The most bizarre thing about the Flintstones... - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

sitcomblog · 08-31-2006, 11:39 PM

I was always thrown off guard when they had the scenes with the animals that they used as home appliances and they would always talk to the audience.

I think an example was when Wilma used the wooley mammoth as the iron. Don't forget about the outro in every episode when Mr. Slate pulled the parrot's tail and it screamed liked an alarm clock.

Does anybody remember examples like this?

PrettyinPink55 · 09-01-2006, 01:19 AM

Or like the elephant that acted as a dishwasher/shower!

I actually thought those were pretty funny, because they always made sarcastic remarks!

tv star collector · 09-01-2006, 07:38 PM

The Stone-Age versions of modern-day appliances (esp. those involving animals)
were among the highlights of every episode of THE FLINTSTONES. Let's not
forget the pelicans who served as trash cans and clothes washers; a mastodon
vacuum cleaner; a turtle and a needle-beaked bird who worked in tandem as a
record player; the saw-toothed dinosaur who mowed the lawn; the garbage
disposal consisting of a little pig below the sink; an "automatic" shaver that was
a bumble bee inside a clamshell; a lobster lawn mower; a squeaky bird for a
car horn; a porcupine dish dryer; birds for knitting needles (and also as
clothespins); a can opener consisting of a lizard with a buck tooth; ad infinitum.

TV Knowledge Fan · 09-16-2006, 04:25 PM

...those "appliances" ALWAYS had their own opinions about being used, in more than one aside to the "audience" {i.e. the bird/can opener Fred borrowed from Barney in "The Golf Champion", who comments, after Fred opens a can with his beak, "I like the food over at the Rubbles better!"}. Usually they complained about how much they were being taken for granted, or their lot in life...and it was a perfect touch!

EmpressDR · 01-01-2007, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tv star collector

The Stone-Age versions of modern-day appliances (esp. those involving animals)
were among the highlights of every episode of THE FLINTSTONES. Let's not
forget the pelicans who served as trash cans and clothes washers; a mastodon
vacuum cleaner; a turtle and a needle-beaked bird who worked in tandem as a
record player; the saw-toothed dinosaur who mowed the lawn; the garbage
disposal consisting of a little pig below the sink; an "automatic" shaver that was
a bumble bee inside a clamshell; a lobster lawn mower; a squeaky bird for a
car horn; a porcupine dish dryer; birds for knitting needles (and also as
clothespins); a can opener consisting of a lizard with a buck tooth; ad infinitum.

My dad got upset at that bee-in-a-clamshell-for-a-shaver. He said how did it clip Fred's whisker's? Maybe they ought to have made it a mini-pirahna! OUCH!

The special where the Jetsons traded places with the Flintstones had the animals leaving, because George wasn't making a living. Wasn't there also a bit where the animals went on strike, picketing? On a special movie, not during the series. The series went with a surreal attitude, not realistic concerns of the animals. Barbera had an interesting comment on this on some interview, but I don't recall it exactly.

Mrdata · 01-25-2009, 03:07 PM

The one that cracked me up the most was the tv remote!
Press the button a door flips down a bird flys over to the tv and changes the channel or turns it on or off then returns to the remote.

Priceless

Charles

MickeyMac · 01-31-2009, 01:12 PM

Yall mentioned the ones I would have picked. When the animals would turn around and make sarcastic comments that was always funny.

There was one episode where Fred and Wilma borrowed a can opener from Barney and Betty. It was a bird and after it was used it replied "I like the food over at the Rubbles better"

The beak of a bird being used for a record needle was my fave.

Tweety · 10-28-2009, 11:05 PM

Some other examples that I liked:

1) The "insta-rock" camera, which produces instant pictures... inside the camera was a bird, and it would carve the picture into a slab of rock with its beak ("oh boy, my aching beak!"). Sometimes the camera would shake in Fred's hands as the bird was carving the picture.

2) The traffic light signal, which consisted of a monkey who would move a lit candle from the "red" compartment of the traffic light to a "green" compartment at regular intervals... creating the red and green lights.

3) A passenger "airplane" would consist of a giant Pterodactyl with a passenger cabin on its back.

4) A "ferry" boat consisting of a large Brontosaurus. The cars would all park on the back of the beast.

5) Dinosaurs (Brontos) would also form draw bridges by lowering their neck and raising their tail to connect the two cliffs to each other, and you'd just drive on top of the monster's tail, back and long neck to reach the other side.

I always thought that the writers were very clever in their use of animals to simulate modern technology and conveniences.

MickeyMac · 10-29-2009, 06:51 PM

Another good one is the rabbit ears. They used a rabbit for an antenna. Awesome.

treky · 11-15-2009, 06:02 AM

and don't forget that "Dino-crane" that Fred would be seen using in the "MEET THE FLINTSTONES" opening (and sometimes on the show too)

Schmoopie · 11-15-2009, 06:59 AM

I had forgotten about the animals as appliances. Those were hilarious!!

Madame X · 12-08-2009, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mrdata

The one that cracked me up the most was the tv remote!
Press the button a door flips down a bird flys over to the tv and changes the channel or turns it on or off then returns to the remote.

Priceless

Charles

I recall that an intercom worked the same way. One person spoke into the intercom on the desk, pressed a button to flip open a door, then a talking bird flew from that box to a box on a desk in another room and then repeated the message.

