In Episode 5 of The Beverly Hillbillies, titled “Jed Buys Stock,” the Clampett family continues their journey of adjusting to life in Beverly Hills after striking oil and becoming unexpectedly wealthy. The episode’s main plot revolves around Jed Clampett’s introduction to the world of stocks and investments, a world that is entirely foreign to the backwoods family.
The episode opens with Mr. Drysdale, the manager of the Commerce Bank of Beverly Hills, trying to maintain his position as the Clampett family’s trusted financial advisor. He recognizes how important it is for the bank to retain the Clampetts as clients, given their massive wealth derived from oil. To ensure that Jed remains invested in his bank, Mr. Drysdale suggests that Jed buy stock.
Jed, however, is a simple, unassuming man who doesn’t fully understand what stocks are. Like the rest of his family, Jed has spent his life living off the land, tending to his farm, and never needed to concern himself with financial investments. Stocks, bonds, and the intricacies of Wall Street are alien to him, so when Mr. Drysdale brings up the idea, Jed’s confusion is clear.
Despite his confusion, Jed is trusting and obliging. Mr. Drysdale, eager to make a good impression, tries to explain the concept of stocks in a way that he thinks Jed can relate to, but the efforts fall short due to the sheer difference in their backgrounds and experiences. The humor in the episode stems from these cultural misunderstandings and Jed’s naivety about the complexities of finance. To Jed, stocks might as well be cows or corn, something more tangible and relatable.
Meanwhile, Granny and Jethro, two other members of the Clampett family, have their own reactions to this foray into high finance. Granny, the family matriarch, remains skeptical of the whole idea. She can’t fathom why Jed would need to invest in stocks when they already have plenty of money, and the notion of trusting their fortune to something as intangible as stocks seems ridiculous to her. She still clings to the old-fashioned ways of thinking and living, deeply rooted in their rural upbringing. Throughout the episode, Granny makes humorous remarks about how the Clampetts don’t need any more money and how these city folks are just complicating simple things.
Jethro, on the other hand, sees the potential for excitement. As a young and impressionable character, he is easily swayed by the glamour and mystique of the financial world that Mr. Drysdale presents. While he doesn’t fully understand what’s going on either, he enjoys the idea of being involved in something sophisticated and modern, further heightening the comedic effect of the situation. Jethro’s naivety mirrors that of Jed, but where Jed is more practical, Jethro is swept up by the excitement of new experiences, eager to dive headfirst into the world of stocks without a clue.
The contrast between the Clampetts’ simple lifestyle and the complicated financial mechanisms of Beverly Hills is highlighted throughout the episode. Mr. Drysdale, representing the world of banking and high finance, is baffled by the Clampetts’ rural sensibilities. He continues to try to convince Jed to buy stocks, but each time he attempts to explain it in simpler terms, it only adds to the confusion and misunderstanding. For instance, Mr. Drysdale compares stocks to “buying a piece of a company,” but Jed misinterprets this as physically owning a part of the company’s land or buildings, further escalating the comedic tension.
Eventually, despite all the misunderstandings, Jed agrees to buy stock, not out of any real understanding or belief in the concept, but because he trusts Mr. Drysdale and wants to be agreeable. The episode doesn’t delve into specific details of which companies Jed invests in, as the humor is more centered on the absurdity of the situation rather than any financial consequences.
The subplot involves the Clampett family’s continued adjustment to their luxurious Beverly Hills mansion and high-society neighbors. They still feel out of place, and their rustic, down-to-earth behaviors stand in stark contrast to the sophisticated, polished world of Beverly Hills. Their interactions with their neighbors and the city’s elite create additional layers of humor, as the Clampetts remain largely unaffected by their newfound wealth and continue to live by their old values and customs.
Granny’s distrust of the modern world and Jethro’s wide-eyed curiosity bring additional comic relief, as the family’s rural upbringing clashes with the complexities of city life. Granny often complains about the strangeness of the city folk, especially the idea that people in Beverly Hills place so much importance on things like money, investments, and appearances. Her skepticism and wit offer a sharp contrast to the more eager and sometimes gullible Jethro, who is fascinated by the luxuries of their new life but is too naïve to fully comprehend them.
The episode closes without any significant developments regarding the stocks themselves. Instead, the focus remains on the Clampetts’ ongoing adjustment to Beverly Hills and their interactions with the modern, money-driven world. The comedic tension between their simple, country lifestyle and the complexities of high society and financial systems continues to be the central theme, offering plenty of laughs through misunderstandings, cultural contrasts, and the family’s genuine innocence.
Analysis:
“Jed Buys Stock” exemplifies the broader themes of The Beverly Hillbillies, which centers around the fish-out-of-water scenario of a poor family suddenly thrust into immense wealth and high society. The humor of the series lies in the Clampetts’ rural values and straightforward way of life clashing with the sophisticated and often absurd expectations of Beverly Hills’ elite.
Jed’s decision to buy stock, despite not understanding what it is, reflects his good-hearted nature and trust in others, especially Mr. Drysdale, who is more concerned with securing his bank’s hold on the Clampetts’ fortune than genuinely educating them about finance. This dynamic also emphasizes how wealth and materialism are treated in the show—not as something inherently desirable but as an amusing and sometimes confusing aspect of modern life.
Overall, the episode continues to build on the core comedic tension of the series, using the Clampetts’ innocence and lack of familiarity with modern concepts to highlight the absurdities of both high society and financial systems.
