Ok, if Jed and Pearl were cousins, and Jethro was Pearl's son, why did he call Jed uncle? Wouldn't Jed be his cousin too.?

yea; I've always wondered that.

Last night I watched some of the TVLAND marathon shows and Jed specifically tells Dr. Twombley that Pearl is a blood cousin. Then Elly calls Pearl "Aint Pearl".

I'm so confused.

what is a Family Tree

what is a Family Tree

you're kidding, right?

no I am not sure what a Family Tree is

no I am not sure what a Family Tree is

It's an expression to describe how people are related to each other in a family.

The trunk of a tree is the starting point and the branches are the children, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.

thanks for the help my friend

I've never been able to figure out their family tree. Is Granny really Jed's Granny, by marriage, or his wife's mother? Were Pearl and Jed's deceased wife sisters? How much, if any information, are we given about Jed's wife, and Jethro's father?

I've never been able to figure out their family tree. Is Granny really Jed's Granny, by marriage, or his wife's mother? Were Pearl and Jed's deceased wife sisters? How much, if any information, are we given about Jed's wife, and Jethro's father?

Granny is Jed's mother-in-law. One episode they mention Jed's wife's name, and I think it's Rose Ellen (but I could be wrong about that). I don't think I ever remember anything about Jethro's father. But Jed definitely calls Pearl his blood cousin. I don't think the writers ever really sat down and plotted everybody out so it would make sense.

Granny is Jed's mother-in-law. One episode they mention Jed's wife's name, and I think it's Rose Ellen (but I could be wrong about that). I don't think I ever remember anything about Jethro's father. But Jed definitely calls Pearl his blood cousin. I don't think the writers ever really sat down and plotted everybody out so it would make sense.
Thanks. It's sweet that Jed called her Granny. So they had only Elly. Totally off the wall with the Pearl cousin thing. That's a huge oversight, but I don't think the writers ever thought a bunch of sitcom maniacs like us, would be analyzing every detail to death. ;)

Granny is Jed's mother-in-law. One episode they mention Jed's wife's name, and I think it's Rose Ellen (but I could be wrong about that). I don't think I ever remember anything about Jethro's father. But Jed definitely calls Pearl his blood cousin. I don't think the writers ever really sat down and plotted everybody out so it would make sense.
you're right, her name was Rose Ellen. I have that episode on DVD.

And I also don't ever remember them saying anything about Jethros father.

Jethro and Elly May were simply calling Jed and Pearl what they had been taught to as children. No respectful child would ever call an adult (even a cousin) only by their first name, nor would the term "cousin" be appropriate as it implies they are peers. "Uncle" and "Aunt" are what the adults would teach the kids to call them, and they wouldn't change as that is the only thing they know.

They all call Granny "Granny" out of respect for her age and status with the family. My mother never calls her own mother "mom" or anything similar, but always "Oma" (German for "granny") as the rest of us do. Same thing applies here, I think.

And about Jethro's father: I do vaguely recall one episode (later seasons, it seems) where Granny mentions that he drowned when Jethro was newlyborn or almost born. It's very hazy, but a rowboat and a cow pond seem to be involved somehow. *shrugs*

Last night I watched some of the TVLAND marathon shows and Jed specifically tells Dr. Twombley that Pearl is a blood cousin. Then Elly calls Pearl "Aint Pearl".

I'm so confused.

