For decades, The Flintstones and The Jetsons have entertained audiences by showing how the family dynamic thrives in the distant past and future. Both George Jetson and Fred Flintstone represent the ideal of what it means to work hard to provide for their families. And for years, their similarities have been understood but never questioned by audiences. However, one theory changes everything by stating that both families aren't as distant from one another as previously thought.

In 1987, The Jetsons Meet The Flintstones was released and showed George's son Elroy developing a time machine that allows them to travel to the Prehistoric Era, where they meet the Flintstones. Though the two are from very different times, their similarities shine through and offer perfect comedic moments. That being said, a theory on Reddit believes that these two families are so similar because time isn't what separates them at all. In fact, they exist in the same reality, just on separate sections of the planet.

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According to the theory, an apocalyptic event all but destroyed the Earth and forced humanity to live in the sky. And as that population advanced, another event allowed for life to continue. However, rather than pick up where it left off, history has restarted with creatures from various eras, including humans, coexisting. To add more credence to the idea, the theorist also claims that on the rare occasions the Flintstones send something into the air, it never returns because it's destroyed. It could also be that a shield separates both societies so that the ones below never get suspicious.

The theory also takes a darker turn as more ideas are thrown around as to why both civilizations live separately. Rather than both societies existing without conflict, it's possible that only a few escaped before the apocalyptic event. Now, there's a degree of classism involved that has evolved into people in the sky looking down on the ones below. Even more scary is the idea that any who behave out of line are banished to the prehistoric society. The theory also gets metaphorical by expanding on this dark theory. Where the Jetsons represent knowledge, growth and complacency, the Flintstones represent ignorance, primitiveness and hard work. Rather than one being worse than the other, both exist as a part of the whole.

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To keep both civilizations separate, it is logical to assume that the powers above have allowed citizens to believe they exist in a futuristic time. This explains why even with all of the technology at their disposal, modern ideas are still being implemented, such as maids and vehicular travel. Plus, with time itself being kept from the people, Elroy's invention would exist without the proper understanding of the year he's really in, meaning his "time machine" acts as a teleporter to take them to the surface.

The only point of contention in the theory comes from the 1990 film Jetsons: The Movie. While the movie is still set in the future, it explains that everyone lives in the sky due to the abundance of smog on the surface. While it's a valid explanation for why society moved to the sky, the flexibility of the theory could work this explanation in its favor. Ultimately, the excuse of smog could be yet another lie from the powers that be to keep society from uncovering the dark truth of the Earth's surface. Of course, without confirmation, the theory remains nothing more than thoughtful analysis of two believed shows, but it's still hard not to consider the possibility.

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