Who Knew? The Birth Of Pebbles Flintstone Started An Uproar & Advertisers Pulling Ads - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 01-31-2011, 11:29 PM

Back in 1963, pregnancy was taboo on TV — especially when it came to cartoon characters. When Wilma got pregnant on The Flinstones, frequent advertiser Winston cigarettes pulled their ad. Can you imagine a world without Pebbles? Yup, neither can we.

http://www.y100.com/cc-common/news/s...rticle=8105708

Marvo301 · 02-01-2011, 12:03 AM

Hey I'll take a world without cigarette ads over a world without Pebbles Flintstone any day!

TV Knowledge Fan · 02-01-2011, 03:06 AM

...Miles Laboratories [Alka-Seltzer, One-A-Day] and R.J. Reynolds [Winston], decided to end their joint sponsorship after the second season- whether this had anything to do with the "expecting" episodes planned for the second half of season three, I don't know. Perhaps the idea of a cigarette company sponsoring a situation where a woman was shown as pregnant was something Reynolds didn't want to pursue {however, it didn't stop Philip Morris from sponsoring the second season of "I LOVE LUCY" when Lucy Ricardo's pregnancy was a major part of the story line that season; they did insist that Lucille Ball NOT be shown smoking during those "expectant" episodes}- they merely shifted their alternate sponsorship to CBS' "THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES" in the fall of 1962. I do know that when the show moved to Thursday nights in the fall of 1963, Welch's [Grape Juice, Grape Jelly] and Best Foods [Skippy, Niagara starch] became the alternate sponsors...and they were more "family-friendly" as well.

MickeyMac · 02-01-2011, 06:05 PM

Cigarette adds, those were the days.

Of course that controversy is nothing compared to whats on TV nowadays.

old grouch · 02-02-2011, 02:23 PM

Showing Fred and Barney smoking cigarettes isn't considered controversial, but showing a pregnant Wilma is. Go figure...

Steve M. · 08-15-2011, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by old grouch

Showing Fred and Barney smoking cigarettes isn't considered controversial, but showing a pregnant Wilma is. Go figure...

And the word "pregnant" was never used in a "Flintstones episode!"

comedyfreak · 08-15-2011, 11:47 PM

They treated the whole thing like they did in I Love Lucy even when the time had come to take Wilma to the hospital.

Steve M. · 08-15-2011, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comedyfreak

They treated the whole thing like they did in I Love Lucy even when the time had come to take Wilma to the hospital.

Except that Fred wasn't dressed as a payaso and Ricky didn't have a car. Ricky didn't get a blood sample drawn that turned out to be rubbing alcohol, either.

ThomasE · 01-29-2012, 02:11 AM

Oh, the crazy politics over these cartoons. Cartoons, mind you? LOL.

Steve M. · 01-29-2012, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThomasE

Oh, the crazy politics over these cartoons. Cartoons, mind you? LOL.

Steve Carras · 08-26-2013, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve M.

Pebbles surely caused an uproar alright among audiences---once she was BORN, Fred became too nice, in order to set an example for Pebbles (contrast with a comment made by Jackie Gleason of the prototype show, "The Honeymooners", that the Honeymooners stayed childfree and enjoyable). Then the "Scooby/Archie" like 1971 Pebbles and Bamm Bamm show.,.;(

Steve M. · 08-26-2013, 09:45 AM

Fred and Wilma sired. Barney and Betty adopted. Fred and Wilma had a girl. Barney and Betty had a boy. How obvious . . .

80sTrivia · 08-26-2013, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

When Wilma got pregnant on The Flinstones, frequent advertiser Winston cigarettes pulled their ad.
http://www.y100.com/cc-common/news/s...rticle=8105708

Not that it mattered, as cigarette ads were banned from television less than a decade later!

01-31-2011, 11:29 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Who Knew? The Birth Of Pebbles Flintstone Started An Uproar & Advertisers Pulling Ads Back in 1963, pregnancy was taboo on TV — especially when it came to cartoon characters. When Wilma got pregnant on The Flinstones, frequent advertiser Winston cigarettes pulled their ad. Can you imagine a world without Pebbles? Yup, neither can we. http://www.y100.com/cc-common/news/s...rticle=8105708
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02-01-2011, 12:03 AM	#2
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,461	Hey I'll take a world without cigarette ads over a world without Pebbles Flintstone any day!
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02-01-2011, 03:06 AM	#3
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	The series' original sponsors... ...Miles Laboratories [Alka-Seltzer, One-A-Day] and R.J. Reynolds [Winston], decided to end their joint sponsorship after the second season- whether this had anything to do with the "expecting" episodes planned for the second half of season three, I don't know. Perhaps the idea of a cigarette company sponsoring a situation where a woman was shown as pregnant was something Reynolds didn't want to pursue {however, it didn't stop Philip Morris from sponsoring the second season of "I LOVE LUCY" when Lucy Ricardo's pregnancy was a major part of the story line that season; they did insist that Lucille Ball NOT be shown smoking during those "expectant" episodes}- they merely shifted their alternate sponsorship to CBS' "THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES" in the fall of 1962. I do know that when the show moved to Thursday nights in the fall of 1963, Welch's [Grape Juice, Grape Jelly] and Best Foods [Skippy, Niagara starch] became the alternate sponsors...and they were more "family-friendly" as well.

08-15-2011, 11:47 PM	#7
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,061	They treated the whole thing like they did in I Love Lucy even when the time had come to take Wilma to the hospital.
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01-29-2012, 02:11 AM	#9
ThomasE Member Moderator Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 04, 2000 Location: New York, New York, U.S.A. Posts: 10,857	Oh, the crazy politics over these cartoons. Cartoons, mind you? LOL.
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02-01-2011, 06:05 PM	#4
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,008	Cigarette adds, those were the days. Of course that controversy is nothing compared to whats on TV nowadays.

02-02-2011, 02:23 PM	#5
old grouch Member Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2010 Location: montana Posts: 1,877	Showing Fred and Barney smoking cigarettes isn't considered controversial, but showing a pregnant Wilma is. Go figure...

08-26-2013, 09:45 AM	#12
Steve M. Back on the road to reality Forum Superstar Join Date: Nov 07, 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 33,307	Fred and Wilma sired. Barney and Betty adopted. Fred and Wilma had a girl. Barney and Betty had a boy. How obvious . . .