The Clampett/Bodine family tree - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

elly mae · 12-31-2007, 06:07 PM

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.?

treky · 01-01-2008, 04:40 AM

yea; I've always wondered that.

elly mae · 01-01-2008, 10:21 AM

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.

Scoobiedoo30 · 01-01-2008, 03:10 PM

what is a Family Tree

elly mae · 01-01-2008, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scoobiedoo30

what is a Family Tree

you're kidding, right?

Scoobiedoo30 · 01-01-2008, 03:18 PM

no I am not sure what a Family Tree is

elly mae · 01-01-2008, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scoobiedoo30

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.

Scoobiedoo30 · 01-01-2008, 03:45 PM

thanks for the help my friend

Janice · 01-01-2008, 06:56 PM

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?

elly mae · 01-01-2008, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janice

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.

Janice · 01-01-2008, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elly mae

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.

treky · 01-02-2008, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elly mae

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.

Maynard · 01-02-2008, 02:54 AM

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*

JaneTVFan · 01-20-2008, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elly mae

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!

Maynard · 01-21-2008, 12:12 AM

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.

12-31-2007, 06:07 PM	#1
elly mae Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 24, 2007 Location: Rogers, Arkansas Posts: 77	The Clampett/Bodine family tree 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.?

01-01-2008, 04:40 AM	#2
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	yea; I've always wondered that.
	__________________ the Clampetts are in a fancy Beverly Hills jewelry store. Granny points to a tray of rubies. Granny: "How much fer one o' them red diamonds?" clerk: "Madam, those are rubies." Granny: "OK ask her kin we buy one offa her." clerk: " The ruby I am talking about is not a lady." Granny: "Lissen, how she got them diamonds is her business. I'm just sayin' ask her kin we buy one from her."

01-01-2008, 03:10 PM	#4
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	what is a Family Tree
	__________________ Who Dat

01-01-2008, 10:21 AM	#3
elly mae Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 24, 2007 Location: Rogers, Arkansas Posts: 77	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.

01-01-2008, 03:18 PM	#6
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	no I am not sure what a Family Tree is

01-01-2008, 03:45 PM	#8
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	thanks for the help my friend

01-01-2008, 06:56 PM	#9
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	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?

01-02-2008, 02:54 AM	#13
Maynard Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 02, 2008 Location: Tennessee Posts: 72	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

01-21-2008, 12:12 AM	#15
Maynard Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 02, 2008 Location: Tennessee Posts: 72	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.