- “Hello, dum-dum.”
- ―Gazoo
The Great Gazoo is a character from the sixth season of the original series, The Flintstones. He is a friend of Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble who appears from time to time.
Background[]
The Great Gazoo is a tiny, green, floating alien who was exiled to Earth from his home planet Zetox (known in the comics as Ziltox) as punishment for having invented a doomsday machine, a weapon of immense destructive power. His invention was a button which, if pressed, would destroy the universe in an explosive "ZAM," though he insists he made it on a whim ("I wanted to be the first on my block to have one!") with no intent of using it. Gazoo was discovered by Fred and Barney when his flying saucer crashed; Gazoo recognizes Fred's and Barney's world as prehistoric Earth, implying Zetox banished him through time as well as space, most likely to make sure he wouldn't be able to access the advanced technology necessary to recreate his invention out of revenge.
Gazoo refers to Fred and Barney as "dum-dums" and constantly causes problems for them. He can materialize and de-materialize objects, teleport, freeze time, travel through time, and perform other remarkable feats. But when he attempts to help out Fred and Barney, he usually ends up causing even more trouble. The only people who are able to see him are Fred, Barney, and the children because they believe in him; animals can also see him. A running gag is that Fred argues with Gazoo while Wilma believes that he is talking to himself. When their daughter, Pebbles, says "Gazoo," Wilma thinks Pebbles is sneezing.
Physical appearance[]
He is a short, tiny, two-foot alien with green skin and a long nose. He wears a uniform with a big helmet, cape, gloves, and boots.
Appearances[]
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas[]
Gazoo appears in this film where he serves as an ally to Fred and Barney, and he helps bring Fred, Barney, Wilma, and Betty together. He's been sent to Earth as punishment for his incompetence and nosiness as he is the most expendable of his people, so he has to study humanity's mating habits.
Yabba-Dabba Dinosaurs[]
Gazoo only appeared in the episode, Alien vs. Pebbles, when he freed the dinosaurs from the Crags and drove off with his U.F.O.
Reception[]
Gazoo is often considered one of the more controversial characters in television history and has become synonymous with the phrase "jumping the shark," which refers to the tendency for television writers to attempt to breathe fresh life into a long-running show by introducing bizarre or outlandish ideas.
When Gazoo first appeared in The Flintstones, he was widely criticized for being an absurd character that didn't fit in with the setting of the series, seeming more like something out of The Jetsons. This resulted in Gazoo being completely absent from any major Flintstones television or movie media until The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas. However, Gazoo remained a recurring character in comic books, story books, merchandise, and even video games. Despite his lack of animated appearances, he did return in many commercials for Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles over the years, even having his own cereal for a bit called Marshmallow Mania Pebbles. He was also featured in promotional art for I Yabba-Dabba Do! (along with other characters from the franchise) despite ultimately not appearing in the film.
Despite his unpopularity and criticism at the time, Gazoo still had a prominent fanbase of his own and was even given an ode in the 1994 film via the Dictabird, which was also voiced by Harvey Korman and shared Gazoo's green hue and personality. He also served as one of the inspirations for The Fairly OddParents. According to the late Harvey Korman, despite criticisms regarding Gazoo, he revealed that Gazoo was one of his most popular roles and most requested performances at conventions during the 20th century, where the character enjoyed frequent praise and admiration from old-school fans.
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