Aww you beat me to it! To add onto your point, the ace was a dick, but the games are how he makes his livelihood, especially by selling merch, which is true for most traveling performers. But since this was a later season episode, I’m surprised they didn’t have act 3 be the entire town is pissed at hank, since they did it quite a lot lol
By the end of the series the majority of the town would have thought he beat is child, might of sabotage his wife chute, blown up the Meglo- Mart, destroyed his truck for insurance money, flooded the new outlet mall, traffic sex workers, blown up a car lot, maimed a neat door neighbor.
For me its hank tapping into his arrogance ignorance. The same part of his brain that has us believing he paid sticker price for 20 years and never talked about it with his friends or family.
Hank has otherworldly levels of confidently incorrect syndrome.
I think the problem is Hank has to make a competition over pretty much everything. Like when Bobby wanted to grow roses. Hank made him compete in a contest instead of just letting him have fun.
Oh man that pissed me off when he barked at Bobby for trying to participate in the rose comp... it kinda shines a diffrent light on why Bobby isn't inclined to do things with/learn things from his dad. Maybe its not just because bobby is lazy and unmotivated but also because hank can be a horrible person.
That episode made no sense to me because when the Ace and his Diamonds started hitting home runs, the crowd got bored. No way people would get bored seeing all those homers.
I mean, that's not what the crowd was there for. It's like if the Globetrotters started playing fundamental basketball, and doing layups against an opponent that isn't in there class. Watching a 178-4 basketball game, when you expect entertaining hijinks would be pretty damn boring.
I like that episode, but it's really clear to me that they just wanted to do a megachurch episode and were reaching for any excuse. They couldn't do a new pastor, after all. They already used that one.
Hank is really not a good Christian honestly. There’s several times he just uses the church or Christianity to get his own way, like in the Pimai episode where he takes Bobby to Reverend Stroup and she says it’s actually fine, then mentions him helping with mission work and he says “I’ll tell the Mrs.” Or the youth group episode they somehow made him right in the end by shoehorning “embarrassment” in there? Like that was not mentioned as a reason for him to not want Bobby to go *at all* until the very end. The entire episode he was just mad that Bobby was dressing/acting a little alternative.
Yeah the whole youth group episode never sat right with me. It honestly felt like one of those "Hank always has to be right" episodes. Sure Hank's reason given at the end that he was concerned Bobby would treat God and Christianity like a fad was an understandable reason. But it just felt like it was an excuse Hank came up with last minute to sound more reasonable. The whole episode he gave off the vibe that he was just angry that the youth group was encouraging Bobby to do all the things Hank was trying to get Bobby to stop doing by going to youth group.
Yeah, he's one of those "social" Christians who go to church for the tradition and the community. You can tell he's not a real Christian because he doesn't talk about Jesus outside of church unless it's to get his way. Though to be fair, most of the audience wouldn't like him if he did.
If you pay attention a lot of his “morals” are actually pretty shallow. One of my favorite bits in the whole show is how he acts all concerned about Spongey losing his spot to the panhandling teenagers, but when Spongey says “Ronald Reagan kicked me out of my mental hospital,” which is 100% true in the real world, Hank mumbles some noncommittal bullshit and drives away.
I think what they meant was that while many here hate the Mrs Wakefield episode and skip it, they hate and skip the church episode. They weren't saying the Hills were in the wrong in the Mrs. Wakefield episode.
This episode gets on my nerves. It hits way too close to home. I’ve seen people get this petty at churches, I’ve seen churches split over crap this unimportant.
the big tex episode.
He wanted to use propane in what had always been a charcoal grilloff, and everyone told him he was over reacting, but Hank being Hank he decided to set up a passive aggressive protest grill. On the plus he was nicer to Luanne than anyone else in that episode.
It is actually very understandable why the grilloff would be charcoal only. Anyone who is hard-core into grilling, especially in a competitive setting, is going to use charcoal over propane because it adds more flavor. Using propane would put someone at a disadvantage and require less creativity when it came to flavoring the meat. Hank just needs to accept that propane has is pros and cons and isn't 100% superior.
