Wilma Flintstone is a fictional character in the television animated series The Flintstones. Wilma is the wife of Fred Flintstone, daughter of Pearl Slaghoople, and mother of Pebbles Flintstone. Her best friend is her next door neighbor, Betty Rubble. 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 Flintstone's family, Wilma came from "Arkanstone". 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. 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. 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, Rock Quarry, and Jimmy Darrock. Despite her petite appearance Wilma is quite capable of causing havoc when angry, at times knocking a prizefighter out with one blow, knocking out crooks with her stone purse or striking Fred Flintstone with a club or a frying pan. Wilma is 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. 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.

Maiden name

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 say her maiden name is "Slaghoople", based on the name of Wilma's mother in the original series, Pearl Slaghoople. Flintstones writer Earl Kress said: "Unfortunately, it's just as simple as [Hanna-Barbera] not caring about the continuity."

Portrayal

Jean Vander Pyl was the original voice artist of Wilma and played the role until her death in 1999, after which Tress MacNeille took 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. 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. In the scrapped series Bedrock, Wilma was going to be voiced by Amy Sedaris.

Additional voice actors

Parodies

Animated media

Television shows

Films and specials