Wilma Flintstone

Wilma Flintstone is a fictional character in the television animated series The Flintstones. Wilma is the red-headed woman married to caveman Fred Flintstone, daughter of Pearl Slaghoople, and mother of Pebbles Flintstone. Her best friend is her next door neighbor, Betty Rubble.[13]

Wilma Flintstone
The Flintstones character
First appearance"The Flagstones" (1959)
Created byWilliam Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Portrayed byElizabeth Perkins (1994 film)
Kristen Johnston (2000 film)
Voiced byJean Vander Pyl (1959–1999)
Gerry Johnson (Busch Beer commercial)[1]
Julie McWhirter Dees/Elizabeth Lyn Frasier (The Flintstone Kids)
Lorelei King (Team commercial)[2]
Robyn Moore (Hanna-Barbera Gala Celebrity Nite)
Tress MacNeille (2000–present)
Caroline Sellers (The 1st 13th Annual Fancy Anvil Awards Program Special...Live!...In Stereo!)[3]
Deborah Sale Butler (Fruity Pebbles commercials)[4]
Tara Strong (Drawn Together)
Lisa Sundstedt/Mae Whitman/Seth Green (Robot Chicken)[5]
Alex Borstein (Family Guy)[6]
In-universe information
SpeciesCavewoman
GenderFemale
OccupationHousewife
Newspaper reporter[7]
Caterer[8]
FamilyPearl Slaghoople (mother)
Ricky Slaghoople (father)[9]
Mica Slaghoople (sister)[9]
Mickey Slaghoople (sister)[9]
Jerry Slaghoople (brother)[10]
Roxy Rubble (granddaughter)[11]
Chip Rubble (grandson)[11]
Bamm-Bamm Rubble (godson/son-in-law)
SpouseFred Flintstone (husband)
ChildrenPebbles Flintstone (daughter)
Stony Flintstone (adopted son)[12]

Wilma's personality is based on that of Alice Kramden, married to Ralph Kramden on the 1950s television series The Honeymooners. Much like Alice, Wilma plays the strong-willed, level-headed person in her marriage, often criticizing Fred for pursuing his various ill-fated schemes. Wilma is often the one to bail out Fred when one of his schemes lands him in trouble or brings up the problem.

Fictional character biography

Similar to Fred Flintstones family, Wilma came from "Arkanstone" [Arkansas]. As a young adult, Wilma worked with Betty as a cigarette girl at a resort. There, they first met and fell in love with their future husbands, Fred and Barney, who were working there as bellhops.[14]

Wilma and Fred eventually married, and Wilma became a homemaker, keeping house with such prehistoric aids as a baby elephant vacuum cleaner and pelican washing machine. Wilma is a good cook; one of her specialties is "gravelberry pie", the recipe for which she eventually sold to the "Safestone" supermarket chain.[15] Wilma also enjoys volunteering for various charitable and women's organizations in Bedrock, shopping, and occasionally getting to meet the celebrities of their world, including Stony Curtis,[16] Rock Quarry,[17] and Jimmy Darrock.[18] Despite her petite appearance Wilma is quite capable of causing havoc when angry, at times knocking a prizefighter out with one blow,[19] knocking out crooks with her stone purse[20] or striking Fred Flintstone with a club [21] or a frying pan.[22] Wilma's a truly modest woman however her obvious beauty and attractiveness has been referenced from time to time, especially in the season 2 episode The Beauty Contest, where she and Betty entered a beauty contest.

In the original series' third season, Wilma becomes pregnant and gives birth to the couple's only child, Pebbles.

When Pebbles is a teenager, Wilma gains employment as a reporter for one of Bedrock's newspapers, the Daily Granite (a spoof of the Daily Planet of Superman fame), under editor Lou Granite (a parody of The Mary Tyler Moore Show's Lou Grant). While employed there, Wilma shares various adventures with prehistoric superhero Captain Caveman, who, in a secret identity, also works for the newspaper.[7]

Later still, after Pebbles grows up and leaves home, Wilma starts a successful catering business with her neighbor and friend Betty, before becoming a grandmother to Pebbles' twin children, Chip and Roxy.[11]

Maiden name

Wilma and Fred Flintstone figurines at the Ankara Amusement Park

Wilma's maiden name is the subject of a continuity error. Several early episodes in the original series clearly stated Wilma's maiden name was "Pebble". In the second-season episode "The Entertainer", Wilma's old friend Greta Gravel remembers her as "Wilma Pebble", and in the third-season episode "Dial S for Suspicion", one of Wilma's old boyfriends, calls her "Wilma Pebble".

However, later episodes and spin-offs firmly state her maiden name is indeed "Slaghoople", based upon the name of Wilma's mother in the original series, Pearl Slaghoople. Flintstones' writer Earl Kress explained the discrepancy as such: "Unfortunately, it's just as simple as [Hanna-Barbera] not caring about the continuity."[23]

Wilma figurine

Portrayal

Jean Vander Pyl was the original voice artist of Wilma until her death in 1999.[24] Since then, Tress MacNeille has taken over as Wilma's voice.

In The Flintstone Kids, Wilma was voiced by Julie McWhirter Dees and Elizabeth Lyn Frasier at different points.

In the live-action film The Flintstones, Wilma was played by Elizabeth Perkins, although Vander Pyl made a cameo at Fred's surprise party (in the conga line behind Dino). In the prequel film The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, Wilma was played by Kristen Johnston.

Animated media

Television shows

Films and specials

References

  1. "1967 Busch Advertising 1of2". YouTube. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  2. "Nabisco Team - Limestone Cowboy (1987, UK)". YouTube. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  3. "The 1st 13th Annual Fancy Anvil Awards Show Program Special". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
  4. "Voice(s) of Wilma Flintstone in Fruity Pebbles". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
  5. "Voice(s) of Wilma Flintstone in Robot Chicken". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
  6. "Voice of Wilma Flintstone in Family Guy". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
  7. The Flintstone Comedy Show Archived 2012-02-05 at the Wayback Machine, 1980-1982, NBC
  8. I Yabba Dabba Do, 1993, ABC
  9. The Flintstone Kids Archived 2012-02-05 at the Wayback Machine, 1986-1988, ABC
  10. The Flintstones (1994 movie)
  11. Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby, 1993, ABC
  12. A Flintstone Family Christmas, 1993, ABC
  13. "Meet Jean Vander Pyl, the Real Voice Behind Wilma Flintstone". The Los Angeles Times. 1989-09-29. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
  14. "Bachelor Daze", The Flintstones, season 4
  15. "The Gravelberry Pie King", The Flintstones, season 6
  16. "The Return of Stony Curtis", The Flintstones, season 6
  17. "The Rock Quarry Story", The Flintstones, season 2
  18. "Surfin' Fred", The Flintstones, season 5
  19. ""The Engagement Ring" season 1
  20. "The Soft Touchables" Season 2
  21. "The Flintstone Flyer" season 1
  22. "Hot Lips Hannigan" season 1
  23. "Wilma Flintstone: A fox in leopard clothing?". Canada.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  24. "Jean Vander Pyl; Cartoon Voice of Wilma Flintstone". The Los Angeles Times. 1999-04-15. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
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