Steve M. · 08-12-2011, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickeyMac

The beak of a bird being used for a record needle was my fave.

"I just play 'em, I don't pick 'em!"

Or the bird in the make-a-record booth who admonishes Fred and Barney for not knowing what to say: "Come on, fellas, I was taking a bath when you came in!"

comedyfreak · 08-15-2011, 11:53 PM

or....The Cookoo clock with a real bird, lol. The birds used to hang clothes on the lines.

Tweety · 08-16-2011, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comedyfreak

or....The Cookoo clock with a real bird, lol. The birds used to hang clothes on the lines.

Yup! Either end of the bird could be used as a clothespin. You could have the beak act as a clip, or you could use the bird's feet to grab whatever it was you were hanging.

Birds also used to hop across the top of pies that were about to be baked (I'm not sure what action they were simulating).

And bird beaks would be used to trim the crust of a pie that was about to be baked.

Birds also created the sound for a loud police siren (usually by having the cop yank on it's tail feathers)

08-31-2006, 11:39 PM	#1
sitcomblog Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 30, 2006 Location: New York City Posts: 139	The most bizarre thing about the Flintstones... I was always thrown off guard when they had the scenes with the animals that they used as home appliances and they would always talk to the audience. I think an example was when Wilma used the wooley mammoth as the iron. Don't forget about the outro in every episode when Mr. Slate pulled the parrot's tail and it screamed liked an alarm clock. Does anybody remember examples like this?

09-01-2006, 01:19 AM	#2
PrettyinPink55 Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 11, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 24,601	Or like the elephant that acted as a dishwasher/shower! I actually thought those were pretty funny, because they always made sarcastic remarks!
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09-16-2006, 04:25 PM	#4
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	And let's not forget.. ...those "appliances" ALWAYS had their own opinions about being used, in more than one aside to the "audience" {i.e. the bird/can opener Fred borrowed from Barney in "The Golf Champion", who comments, after Fred opens a can with his beak, "I like the food over at the Rubbles better!"}. Usually they complained about how much they were being taken for granted, or their lot in life...and it was a perfect touch!

10-28-2009, 11:05 PM	#8
Tweety Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 18, 2002 Location: Florida Posts: 6,804	Some other examples that I liked: 1) The "insta-rock" camera, which produces instant pictures... inside the camera was a bird, and it would carve the picture into a slab of rock with its beak ("oh boy, my aching beak!"). Sometimes the camera would shake in Fred's hands as the bird was carving the picture. 2) The traffic light signal, which consisted of a monkey who would move a lit candle from the "red" compartment of the traffic light to a "green" compartment at regular intervals... creating the red and green lights. 3) A passenger "airplane" would consist of a giant Pterodactyl with a passenger cabin on its back. 4) A "ferry" boat consisting of a large Brontosaurus. The cars would all park on the back of the beast. 5) Dinosaurs (Brontos) would also form draw bridges by lowering their neck and raising their tail to connect the two cliffs to each other, and you'd just drive on top of the monster's tail, back and long neck to reach the other side. I always thought that the writers were very clever in their use of animals to simulate modern technology and conveniences.
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11-15-2009, 06:02 AM	#10
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	and don't forget that "Dino-crane" that Fred would be seen using in the "MEET THE FLINTSTONES" opening (and sometimes on the show too)
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09-01-2006, 07:38 PM	#3
tv star collector I Love Susie Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 4,487	The Stone-Age versions of modern-day appliances (esp. those involving animals) were among the highlights of every episode of THE FLINTSTONES. Let's not forget the pelicans who served as trash cans and clothes washers; a mastodon vacuum cleaner; a turtle and a needle-beaked bird who worked in tandem as a record player; the saw-toothed dinosaur who mowed the lawn; the garbage disposal consisting of a little pig below the sink; an "automatic" shaver that was a bumble bee inside a clamshell; a lobster lawn mower; a squeaky bird for a car horn; a porcupine dish dryer; birds for knitting needles (and also as clothespins); a can opener consisting of a lizard with a buck tooth; ad infinitum.

01-25-2009, 03:07 PM	#6
Mrdata Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 21, 2008 Posts: 103	The one that cracked me up the most was the tv remote! Press the button a door flips down a bird flys over to the tv and changes the channel or turns it on or off then returns to the remote. Priceless Charles

01-31-2009, 01:12 PM	#7
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,008	Yall mentioned the ones I would have picked. When the animals would turn around and make sarcastic comments that was always funny. There was one episode where Fred and Wilma borrowed a can opener from Barney and Betty. It was a bird and after it was used it replied "I like the food over at the Rubbles better" The beak of a bird being used for a record needle was my fave.

10-29-2009, 06:51 PM	#9
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,008	Another good one is the rabbit ears. They used a rabbit for an antenna. Awesome.

11-15-2009, 06:59 AM	#11
Schmoopie Keep Calm and Love Snoopy Forum Star Join Date: Jul 13, 2008 Location: Lynnwood, Washington Posts: 15,697	I had forgotten about the animals as appliances. Those were hilarious!!
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08-15-2011, 11:53 PM	#14
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,061	or....The Cookoo clock with a real bird, lol. The birds used to hang clothes on the lines.
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