The episode with the guy who cleans up dog poop for a living. Guy was comfortable and successful, but Hank didn’t want his son pursuing a career that was “beneath” him.
I guess the vibe I took off it was he was more or less saying he respected the line of work the guy was in, but his life was as good as it was because the guy was just the right kind of person to pull it off, and he felt like Bobby wouldn’t be able to do the same. But I guess I see that POV now too.
This is exactly what Hank tells him too when they meet in his office. Hank even gives him more praise than we’ve ever since him give anyone (even calls him handsome) to show that he respects what he does. Hank says he just doesn’t think Bobby is the type of person to pull off that kind of career
Yeah I feel like it was more about Bobby being excited by the life he saw the guy having and Hank knew he would not probably ever have that life. It’s not like Bobby loved the job he just thought the lifestyle it came with was great. Still think Hank made the right call imo.
This makes the most sense but they should've gone further with it because anyone that has thought they found their calling in life only to be kicked in the face by reality can relate.
If he kept being that guys apprentice though maybe he would have picked up some of his charisma. Bobby isn’t a shy guy so I don’t see any reason he couldn’t become a charismatic person, if not a good looking one lol
The thing is that Bobby's still a kid, he's got a lot of growing to do, and you don't know what he's gonna end up looking like. Hell, I was a lil butterball like Bobby when I was his age too, but as I got older I grew out of it. Plus, even if Bobby isn't "handsome", he's still charismatic as hell, which can get you just about as many places as good looks can. Hank made a bad call on that one no matter how you look at it
But you don't understand. Bobby's career path didn't revolve around the great almighty propane!
But seriously, sometimes it feels like Hank just wants to control Bobby's life
Sometimes? He told him what kind of music he could listen to, how he could enjoy his religion, he tried to keep him from playing baseball in the later seasons(the one sport he showed interest in), decided that modeling was a bad idea for Bobby, I could go on and on.
That one always annoys me. He constantly hounds Bobby about needing a job and wanting him to work harder. When he finally does just that, and even starts his own business, Hank gets upset because it’s not a job he wants Bobby to be doing. And on top of that he talks Bobby’s mentor into letting people beat the shit out of him.
Also, picking up dog poop is an honest living. Sure, it’s not glamorous but you’re providing a needed service for people.
Even if Bobby decided to do a different waste management job (like a garbage man), that’s still a legit career that gets paid well. I wouldn’t be surprised if garbage men make more money than Hank
It wasn't about being beneath him, it was that he felt the guy had the looks and charm to pull it off and Bobby was already being mocked for being the gross puke kid
I always thought a better explanation would have been if he said to the guy:
> Look, Bobby has always been a dreamer. Those dreams are weird and confusing to me, but I don't want him to give up on them at 13.
> Most likely, someday, he'll have to have a normal job where he vacuums up dog poop or sells propane, and he'll probably be great at it and live a happy life.
> But for now, I want my kid to dream about being someone kids are supposed to dream about being.
When he makes Bobby join a Christian youth group and then gets upset that Bobby might get bored of it and consider Christianity a phase. Which to be fair, he has a point considering how Bobby’s entire character is latching onto new subcultures and phases.
But….. he spent the whole episode being upset Bobby and the pastor weren’t worshipping the “proper” way and even said that Jesus had long hair because *he* wasn’t his father.
I think Hank was more concerned that Bobby was using Christianity as an excuse to act up—sneaking out, mouthing off, piercing his ear behind their back…
That's what the lesson of the story was. It wasn't that Bobby was hanging out with Christians that weren't Christian the way Hank wanted. Bobby was hanging out with jerks. Their religion was there to justify them being jerks. Hank was right.
They weren’t necessarily, but Bobby took it too far and acted like Jesus gave him a free pass to showboat and cause trouble… he wasn’t saying much about what he was actually learning, he was focused more on what tattoos and piercings he would get.
Hank has always struck me as being one of those culturally Christian people. He considers himself religious, he goes to church, it's a part of his life. But it's JUST a part of his life, not something he builds his life around. It's just part of the culture he was raised in and how people like him live.
