Who's Stupider: Jethro Bodine or Li'l Abner Yokum?

[W.J. Griffin]

Last year I submitted a post in which I stated that "The Beverly Hillbillies" shared many similarities with Al Capp's "Li'l Abner" comic strip (you can find that post under the title of "The Beverly Hillbillies: Biting Social Satire, or 'Li'l Abner' Ripoff?" two or three pages back).

One of the similarities I pointed out was that both Abner Yokum and Jethro Bodine both seem to be cut from the same cloth. For those of you familiar with the "Li'l Abner" comic strip (or the big-budget musical released in 1959 by Paramount, and availiable on home video), and the Clampett family's misadventures on tv, I have to ask:

Who's stupider...Li'l Abner or Jethro?

[vedastone]

I just checked out your earlier thread for the first time, and I'm quite impressed with your analysis. BH is remarkably similar to LA in many respects. It is interesting to note that Al Capp was not happy with BH being on TV. I have an incomplete memory of the comic, but my impression is that L'il Abner was not quite as dim-witted as Jethro. Jethro's naivety and downright stupidity were pretty substantial, and I even remember reading an interview with Max Baer where he expressed distaste for the character because of this. But Jethro was quite likeable in spite of his shortcomings, and I suspect he will always be remembered by the public in a very positive way... not that this isn't true of L'il Abner as well.

[W.J. Griffin]

Originally posted by vedastone
I just checked out your earlier thread for the first time, and I'm quite impressed with your analysis. BH is remarkably similar to LA in many respects. It is interesting to note that Al Capp was not happy with BH being on TV. I have an incomplete memory of the comic, but my impression is that L'il Abner was not quite as dim-witted as Jethro. Jethro's naivety and downright stupidity were pretty substantial, and I even remember reading an interview with Max Baer where he expressed distaste for the character because of this. But Jethro was quite likeable in spite of his shortcomings, and I suspect he will always be remembered by the public in a very positive way... not that this isn't true of L'il Abner as well.

Thanks for the reply...it's nice to know all that sensationalism wasn't in vain...

[Bianca]

Here's one....

Who was smarter? Ralph wiggem (from the simpsons)
or Jethro Bodine ??

[shel 7296]

Jethro

[BlueEyes1767]

Wasn't Elly's character supposed to be loosely based on Daisy Mae in Lil Abner?

[W.J. Griffin]

Originally posted by BlueEyes1767
Wasn't Elly's character supposed to be loosely based on Daisy Mae in Lil Abner?

Well, the point I made in my original post ("The Beverly Hillbillies: Biting Social Satire or "Li'l Abner" Ripoff? YOU DECIDE!!") was that there was a STRONG resemblance between the Yokum family and the Clampett clan, so, yeah, Elly May and Daisy Mae are also cut from the same cloth...as is Granny and Mammy Yokum (and, if you want to carry these similarities a bit further, compare the business tactics of Milburn Drysdale {particularly in the color episodes} with the bone-chilling skullduggeries of General Bashington Bullmoose {"What's good for General Bullmoose is good for America, and don't you forget it!!"}, or Mrs. Drysdale's reaching snobbery with Li'l Abner's rich Aunt Bessie's social-climbing excesses, and you'll see what I mean.)