"Kissin' Cousins" on the Beverly Hillbillies

[mwebster]

Do hillbillies marry kinfolk? Looks like Jed did.

Jed Clampett is a widower.
Daisy Moses (Granny) is his mother-in-law.

Jed calls Pearl Bodine "Cousin Pearl."
Pearl apparently married a man named Bodine and then was widowed (divorce possible).
Ellie Mae calls Pearl "Aunt Pearl."
Pearl is Jethro's ma.
Jethro calls Jed "Uncle Jed."
Ellie Mae and Jethro refer to each other as "cousin."
Both call Daisy Moses "Granny."
Jed and Pearl also call Daisy "Granny."

Pearl and Jed are cousins to each other and aunt/uncle to each others' children.
The only way this all fits together is if Pearl and Jed's late wife were sisters (and Daisy Moses' daughters), and Jed married his cousin (not unheard of). This would make Ellie Mae and Jethro second cousins.

If Jed and the late Mr. Bodine were first cousins, then Jed and Jethro - and Pearl and Ellie Mae - would be first cousins once removed (not Uncle-Nephew and Aunt-Niece). Ellie Mae and Jethro would still be second cousins.

Apparently the idea of marrying a cousin did not appeal to Jethro and Ellie Mae, even though the two characters were patterned after Lil Abner and Daisy Mae (who did marry).

 

[Braves2005]

> Both(Ellie Mae and Jethro) call Daisy Moses "Granny."
> Jed and Pearl also call Daisy "Granny."

Ellie Mae had the right to call Daisy "Granny" as Ellie is Daisy's granddaughter and also it seemed that Granny's name seemed to be proper among everyone so you heard Daisy being called Granny a lot more than she was called Daisy.

 

[WMC2005]

it seemed that Granny's name
> seemed to be proper among everyone so you heard Daisy being
> called Granny a lot more than she was called Daisy.
>

That's right. Mr Drysdale and Miss Jane Hathaway also called her Granny.

 

[bhayes1016]

I had a great aunt who everyone called "Granny".

To answer the question, there probably was some inbreeding there, but it wasn't something that was discussed during the "family hour" in the 60s..

 

[Braves2005]

Another thought that came through my mind is that Jed and Pearl were brother and sister on account that Elly Mae always called Pearl "Aunt Pearl" thus making the connection that Jethro was Elly Mae's cousin. In fact in one episode,Pearl said that she had Clampett blood in her veins which had to mean that she was a Clampett before she married a Bodine.

Also in another episode,Jed's wife(Granny's daughter) is named and her name was Rose Ellen.

 

[mwebster]

Inbreeding

Ellie Mae calls her Aunt Pearl.
Jed calls her Cousin Pearl.
I say again, the only way it all fits is if Cousin Pearl is also Jed's sister in law (of course, she and Jed would have been cousins before Jed and Rose Ellen got married).
Pearl would either be Granny's daughter or step daughter (given their somewhat dysfunctional relationship, the latter is possible).
Jethro implies in at least one episode that his father died, so that rules out d-i-v-o-r-c-e. And, yes, there was at least one divorced single parent on 60's TV: Vivian Bagley on The Lucy Show (Lucy Carmichael was widowed; Viv was divorced).

> Another thought that came through my mind is that Jed and
> Pearl were brother and sister on account that Elly Mae
> always called Pearl "Aunt Pearl" thus making the connection
> that Jethro was Elly Mae's cousin. In fact in one
> episode,Pearl said that she had Clampett blood in her veins
> which had to mean that she was a Clampett before she married
> a Bodine.
>
> Also in another episode,Jed's wife(Granny's daughter) is
> named and her name was Rose Ellen.
>

 

[Markxxx]