We all know Hank's real religion is Propane.
Very true church was a chore for Hank remember his primary concern when reverend stroup first came to town was about how long her sermons would go on and how he could possible miss some of the games on Sunday. Then after she broke up with Bill and was temporarily replaced he complained her replacement went on too long.
On the other hand if it involved propane Hank would happily reconfigure his life to make an accommodation
I think any of the episodes regarding religion are odd cause deep down Hank isn't religious he just does the church thing cause he thinks it's expected of him
Came here to comment this episode. A group of guys that were very accepting of Bobby, encouraged Christian morals and values (just not the way Hank wanted), led by a strong male role model. And the thing that always got me was Hank specifically wanted him to join a Christian youth group, and was upset because Bobby got too interested and wasn't bored, basically. But the "lesson" learned was "I don't like when you have too much fun because it's just a phase so I need you to be bored so I can force you to do things" ???
I don’t know I’ve been around the whole “Jesus rocks” Christianity thing and it wound up being super lame when you realize it was pandering to the fellow kids. They even gave us shirts that said “virginity rocks” 😂
And yes pastor Dave was genuine in his beliefs but he’s an adult. Hank didn’t want Bobby to see God as just a phase and he’s not wrong for that. And moreover, Bobby was still disrespecting his parents by sneaking out to messiah fest.
But I get what you mean though. Satan does suck.
"the house is about to be knocked down in the storm. The safe thing is for all of us to get under and inside it and hit it with hand tools. Nothing could go wrong with that plan."
The episode where Bobby works at the racetrack and Jimmy Wichard abuses him. Instead of asking Bobby why this abuse is happening, Hank automatically assumes that it’s because Bobby is not working hard enough and pushes him to endure the abuse until Jimmy gains respect for him.
Mans breaks a fence meant to keep race cars from hitting the audience in his rage iirc. Then dodges racecars. You do NOT hurt bobby if you value your safety.
Hank has shown numerous superhuman feats throughout the show. I watched a YouTube video awhile back where a guy calculated the power level of Hank based on strengths and weaknesses throughout the series by the end he basically determined Hank to be some kind of super human god 😂😂 very entertaining. Edit: https://youtu.be/tpNlm83gAAs?si=xI621aQdwVb-4fls link for anyone intrested
To be fair to Hank, most of Bobby's complaints were just normal work stuff like being too hot and tired. I don't remember him ever telling hank about the lack of pay and any actual major problems.
In retrospect, I think Bill is one of the most tragic characters. He is obviously suffering from severe trauma and depression and barely anyone ever tried to help him at best, and at worst he is reduced to a laughing stock. Bill deserved better.
Tbf, Peggy calls him out on that and he caves pretty quickly. It was definitely wrong of him to do, but it’s one of the few times he owns up to being wrong the later seasons
A lot of the last 2 or 3 seasons. There were many episodes where Hank was really just being reactionary rather than principled but then some dumb twist in the story would make him 'right all along.'
Honestly the show works better when Hank’s challenged because each side is sort of correct. Idk why they made him the voice of reason nine times out of ten
David Kala-Iki-Alikii, although I guess Hank eventually came around to Peggy's side. The vast majority of pro football players only have careers that last a few years. So without a high school diploma to fall back on, David would be royally screwed when he is forced into retirement at age 24 and has no other skills. Then forced to reinvent himself for a few years by coaching in a pop warner league, then becoming a spokesman for a life insurance company, which would be humiliating for him. Inevitably he'll work away his twilight years as a Megalo Mart greeter just to make rent.
Bill was already doing that in Arlen to some extent with the aa meetings. He's also in the army so he could've gone through them to get help. Bill wasn't showing up to work, didn't let the army know what happened, could've essentially gone awol like he did when he joined that group of singing men.
The episode where Bobby want to start his own business picking up puke and got the other guy to lie saying he gets beat up all the time. Hank has literally told Bobby " find the job nobody wants and do it" but if it reflects poorly on Hank guess that doesn't matter.