Remember, these are supposed to be backwoods people, from areas where cousins marry cousins. Possibly, that was supposed to be the joke. But since this was 1960s television, I don't think they could have gotten away with elaborating too much on that kind of a joke. So we can assume that Jed and Pearl were cousins AND in-laws. Here's what we can assume from what has been indicated on the show:

First the names:

Granny Moses
Jed Clampett
Ellie Mae Clampett
Jethro Bodine
Pearl Bodine

And the references to their relationships:

Jed and Pearl are first cousins
Granny and Pearl are cousins
Granny is Jed's mother-in-law
Ellie is Jed's daughter
Jethro is Pearl's son
Jethro is Jed's nephew

Here's one possible scenario:

If Granny Moses was Jed's mother-in-law, we could assume Jed's late wife (Ellie Mae's mother) was a Moses. On the other hand, perhaps Jed's late wife's father (i.e., Granny's husband) had died and Granny was remarried to someone named Moses. If the latter is the case, perhaps Jed's late wife (Ellie Mae's mother) was a Bodine, and Granny had previously been a Bodine (by marriage) before becoming a Moses. If this is true, then Jed's late wife and Pearl's late husband (also a Bodine) could have been brother and sister. That would clearly make Jethro and Ellie Mae first cousins to one another. And it would also mean that Granny had been Pearl's mother-in-law, in addition to also being her cousin. And it would also mean that Jed had married his cousin! In fact, everyone might be cousins in addition to being related to one another some other way!

The whole thing is complicated by one scene where Granny tells Pearl she "paddled her beehind as a youngin, and the target's a mite heap bigger now" or something like that.

The whole thing is complicated by one scene where Granny tells Pearl she "paddled her beehind as a youngin, and the target's a mite heap bigger now" or something like that.

How does that complicate anything?

Well, Granny obviously wouldn't have been around when Pearl was that young unless Pearl was a lot younger than Jed, and Granny lived with Jed and Rose Ellen for most of their marriage, thus coming into contact with young Cousin Pearl.

That makes sense to me.

Well, Granny obviously wouldn't have been around when Pearl was that young unless Pearl was a lot younger than Jed, and Granny lived with Jed and Rose Ellen for most of their marriage, thus coming into contact with young Cousin Pearl.

If Granny was already directly related to Pearl, in addition to being related to her through Jed, then Granny surely could have been around when Pearl was a child and long before she lived with Jed. Besides, in those parts where the Clampetts come from, there are no strangers. Everybody knows everybody. And everybody is related to everybody else. :lol: And . . . to be continued in my next message . . .

. . . as I said before . . .

Remember, these are supposed to be backwoods people, from areas where cousins marry cousins. Possibly, that was supposed to be the joke. But since this was 1960s television, I don't think they could have gotten away with elaborating too much on that kind of a joke. So we can assume that Jed and Pearl were cousins AND in-laws. Here's what we can assume from what has been indicated on the show:

First the names:

Granny Moses
Jed Clampett
Ellie Mae Clampett
Jethro Bodine
Pearl Bodine

And the references to their relationships:

Jed and Pearl are first cousins
Granny and Pearl are cousins
Granny is Jed's mother-in-law
Ellie is Jed's daughter
Jethro is Pearl's son
Jethro is Jed's nephew

Here's one possible scenario:

If Granny Moses was Jed's mother-in-law, we could assume Jed's late wife (Ellie Mae's mother) was a Moses. On the other hand, perhaps Jed's late wife's father (i.e., Granny's husband) had died and Granny was remarried to someone named Moses. If the latter is the case, perhaps Jed's late wife (Ellie Mae's mother) was a Bodine, and Granny had previously been a Bodine (by marriage) before becoming a Moses. If this is true, then Jed's late wife and Pearl's late husband (also a Bodine) could have been brother and sister. That would clearly make Jethro and Ellie Mae first cousins to one another. And it would also mean that Granny had been Pearl's mother-in-law, in addition to also being her cousin. And it would also mean that Jed had married his cousin! In fact, everyone might be cousins in addition to being related to one another some other way!

I seem to recall an exchange when Granny and Pearl were fighting over the kitchen, and Jed says "But Granny, she's kin" and Granny says "She ain't MY kin!"

But I could have just imagined it. I've done it before.

I don't think the writers ever gave it as much thought as any of us have given the posts in this thread.

I think that Pearl and Jed just grew up like brother and sister. They were obviously close so they thought of each other as brother and sister. That's why they did that, out of respect.