> Do hillbillies marry kinfolk? Looks like Jed did.
>
> Jed Clampett is a widower.
> Daisy Moses (Granny) is his mother-in-law.
>
> Jed calls Pearl Bodine "Cousin Pearl."
> Pearl apparently married a man named Bodine and then was
> widowed (divorce possible).
> Ellie Mae calls Pearl "Aunt Pearl."
> Pearl is Jethro's ma.
> Jethro calls Jed "Uncle Jed."
> Ellie Mae and Jethro refer to each other as "cousin."
> Both call Daisy Moses "Granny."
> Jed and Pearl also call Daisy "Granny."
>
> Pearl and Jed are cousins to each other and aunt/uncle to
> each others' children.
> The only way this all fits together is if Pearl and Jed's
> late wife were sisters (and Daisy Moses' daughters), and Jed
> married his cousin (not unheard of). This would make Ellie
> Mae and Jethro second cousins.
>
> If Jed and the late Mr. Bodine were first cousins, then Jed
> and Jethro - and Pearl and Ellie Mae - would be first
> cousins once removed (not Uncle-Nephew and Aunt-Niece).
> Ellie Mae and Jethro would still be second cousins.
>
> Apparently the idea of marrying a cousin did not appeal to
> Jethro and Ellie Mae, even though the two characters were
> patterned after Lil Abner and Daisy Mae (who did marry).
>
If you watch most of the time Jed does NOT call Pearl, "Cousin Pearl."

He refers to her simply as "Pearl."

I don't think Jed and Pearl are even first cousins. So you are correct with that statement.

I will have to find the reference. One episode Jed does give a break down on how they are related and Jed and Pearl are distant cousins. This would make Jethro and Ellie Mae even further distant cousins to each other.

Granny is Jed's mother-in-law for sure. Jethro makes sure Granny knows she is NOT blood related to Jed. Jed mentions when his wife died Granny came to live with them to help with Ellie Mae, who by then was a "Wildcat." And part of the reason for moving to California was to turn her into a lady. Ellie was actually one of the first "feminist" characters on TV. She clearly believed she was equal to any man.

Oddly enough Jed divides his fortune into fourths. Completely ignoring Jethro's sister Jethrine and Cousin Pearl, who if you remember, it was HER idea for Jed to move to California.

We do find out Jed is a direct decendent of the people who founded Jamestown, thereby beating Margaret Drysdale, who's relatives came over on the Mayflower.

Margaret is a widow, apparently, and married Milburn even though he is beneath her. We find out Maragert has the "family name," but no money. Milburn has the money, but no "family name."

Being "countrified" the term "cousin" is often just used for anyone. Take "Dukes Of Hazard." You have Beau, Luke, Daisy, Coy and Vance and they all call each other cousin. And the call Jesse, "Uncle Jesse." It highly unlikely that there were 6 siblings that all had kids and somehow five of the six (leaving only Uncle Jesse) were wiped out leaving Uncle Jesse to care for them.
<P ID="signature">______________
Once I figured out the meaning of life....Then I forgot to write it down.</P>

 

[trusty]

I've tried to graph this out a few times with different results. (I think I can sell the "graphs" as art - maybe something like "The Clampett Factor".)


> Do hillbillies marry kinfolk? Looks like Jed did.
>
> Jed Clampett is a widower.
> Daisy Moses (Granny) is his mother-in-law.
>
> Jed calls Pearl Bodine "Cousin Pearl."
> Pearl apparently married a man named Bodine and then was
> widowed (divorce possible).
> Ellie Mae calls Pearl "Aunt Pearl."
> Pearl is Jethro's ma.
> Jethro calls Jed "Uncle Jed."
> Ellie Mae and Jethro refer to each other as "cousin."
> Both call Daisy Moses "Granny."
> Jed and Pearl also call Daisy "Granny."
>
> Pearl and Jed are cousins to each other and aunt/uncle to
> each others' children.
> The only way this all fits together is if Pearl and Jed's
> late wife were sisters (and Daisy Moses' daughters), and Jed
> married his cousin (not unheard of). This would make Ellie
> Mae and Jethro second cousins.
>
> If Jed and the late Mr. Bodine were first cousins, then Jed
> and Jethro - and Pearl and Ellie Mae - would be first
> cousins once removed (not Uncle-Nephew and Aunt-Niece).
> Ellie Mae and Jethro would still be second cousins.
>
> Apparently the idea of marrying a cousin did not appeal to
> Jethro and Ellie Mae, even though the two characters were
> patterned after Lil Abner and Daisy Mae (who did marry).
>