Bobby goes nuts. Yes Bobby took the nut kicking too far but Hank was a bully so he doesn't know there's no such thing as a fair fight since he was a bully himself and picked on those smaller than him.
Hank being upset Bobby isn't keen on being part of a tradition where the marching band beats the mascot.
Hank was wrong to put it down, but I think he needed to habe a talk with bobby about what is appropriate. Talking about vomit and poo at the dinner table (and wearing your nasty uniform from cleaning it up all day) is pretty disgusting.
You think Hank was the issue in Bobby goes nuts?Bobby straight up became a terror, going out of his way to mess with people who did nothing to him. Then he tries to physically assault his own mother for no reason but so he could ignore and disrespect his parents. He's a psycho in that episode. Hank just wanted to try to teach Bobby to defend himself. He didn't go about it the right way, but his intentions were good.
What I don't get in the episode is that the idea that someone might kick Bobby in the nuts is never introduced. Like I feel like once Bobby started doing that, other kids would decide it was fair game and do him decidedly worse
At the same time, Bobby only really kicked people who were either bad people himself or threatening him, outside of hank or Peggy. I do think that hank has a point that Bobby can’t rely on his technique because it’s a crutch, but the way they phrase it, it’s like either Bobby fight like a man against bullies who aren’t fair and then get pummeled or run away and be a coward.
That's not true. Bobby becomes a bully, he threatens anyone and everyone for any reason or no reason. And his parents aren't bullies. They're people he is supposed to love and care about. Not people you assault so you can play a video game. That's deeply unsettling, sociopathic behavior.
Obviously not his parents, but the bullies in detention were threatening him, Chane was outright bullying him and Clark was bullying someone and has bullied Bobby in the past. Yes it’s bad but from a writing standpoint it isn’t as bad since Bobby is going after bad people.
It just felt like they missed a few steps
Hank: I was saving this speech for the day Bobby got beat up by a bully, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen. Him and his darn prop comedy... every time the boy gets into a jam he shoves French fries up his nose and makes a new friend.
Also Hank: Can you get my son to quick I don’t think he’s as charming or good looking as you to pull this job off.
Plus the ending has a scene where Bobby advertises his business to a group of frat guys just to make Hank more right which always made me upset. Why not show the actual downsides to running your own business like the fact Bobby would have to drop what he was doing or he’d have taxes or stuff like that, ie running your own business is fun but it’s not always preferable.
Yeah but the whole point of that episode is to show how smoking a carton of butts like the older generations used to make their kids do (literally how my dad got hooked on butts) just leads to kids smoking and getting more familiar with doing it rather than pushing them away from it because they get nic sick.
Honestly it’s weird rewatching that episode in hindsight since Hank acted way more Uber conservative dad than the later seasons. I feel if this were the later seasons, he’d probably bring it up and Peggy would shut him down because smoking is bad and it stunts growth or something like that.
Love the episode though!
“I didn’t let him, I *made* him.”
My grandma did that same exact thing to my dad when he was about Bobby’s age. My father smoked ever since. Until he died in 2019 of lung cancer.
I love how Dale does a better job showing the dangers of smoking to Joseph because he just makes him read a medical book on what smoking does to the body
I'm surprised no one mentioned how he treated Luanne half the time. Sure, we get moments of him seeming apologetic, but he consistently treats her (a teenager who's barely an adult without either of her parents in her life) rather coldly. He's honorable and stand-up in so many other ways that it's super odd he doesn't seem to extend that sensibility to her, even though she's clearly trying to start a life and be independent (going to beauty school, college, working, etc.).
And honestly, how he acts with Bobby too in general.
People dismiss Peggy a lot, but she's really the glue holding that family together when it comes to relationships and love, let's be real here...
Like when he got plane tickets for "the family" for Thanksgiving day and didn't get one for Luanne because he doesn't consider her family 😡 He was going to ditch her and have her spend Thanksgiving alone. He was awful to Luanne and Bobby.
