What’s wrong with Grandpa Joe from ‘Willy Wonka?’

Over this past week, the entertainment world was gifted with a string of new stills and a fresh-faced trailer for Wonka — Paul King’s upcoming extravaganza which serves as a prequel to 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The ever-popular fantasy film electrified the media world back in the ‘70s, introducing the cinematic realm to the character of Willy Wonka, as well as a lineup of other intriguing characters. That being said, there’s always been one character in particular that has remained under the microscope for over 50 years.

In the OG Willy Wonka, viewers are introduced to Charlie Bucket – a poor paperboy who lives with his mother and grandparents. When we first meet Charlie, we learn that all of his grandparents are bedridden, but the reasons aren’t exactly made obvious. One day, Charlie returns home with a golden ticket found in one of Wonka’s infamous chocolate bars. Once Charlie boasts about the ticket, one of his grandparents — Grandpa Joe — miraculously jumps out of bed after being in bed for twenty years. After some caution and stumbling, Grandpa Joe even starts singing and dancing alongside Charlie.

Even with the excitement from both Charlie and Grandpa Joe, fans have been wondering for years what exactly happened to Grandpa Joe that made him unable to leave bed.

What’s wrong with Grandpa Joe?

There are several theories regarding Grandpa Joe and why exactly he was bedridden for two decades. One theory — which borrows inspiration from Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel — suggests that Grandpa Joe was injured while serving in World War II. Thus, his injury prevented him from being able to walk and was the driving factor in him becoming bedridden.

Another theory has suggested that Grandpa Joe suffered from chronic depression from being poor, which would cause low fatigue and a lethargic sensation. As a result, it’s possible that Grandpa Joe simply felt too “tired” to get out of bed, and once a few years passed, it became impossible.

Despite the theories, Grandpa Joe has easily been regarded as “one of the most hated men on the internet,” with many folks finding it incredibly selfish that he stayed in bed for twenty years while his daughter and grandson suffered and were forced to work to try and support the entire family. Once Charlie tells his family about the golden ticket, Grandpa Joe selfishly proclaims that he has the golden ticket before insisting to Charlie that “we” have the ticket.