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13 very '80s moments from The Flintstone Kids
All that and a bag of rocks!
You wouldn't expect a spinoff of a prehistoric classic like The Flintstones to be so...80s! The Flintstone Kids is not just a prequel to the main show, but also serves as a time capsule of '80s kid culture.
Flintstones spinoffs were a way to introduce new generations to the caveman cartoon franchise. The Flintstone Kids was part of the babyfication culture of the '80s, where classic cartoons were adapted to new "baby" versions to appeal to kids. This show courted an audience of '80s kids, so the animators added plenty of fun '80s toys and cultural references for that specific audience. While The Flintstone Kids is meant to take place in the "past" of the original '60s show, the '80s elements made it feel more futuristic than the original.
Let's take a look at all of the '80s moments from The Flintstone Kids!
Skateboards
Throughout the series the kids use alligators as skateboards, along with turtle shell helmets and dinosaur scale kneepads and elbow pads. Betty is easily the best gator-boarder of the group, easily turning tricks like ollies. Wilma on the other hand...
Tapes
Video tapes and cassette tapes regularly make appearances, along with boom boxes and big boxy '80s televisions.
Remote controls
Speaking of televisions: in the intro of The Flintstones, Fred turns the knob to turn on the television. In the somehow-the-past-but-also-the-future world of The Flintstone Kids, Fred presses a remote, and a little bird flies out and pushes the button on the television. Fred and his friends also have remote control cars and other toys.
Aerobics
Can't get more '80s than step aerobics!
Arcade Games
The world of The Flintstone Kids does not have video games but they do have arcade games with small dinosaurs or bugs inside and a dinosaur tail that operates as a joy stick.
Ant Farms
Ant farms in '80s Bedrock take the place of x-ray machines.
Polaroid cameras
In the original show, the Flintstones had cameras with birds inside that carved into rock slabs to make pictures. This is a slightly faster polaroid version - though we never see the final photos.
Star Wars
Yep! The Flintstone Kids parodied Star Wars when Barney got hit in the head while stargazing. In his dream, he and Fred must rescue Princess Betty from Darth Ratrock.
Indiana Jones
Like Star Wars, The Flintstone Kids parodied Indiana Jones with Indiana Flintstone.
Headphones
During the theme song, Barney can be seen wearing headphones and a caveman version of a Walkman. Betty also has headphones and reveals that inside the earpieces are little birds singing the songs to her.
Bruce Springsteen
The original show had plenty of celebrity spoofs, so The Flintstone Kids had a spoof of Bruce Springsteen with Brick Stone-Spring. Fred and Barney are big fans, and while they don't make it to the concert, they later meet Brick. He signs their copies of his album, Born in the U.S. Cave.
Bad kid with cigarettes!
In the episode "Better Buddy Blues", Shades Stone, a new cool kid from Hollyrock rolls into town. Shades is a certified bad boy, and we know that because he tries to smoke cigarettes. Luckily, the police confiscate the smokes before he lights them. Anti-smoking efforts in the '80s led to the "bad kid with cigarettes" trope on shows like Full House and Family Matters.
Fashion
Whenever the characters "dress up" or try to look cool, they usually end up in very '80s outfits, with perms too!