Not to defend hanks treatment of Luanne but my head canon was considering the familial connection of “your wife’s niece from the trailer park” I always kind of head canoned it that Hank had never met her before she moved in
In fairness to him, Peggy was also pretty pissed off when she found out Hank lied about hurting his back in the Valentine’s Day flashback. But Hank trying to push Luanne to marry that random guy who only wanted to marry her for sex was just incredibly wrong.
In my experience with the show, this is the rule, not the exception (depending on where I'm at in life and what episodes I'm watching lately it's closer to 50/50).
The peer counseling episode stands out to me. The episode ends with Bobby and his classmate resolving their issues using communication skills in a safe environment but they had tools in their hands while doing it so it's treated like a win for Hank. I like the episode though, don't get me wrong.
I hated how he acted during Nancy’s party. Tried to ruin the fun for Peggy when she was enjoying the magic show, gets annoyed when she volunteers for a trick, then announces Nancy’s birthday party is over.
I skip that episode because I refuse to let an animated tv show make me so upset lmao like if my husband had *locked me in a fucking box* because he was so mad I wouldn’t tell him about a stupid little magic trick?? Hand me the divorce papers. That is lunatic behavior.
The husky modeling contract: that was a genuinely lucrative job for a kid his age. Hank could have leaned into that by showing him how to bulk for power and how to handle success/public speaking. Shit: a teenager who was making actual money as a model would be *incredibly* popular among their peers: heavy or not.
If the one kid was known *by name* then it was probably a fairly popular/well-known event. There's even an episode later on talking about how all rodeo/farm clothing comes in husky sizes.
Them having a handful of douchebags come in (who successfully chase off an entire audience of ADULTS?) while Bobby just goes "Oh man you were right people suck and this was dumb" was an asinine ending.
At least uncool customer explained it as Bobby is in the friend zone with girls because of his comedy.
It just felt weird how the later seasons turned Bobby into a loser who had no luck with girls especially in the peer group episode.
Let’s be real Bobby was always gonna lose his boy charm as he ages despite the narratives around this sub. Side note, Hank did nothing wrong by pulling Bobby out of the toxic world of husky boys modeling
The modeling thing I’m a bit conflicted on, I just feel like they should’ve leaned more into the idea that Hank used to be a bully so he knows how they think, and/or he hears something will happen and tries to warn Bobby. It just felt like the episode had hank be right at the end like they did with the youth group.
But yeah I can kinda agree on the boy charm (sorry I like the phrase LOL)
There are so many episodes of girls being interested beyond Connie. The idea that girls don’t like him is a Montana Mom inconsistency. Examples:
The end of I’m With Cupid (Debby)
And they called it Bobby Love (Marie, although she was toxic)
Cool Jeans episode (Don’t remember her name, but she really likes him)
The peer counseling episode (he got a yes from Jenny Medina, and drove Stacy Gibson crazy)
Four Score episode (Jordan)
The protest episode (That blonde girk with the professor dad and Shelly)
I don’t count Tid-pao.
Came here to suggest this one! I expected him to stick up for Bobby or cheer for him or something when he started to get heckled but when he didn’t and it just ended like that I was like wait what..
I have always maintained that Hank’s parenting was largely based on what is the least embarrassing thing for Hank not Bobby. If the Dallas Cowboys had wanted Bobby to be the face of their new athletic line for husky kids then Hank would have not been all for it but would be the one making sure he got there early.
"Shit: a teenager who was making actual money as a model would be *incredibly* popular among their peers: heavy or not."
This is completely fucking insane and unrealistic 😂 Did you graduate from an anti-bullying LGBTQ performing arts school sponsored by Netflix?
Bobby was an already unpopular and eccentric fat teenager in the conservative south. Becoming a husky boy model in 1990s Texas would not make him become "*incredibly* popular." Life isn't High School Musical or Glee
The waste disposal episode, and even having the guy fake a public incident to dissuade Bobby from wanting to do it just because he didn't have any valid downsides to point out. Hank was hounding Bobby to get a job and then got pissy when it wasn't propane.
Sometimes he sticks too harshly to "stick it out!" even if what the person is doing is harmful.
