot of the series shows Pebbles as a baby, we do actually watch her grow up to become an adult with twins of her own.
So, why does Wilma look exactly the same even though she's technically a grandmother? She must have access to some high-end primitive aging-cream. It's really the only explanation. Well, that or the animators didn't feel like drawing up an "old Wilma."
What Is Wilma's Maiden Name?
When it comes to popular long-running shows, one would hope the screenwriters could keep their characters' names in check. Unfortunately, that didn't happen for one Mrs. Wilma Flintstone. If you recall, the show mentions Wilma's maiden name a few times, but depending on which episode you're watching, it could be one of two names.
Wilma's maiden name flip-flops between Pebble and Slaghoople, in what most likely is nothing more than a continuity error on the writer's part. And, to quote Tony Stark, "[they] didn't think we'd notice; but we did."
Some Fictional Stories Are Real, But Not All Of Them
With a fictional story, writers are bound to take some creative liberties. We just ask that those liberties are all taken equally. In simpler terms, don't make characters like Dracula and Frankenstein real while Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is still considered a work of fiction.
We're talking about staying consistent here, folks! We understand that Dracula and Frankenstein are two of the most popular literary monsters and therefore had to journey to Bedrock. But we'd like it if all fictional characters and stories were created equal, thank you very much!
Christmas Shouldn't Have Existed Just Yet
A very large portion of Flintstones humor is the fact that they're living in the Stone Age, yet have all of the means of modern society, including a "car," electricity, and even a washing machine. Even so, viewers are confused as to how they would know to celebrate something like Christmas.
If they live in the Stone Age, Christ wouldn't have been born yet, and therefore Christmas wouldn't be a thing. This plot hole has led people to consider maybe the series isn't actually set in the Stone Age but rather a post-apocalyptic future!
The Prehistoric Cat Is There One Day And Gone The Next
Aside from the closing credits of The Flintstones having one of the catchiest tunes outside of The Office, it also leaves people scratching their heads. If you're not sure what we're talking about, allow us to enlighten you. We're talking about the prehistoric-looking cat that was there one episode and gone the next.
In one episode, we see the cat locking Fred out of the house, and the next episode, it vanishes without a trace! Personally, we'd like to know where the cat went. Was it having issues with the dino-dog? Could it not be around Pebbles? These are the questions that keep us up at night.
Having A Foot-Powered Car When They Could Walk Or Run
One of the longest-running gags in The Flintstones is the fact that they all hop into their car, pick it up, and start running. We understand that it's funny and makes the Stone Age family seem more modern since, obviously, there were no actual cars during that time.
But it still doesn't make any sense. Why on Earth would you go through the trouble of picking up a rock-solid car when you could technically just run? That car is made out of stone, for crying out loud! It would be so much easier just to walk or run.
Wilma And Barney's Eyes Were Strange When Compared To Everyone Else's
So this might be a stylistic choice on the animators' part, but it makes no sense how Wilma and Barney's eyes are so different from the rest of the main cast. While Fred, Betty, Pebbles, and even the pet dinosaur have "realistic-looking" eyes, Wilma and Barney look like they're from another planet.
Wilma's eyes look like two black holes. And Barney isn't any better; he actually might be worse. Barney doesn't even have the luxury of having two dark holes. Instead, he has two nude-colored circles! So, either he's blind and no one said anything or the animators got tired of drawing eyes.
The Flintstones Went From Two Beds To Sleeping In One
One plot point that fans might have noticed over the years is Wilma and Fred's sleeping arrangements. While earlier seasons show them sleeping in the same room but in two twin beds, later seasons show the couple in the same bed without any explanation.
We're not sure if this was because of the times or what. But if you're going to make a huge change in two characters' lives, such as sharing a bed, you're going to want to give the audience a bit more context so we're not left scratching our heads.
Time Travel Having No Butterfly Effect With The Current Timeline
Over the years, people have realized that the two popular '60s animated series The Flintstones and The Jetsons are oddly similar, both using tropes found in sitcoms. So, when it was announced that the folks at Hanna-Barbera were releasing a cross-over movie with the two cartoons, people were thrilled!
Of course, the movie transported the Stone Age family to the far off future. But something didn't make sense when they returned to Bedrock. Their timeline didn't change at all! Hello, creators of the show, have you ever heard of the Butterfly Effect? Something they did in the Jetson family's universe would have impacted their actual timeline.
