I get the PAX or I channel where I live with rabbit ears. I sometimes watch The Beverly Hillbillies when it comes on early in the morning. The question I have about the show pertains to Pearl, Jethro and Jed.
If Pearl was Jed's cousin and Jethro's mom, why would Jethro call Jed "Uncle Jed?" Wouldn't he be cousin Jed? If your cousin has a child, that is also your cousin,your 2nd cousin to be exact or your 1 cousin once removed.
Why does Jethro call Jed uncle? This has always bothered me and I was just wondering if anyone knew the answer to this.
The answer is probably staring me in the face but I just can't seem to figure it out for the life of me. I hope you can help. Thanks!

I always thought that Pearl was Jed's sister. That's a good question.

For that matter, why did everyone (even banker Milburn Drysdale) call Daisy
Moses (Irene Ryan)--who was in fact Jed's mother-in-law--"Granny"? I think,
in both cases, it was a term of respect. Jed was older than Jethro, and that
(I think) is why he called him "Uncle Jed."

For that matter, why did everyone (even banker Milburn Drysdale) call Daisy
Moses (Irene Ryan)--who was in fact Jed's mother-in-law--"Granny"? I think,
in both cases, it was a term of respect. Jed was older than Jethro, and that
(I think) is why he called him "Uncle Jed."

That does explain a little bit but what about when Jed refers to Jethro as his nephew? I am literally confused on this whole issue. :confused:
Everyone calls Granny, Granny, I don't think anyone ever called her by her real name, Daisy May Moses. I think that is where Jed got Elly's middle name May.That part I can understand.

Hmm ... that's a good point. I had forgotten that Jed always introduced Jethro
as his nephew. I don't have an answer for that one.

Pearl has to be Jed's sister. In order for Jethro to be her son, Jed's nephew, & Elly May's cousin. I think Granny & Pearl didn't get along & Granny referred to her as "Cousin Pearl" probably as a sarcastic comment. That's all I can figure. It has to be something along those lines, anyway. They would just about have to be related in that way for the relationships to be as they were.

According to Jerry Fay's 1964 novel, "THE CLAMPETTS OF BEVERLY HILLS,"
Pearl's full name was Mrs. Pearl Clampett Bodine and she was Jed's cousin and
Elly May's aunt.
---

"So then this second city fella, he come to the door," Elly May said, "and, Aunt Pearl, you shoulda seen him ... he was all duded up like a preacher on
Sunday! ... And he was totin' a leather satchel!"

"Oohhh, that's bad!" Pearl cautioned. "You can't never trust a duded-up city
fella totin' a satchel! They'll slicker you ever' time!"

"This fella," said Elly May, "said he was a LAWYER."

"Oh, them's the worst kind! They go to school and STUDY how to slicker you!"

but, still that would make jed & jethro 2nd cousins & why did jed introduce jethro to everybody as his nephew? He did do this several times so it makes no sense on the relationships of the family. and also, jethro called jed "uncle jed". If Pearl was a Clampett before she was a Bodine- & she was Jed's cousin- then she can't be Elly May's Aunt. She & Elly may would be 2nd cousins. The only way for her to be Elly may's Aunt is for her to be Jed's sister!! Your parents brothers & sisters are your aunts & uncles!! Therefore the correct lineage would be:

jed clampett- Elly May's father, granny's son-in-law, & Jethro's uncle

granny- jed's wife's mother (deceased), Jed's mother-in-law, Elly May's grandma

Elly May- Jed's daughter, Granny's grand-daughter, & Jethro's cousin

Jethro- Jed's nephew, Elly May's cousin, Pearl's son, no relation to granny. calls her granny probably out of respect. Being a Bodine & on the other side of the family, there is no relation.

Pearl- Jed's SISTER, (has to be, to be Elly May's Aunt), Jethro's mom, & of course, Elly May's Aunt.

If Jed & Pearl were 1st cousins, then Pearl & Elly May would be 2nd cousins, & Jed & jethro would be 2nd cousins, & Elly May & jethro would be 3rd cousins. As we all know, this is not so in the show. There would be no "uncle jed" or "aunt Pearl" mentioned. You don't want the family to be ALL COUSINS in some format. You want it to be aunt's uncles, & cousins mentioned, & that's exactly what the show did, so the above format HAS to be correct for the relationships of the family. There's just positively no other way. With Clampett being the main family name, think about it- Jed & Pearl have to be brother & sister & have the same parents that would be both Elly May's & jethro's Grand-Parents, & make them 1st cousins with different last names!! This format has to be correct with no other way possible for a logical explanation.

Maybe there were not many branches in the Clampett family tree. If Jed's father married his own sister, that would make Jed & Pearl brother & sister AND first cousins....

In a less sick way of thinking...maybe Jed's grandfather was a widower with at least one son (Jed's father). Then he marries a widow with at least one daughter (Jed's mother). Jed's father marries his "sister" (who is of no blood relation). That would still make Jed & Pearl brother & sister AND first cousins.

Granny explained that in one episode. Jed and Jetrho ARE actually second cousins but Jetro just calls him "uncle".

Granny is actually Jethro's Aunt NOT is Grandmother! But he just calls her Granny.

well, whatever!!

All I know is, Jeds wifes name was Rose Ellen.

Pearl could be Jed's cousin and Elly's aunt at at the same time. If Pearl's late husband and Jeds late wife were brother and sister than cousin Pearl would be Ellys aunt by marriage. And Elly and Jethro would be cousins.:wave:

Jethro's ma, who is Jed's Cousin Pearl, is Elly's great aunt on account Pearl's ma and Jed's pa were brother and sister, thus making Pearl and Jed first cousins. Does that help any? :tiphat:

Jethro's ma, who is Jed's Cousin Pearl, is Elly's great aunt on account Pearl's ma and Jed's pa were brother and sister, thus making Pearl and Jed first cousins. Does that help any? :tiphat:
In that episode where Jed is trying to explain to Jethro that, "strictly speaking", Granny ain't Jethro's granny, she's Elly's granny, and in the course of that explaination states that he(Jed) and Pearl are first cousins, Jed ends his somewhat rather confusing explaination with, "Anyway, I think you(Jethro) are a grand nephew."
Jethro replies,"I think you're a grand uncle,too.":confused:
Anyways, I hope that clears up this little matter for you guys.:lol:

Maybe it's just the way of the hills to call a relative 'cousin'!

Man ya'll sure confused me!

What if Jed's deceased wife was Pearl's Sister that would make Pearl Ellys Aunt and make her and Jethro cousins and make Jeds wife and Jed Jethro's Aunt and uncle.

But that would not work or granny would have to have been pearls mother.

I guess it was something they never thought they would have to explain.



Charles

I think they just called them aunt and uncle out of respect. I live in the south and I call my 40 year old cousin uncle because I'm 15. Maybe that was the case with Jethro and Elly May.

That's what I believe as well. It's a way to address a person who is related and usually significantly older in a respectful manner.

Exactly, I don't think it was anything like incest or anything. Hey Dusty's Fan