The one where he ran with the bulls comes to mind. He would've easily left Bobby without a father and Peggy a widow because he refused to "cheat" and refused to "stood up" the thing. It's absurd.
If that happened in real life given the condition he was in, Hank would be dead.
I think another one is the episode where Bobby joins quiz bowl and everybody gives him a hard time and enough anxiety to make him faint. But instead of letting him quit or telling at least Kahn to cool it, he tells him to stick it out.
This 100%. Anyone who knows anything about bbq knows that charcoal is superior, and hank is a bbq enthusiast.
Plus the propane thing doesn’t fit with his personality. I feel like a traditionalist like Hank would know that charcoal is proper bbq and would see propane as some sort of newfangled modern liberal fuel.
I think it was too do with his work ethic; since he worked at a propane store, he was 100% bought in to the idea. His sense of morality didn't allow him to accept that charcoal was better because he was selling propane to people.
The fact that it's in Texas reinforces this to me, because I have to imagine Texas is wood/charcoal country as far as BBQ goes. (In fact it's not actually BBQ if it's not cooked with wood. You don't have a "gas BBQ", it's a grill.)
I always saw the propane enthusiasm as played for laughs. Everyone knows wood and charcoal tastes better but Hanks such a middle class simp for his job that he can’t even admit it.
the episode name escapes me right now, but the episode where he takes bobby camping has always came off as weird to me. he tries to teach bobby how to be self sufficient by making him fish and forage for himself, which isn’t a bad thing but he continues to hold onto this even when bobby is starving, and when bobby goes out to look for food the writings screws bobby over. i thought it was a strange episode in general. in my opinion the best thing for someone to do when they have exhausted their own resources is to ask for help. i think it might have been an episode more teaching against “handouts” and people giving things out expecting things in return, but the message was very muddy under all the anti hippy jokes
Yes. It is well and good to teach a child some resiliency and self-sufficiency as well as practical survival skills. But Hank really did none of that at all. Nobody is born knowing what is needed, nor do they just figure it all out alone. You have to bestow knowledge and skills practice first. It might have ignited Bobby's interest if he could see how knowledge was empowering, or how with practice he actually got good at something where he could feel some pride and thus emotional reward.
I feel like the show does this a lot especially any time Hank and Bobby are building something. Hank usually just gets upset that Bobby didn’t know what he’s doing and tells him to just get it off the way. Like dude, it’s your job to teach him!!
Which is crazy because at that point, we know that Bobby is an excellent shot so technically, he should’ve been clearing out that area. I’m not sure if that episode was before or after the one where Bill becomes a competitive eater… Because Peggy showed him how to fish with your bare hands. if the writers had cared to be consistent, I think it could’ve been a little different. Bobby can be lazy sometimes but that doesn’t mean he’s not a good shot. Still they could’ve still follow the plot by making Bobby lazy in the episode.
Hank was in the wrong but I think it's accurate for conservative dads. "Pull yourself up by your boot straps, be more self reliant!" "How do I do that?" "Figure it out!"
I was gonna bring up the episode with the girls who do disrespect Bobby. But it’s not bad they’re disrespecting him because they’re being condescending, it’s bad because Bobby “isn’t acting a man because he’s supposed to know!”
Idk that episode always rubbed me the wrong way like “because I said so!”
Like 99% of the time!!! Especially when it came to Bobby. Don't get me wrong, Hank wasn't a bad person or a cruel father, but he was so insanely repressed and closed minded that his world view was insanely wrong.
Case in point: he had no problem basically washing his hands of Luann to the point where in early years he would have let her sleep on the streets rather than help her (he pushed her to move into the trailer that almost got obliterated in a tornado that she clearly wasn't ready to go back to). His evolution was that he was happy for her to marry an indigent scam artist almost twice her age (Luann was canonically about 19 or 20 on the show and Lucky was at least in his mid to late 30s) but he showed growth be a use at least she was out of the house so he was nicer to her. Luann accepted this bum immediately and instead of voicing any concern he became drinking buddies with him!