The Car Fitting As Many People As Needed In The Back
So, this little plot hole really has us thinking; the concept of space and time doesn't really come into effect in The Flintstones universe. What are we talking about, you ask? We're talking about none other than Fred Flintstone's car that magically has room for any number of people.
Bear with us. In one episode, it'll be a sports car with only two seats in the front. Then, one episode later, the car will have enough room to fit Fred, Wilma, Barney, Betty, Pebbles, and even the dinosaur! Either they have two cars and never said anything, or their car has a magic button that brings forth a backseat.
Wilma Saying She's An Only Child But Also Has A Sister
This is a fleeting remark, but something that doesn't make sense nonetheless. Throughout The Flintstones, viewers follow the storylines of the four main characters, diving into their lives and what have you. But one aspect of Wilma's life doesn't add up. In one episode, she says she's an only child, and then in another, she mentions having a sister.
So, which one is it? Is the Pebble/Slaghoople family embarrassed by this supposed sister? Or is it one of those things where the writers totally spaced on Wilma being an only child and decided to throw a curveball into the plot? Either way, Wilma's immediate family members are up for debate.
Acting Out A Christmas Carol Before It Was Written
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is one of the most popular stories ever written, having been adapted in various on-screen productions, including The Flintstones. But this particular episode raises a few questions, including the timeline in which the Flintstones are living. Because, if you think about it, Charles Dickens' wouldn't have been alive yet, meaning the story wasn't written.
The crew even wears Victoria-era costumes during the Christmas Carol pageant. Because, in this world, the Victorian-age was before the Stone Age, apparently. We're beginning to see why some fans believe this series is set in the post-apocalyptic future and not the Stone Age.
Wilma Marrying Cynical Fred
While Wilma and Fred's marriage is their business, we can't help but think the coupling doesn't make any sense. Think about it. Wilma is intelligent, a good mother, beautiful, and supposedly comes from a good family. On the other side of the coin, we have Fred.
He's not really that great of a father, he has a bit of a temper, and he's not exactly that well off. We're not saying they don't make an interesting couple for the purpose of the show. It's just that it isn't overly realistic. Then again, nothing in the show really is!
Jobs That Are Done In The Dark And Not In A Practical Manner
While a lot of things in Bedrock are considered "modern," such as electricity, cars, and washing machines, there is one thing that doesn't make too much sense: the vending machines. If modern technology such as a washing machine works, why are vending machines so different?
If you recall, these machines have people working inside them! Considering no other form of modern appliances has people literally inside of the machine, we're confused as to why vending machines do. We mean, there's a person literally sitting in the dark all day just waiting for someone to ask for a drink! That's is not humane.
Rock Vs. Paper
In a universe where rocks and stones are used as the primary form of building and written communication, it's interesting to see paper products, and we'll tell you why. One, we'd love to know how they thought of producing paper products. And two, why is it that paper is only used for specific things, such as concert tickets.
In the very first episode, we see the gang go to an opera performance, and their tickets are paper. But there are other times where they write things down in a very "Stone Age fashion," such as the newspaper. The tiny plot point discrepancy makes no sense to us.
The Population Of Bedrock Seems To Be Less Than 2,500
If you can remember, the welcome sign to Bedrock states the population of the town as 2,500. But, while watching the show, it seems like the population is way less than a few thousand. Not to mention, it's the Stone Age and people weren't really congregating in huge groups like that.
Also, while watching the show, it seems like there are more prehistoric animals in the town than actual people. The only way that population number makes sense to us is if they include the animals in the annual Census!
Disposable Bowling Balls Would Put The Alley Out Of Business
One thing that doesn't make sense to us in The Flintstones universe is their use of "disposable" bowling balls. You'd think in a society where rock and stone is the norm they'd find a way to make it, so a bowling alley doesn't have to stock-up on bowling balls because they keep breaking.
Not only is it economically unsound, since they'd have to mass-produce this one item, but a solid stone ball also doesn't break that easily. Sorry, Fred, but your bowling strike after strike doesn't qualify for multiple boulders that seemingly explode into multiple pieces!
Wilma And Fred Have A Christian Wedding
While Bedrock shows that it's a town way ahead of the Stone Age time, with its "modern technology" and exposure to great literary works like Charles Dickens, it would still take a creative theologian to explain this next plot point that makes no sense. How are Wilma and Fred married in a Christian ceremony?
If they live in the Stone Age, then Christ and the modern Christian religion wouldn't have been a concept quite yet. Don't get us wrong; we're all about Wilma and Fred getting married on their own terms. But the timeline doesn't add up!
