If you grew up on a steady stream on Saturday morning cartoons then animated shows and movies probably have a special place in your life. There’s nothing that can get a child more excited than the prospect of cartoons. For many of us, The Flintstones were at the heart of our TV memories. But, the show that was beloved by so many children also had some pretty adult themes at times.

The adult characters on the show didn’t often get sent to jail or do other bad things, but the animators created clips for products that today would never be allowed anywhere near a children’s TV program. Fred and Barney were drawn and voiced to endorse Winston cigarettes in black and white. Later, in color, a short was created to convince bar owners to sell Busch beer with the hapless duo running a bar! Have a look at these Flintstones animations from a time when beer and cigarettes were pretty normal to see advertised on TV.

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