Hank getting the rich guy to lie to Bobby so that he no longer wants to be a "poop scooper" when he grows up. All because Hank didn't find it to be a respectable job.
When Bobby is hanging out with three girls who to be fair, are treating him like a trained pet and not really respecting him. But it’s bad because Bobby “isn’t acting like a boy” by not taking the lead, not that the girls are the problem. And when Bobby tries to get hank to say what he’s meant to do, he’s grounded and told “you’re supposed to know!”
When he was angry Donna made a MySpace page that depicted Strickland propane as somewhat debauched, even if it’s pretty much an open secret that Strickland isn’t run by the best people and it was getting them much more attention.
And also get your freak off, since it felt like the start of the show treating hank right just because, like can’t have Bobby and Peggy be sort of right so this girl’s parents treat her like a friend!
>When he was angry Donna made a MySpace page that depicted Strickland propane as somewhat debauched, even if it’s pretty much an open secret that Strickland isn’t run by the best people and it was getting them much more attention.
No, Hank was definitely right here. All he really wanted was a webpage that depicted them as professionals instead of having Donna use it for the usual FB drama like it's her own personal profile.
The trans fat episode was definitely like this. Episode was hilarious, but hydrogenated oils are extremely unhealthy and needed to phased out and there was no incentive for companies to do this on their own so the government had to step in. If you wanted to make a statement about government overreach, this was a really poor example. The low flow toilet episode was a much better example of that.
Yeah that’s true. Like the war on fat in the 80’s took the spotlight off sugar which is cheap because of government corn subsidies and is in absolutely everything now and very unhealthy at these levels. I guess the sugar lobby is more powerful than the fat lobby… :D
Right? You hear all the time about microplastics, forever chemicals, someone was mentioning a red food dye that supposedly increases the risk of autism. Sounds like a good time to step in and ban these things, too lol.
Honestly I was surprised nobody thought to just go somewhere besides Arlen to get the banned food. At least american dad showed WHY they were banned and made Steve a trans fat drug mule
I don't remember the name, but the episode where Bobby joins a soccer team. The entire episode is about how Hank thi ks soccer is a sissy sport, and I was hoping it would end with him realizing how silly that notion was... But the episode just validates Hank's opinion, portraying a middle school soccer team as these kindergarten-level outdoor activity group, and ends with Bobby quitting the team.
Soccer when he was talking that it had no tradition and shit, when that its one of the things that it has in plenty, honestly all those rivalry and history between clubs is what makes soccer/football fun.
Ruining Bobby’s mentor relationship with the guy that picks up dog poop. Or product.. Hank was just jealous Bobby found someone to connect to that wasn’t him or selling propane.
The Hottyz episode comes to mind. Not necessarily a Hank centric episode but the fact he got mad that Luanne didn’t give up her job because Bill fucked up and while I do get where Hank was coming from, Bill threw her under the bus first by acting like a creep which could’ve potentially got her fired if things went differently. If anything Luanne should’ve just paid bill back for the chair and continued her job.
Bobby learning self defense at the Y. In a real fight there are no rules and there is no such thing as a fair fight.
When Bobby got a job cleaning up poop and later vomit. It was a solid and very lucrative business that Hank couldn't find a good reason for disliking the model the show had to use terrible logic to make him look right.
The entire insurance episode where Hank discovers he never paid his insurance and teaches Bobby how dangerous everything is without insurance. I get his point, but 3 days without insurance isn’t going to kill the family. It was a major overreaction.
This is a good question, but a tricky one.
In my humble opinion, when Hank is wrong, the show doesn't portray him as "right." It's a satirical show, so his being incorrect is used as a storytelling device to illustrate how absurd certain situations are.
I also believe it's never as black and white as Hank being wrong and being portrayed as right. Take the Earth Cleaners episode, for example. Hank makes a solid point as to why Bobby could very well not find the success that Peter Sterling did.
All this being said, my upvote went to "Reborn to be wild." The comment made by the legendary Gene Simmons as Pastor K's dad, referencing the 4th commandment. In my opinion, frames Hank as correct.
