MovieChat Forums > The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) Discussion > In it's own way, it was ahead of it's ti...

In it's own way, it was ahead of it's time

posted 9 years ago by knight523-383-350235
13 replies | jump to latest

Quite a few folks dismiss this show as being corny, but I can't think of too many 60's sitcoms that made a reference to marijuana ("I'm going down to the lake & smoke some crawdads, but first I need a little pot"). I also thought the episode "A plot for Granny" was black comedy, before that sort of thing was cool, and throughout the series they were pretty topical about beatniks, hippies, pollution, even womens lib, the same sort of topics more "cosmopolitan" shows like "All in the family" addressed.

[–] steely3000 9 years ago

Yes these issues were addressed, but they weren't controversially addressed, if that makes sense. For example the "pot" references were only to show the Hillbillies as being naive to the culture; "pot" to them was a vessel to cook food in. Another episode mentioned "topless" which the Hillbillies thought meant taking off your hat. The plot for Granny implied a plot of ground to live on and garden, and so there were double entendres based on that.

So yeah the issues were brought up, but only as a ploy to show how naive these hillbillies were. Sometimes it is funny, but these people had millions and instead of spending it on their castle in England, or letting it sit in the bank, they could have done so much good for society. Just think if the Clampetts had decided to spend $50 million on the smog problem, not just through Jethro's kooky inventions, but through solid causes towards smog control. Not funny enough I guess.

[–] tinkerbell_jonna 8 years ago

"Sometimes it is funny, but these people had millions and instead of spending it on their castle in England, or letting it sit in the bank, they could have done so much good for society. Just think if the Clampetts had decided to spend $50 million on the smog problem, not just through Jethro's kooky inventions, but through solid causes towards smog control."

For that matter ANY billionaire could be doing that stuff, like Donald Trump, Warren Buffet, etc.... but the sad thing is none of them ever seem particularly interested in doing things like that.

[–] vranger 8 years ago

Actually, virtually every rich person contributes heavily to charity. But things like air pollution aren't solved by charities, that takes regulation. Unfortunately, they also waste millions contributing to political parties and candidates. THAT money could be put to far better uses. Just look at the leaked spreadsheet of Democratic Party donors and the amounts donated. You'll recognize many names, and the idea that all that money is being spent on misleading attack ads (on both sides) is nauseating.

[–] emncaity 8 years ago

I'll bet you five bucks that if we take Trump's and Buffett's income and find out what percentage goes to charity, it'll beat yours.

[–] tinkerbell_jonna 8 years ago

Well of course, they have WAY MORE than me, so it SHOULD beat mine! BUT I do give what I can. I've read in many places that Trump does VERY LITTLE charity work.

I'm not sure about Buffett, BUT I have heard that he brags about hiding his fortune in off shore accounts so he won't have to pay as much taxes, which REALLY turns me off, he wants to enjoy the privileges of a society but doesn't want to contribute to it.

So, sorry, not really a fan of the billionaires nor the tycoons. I dunno why so many ppl feel like they have defend them when they would not give you 5$ if you needed a drink of water, they'd probably give you a LECTURE on WHY you're in the financial status you're in and how you should have been smarter, worked harder, etc....

I wonder when the last time was that Trump just drove down the street HANDING homeless ppl a million dollars, no strings just a billion bucks to get a nice home, hot food, warm bed, medicines, or WHATEVER they needed or wanted? A million bucks would be NOTHING to him.... I HAVE done this... not with a million of course but with a few hundred once.

But Trump would be like ~in that nasaly voice~ "You're saying I should just HAND a homeless person a million dollars? Do you realize what a disservice that would be doing him? That would kill his incentive to better himself!"

Bernie Sanders ALL THE WAY!

[–] mrbobbyh 8 years ago

There actually is a smog episode from 1970. Jethro has a bag with $700,000 in it and he gives it to fight smog because "it takes brains and money and I've got plenty of both."

[–] alanjobe 9 years ago

The thing that I notice when I watch it today is how they showed Beverly Hills and that whole part of the state of California as being so superficial.

They were brutally honest with how vain and greedy everyone was. Everything was about how much money you had or how beautiful you were. If you had neither, you were out of luck in that place - just ask Jane Hathaway.

[–] trollomatic 8 years ago

yeah, way ahead of it's time. about 50 years later, real life is imitating aBeverly Hillbillies episodes.

I'm talking about the ones where the rich people (Cynthia Fenwick??? and others) were imitating the Clampett's lower economically dress and lifestyle.

proof:

http://thoughtcatalog.com/james-swift/2014/05/hipsters-and-the-co-option-of-white-poverty-culture/

[–] silvercometred1 8 years ago

When she said she was to smoke crawdads she meant she was going to fix herself something to eat.

[–] goldenpet 8 years ago

I completely agree with the assertion that the show was ahead of its time. I really paid attention to an episode recently and realized how countercultural and subversive it was. The show got more daring and slightly more political as it progressed through the late 1960s and early 1970s. Paul Henning had a strong subversive streak in him. It's evident in Petticoat Junction, Green Acres (which he professed not to have much to do with, but you know he did), and in his other works.

I'd put a stupid saying here but I won't.

[–] gc18 8 years ago

I've been watching that show 30 years and always found it funny.

But it wasn't until I got older did I really start to notice some of the cultural references and jokes. Knowing the context kind of makes them funnier.

[–] madman58 8 years ago

carl reiner likes to brag about how he kept any topical references of the day out of the dick van dyke show but that is what i love about the billies.they are a historical reference of their day. (reiner did cover a few,british music invasion,ect.).

[–] 8 years ago

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