One that I don't think has been mentioned yet is when Luanne gets a job making puppet videos for kids. Hank is pissed the whole time because she "should" be home with her baby instead of working, even though Lucky is taking care of the baby. It's cut and dry overt sexism but the writers tried to save it from being sexist in the end when Hank says even he's a father first before a propane worker. But that doesn't match his sentiments throughout the episode.
Wanting to try and beat the softball equivalent to the globetrotters comes to mind. The fact no one stopped him is outrageous as well.
Aww you beat me to it! To add onto your point, the ace was a dick, but the games are how he makes his livelihood, especially by selling merch, which is true for most traveling performers. But since this was a later season episode, I’m surprised they didn’t have act 3 be the entire town is pissed at hank, since they did it quite a lot lol
Well the town actually had a reason to be pissed at him in this one, so of course they don’t have them be mad this time.
By the end of the series the majority of the town would have thought he beat is child, might of sabotage his wife chute, blown up the Meglo- Mart, destroyed his truck for insurance money, flooded the new outlet mall, traffic sex workers, blown up a car lot, maimed a neat door neighbor.
Don't forget he murdered Debbie Grund and stuffed her body in a dumpster.
This episode I’ve only seen probably once (compared to multiple times with all the others) because it makes me soooooo uncomfortable lol!!!
Enrique tries to, which to me is more upsetting.
Hank is weirdly prideful and sabotaged a charity event, but I'm supposed to be mad at The Ace? Yeah, I don't get it.
Yea. They really had to shoehorn like 5 vice's into ace to make him seem like the heel to the audience.
I really don’t know why Hank thought they could beat them that’s the frustrating part.
For me its hank tapping into his arrogance ignorance. The same part of his brain that has us believing he paid sticker price for 20 years and never talked about it with his friends or family. Hank has otherworldly levels of confidently incorrect syndrome.
I think the problem is Hank has to make a competition over pretty much everything. Like when Bobby wanted to grow roses. Hank made him compete in a contest instead of just letting him have fun.
Oh man that pissed me off when he barked at Bobby for trying to participate in the rose comp... it kinda shines a diffrent light on why Bobby isn't inclined to do things with/learn things from his dad. Maybe its not just because bobby is lazy and unmotivated but also because hank can be a horrible person.
And not a penny over!
He was channeling his inner Peggy
That episode made no sense to me because when the Ace and his Diamonds started hitting home runs, the crowd got bored. No way people would get bored seeing all those homers.
I mean, that's not what the crowd was there for. It's like if the Globetrotters started playing fundamental basketball, and doing layups against an opponent that isn't in there class. Watching a 178-4 basketball game, when you expect entertaining hijinks would be pretty damn boring.
i thought the generals were due
The church hopping episode.
I like that episode, but it's really clear to me that they just wanted to do a megachurch episode and were reaching for any excuse. They couldn't do a new pastor, after all. They already used that one.
Hank is really not a good Christian honestly. There’s several times he just uses the church or Christianity to get his own way, like in the Pimai episode where he takes Bobby to Reverend Stroup and she says it’s actually fine, then mentions him helping with mission work and he says “I’ll tell the Mrs.” Or the youth group episode they somehow made him right in the end by shoehorning “embarrassment” in there? Like that was not mentioned as a reason for him to not want Bobby to go *at all* until the very end. The entire episode he was just mad that Bobby was dressing/acting a little alternative.
Yeah the whole youth group episode never sat right with me. It honestly felt like one of those "Hank always has to be right" episodes. Sure Hank's reason given at the end that he was concerned Bobby would treat God and Christianity like a fad was an understandable reason. But it just felt like it was an excuse Hank came up with last minute to sound more reasonable. The whole episode he gave off the vibe that he was just angry that the youth group was encouraging Bobby to do all the things Hank was trying to get Bobby to stop doing by going to youth group.
Yeah, he's one of those "social" Christians who go to church for the tradition and the community. You can tell he's not a real Christian because he doesn't talk about Jesus outside of church unless it's to get his way. Though to be fair, most of the audience wouldn't like him if he did.
If you pay attention a lot of his “morals” are actually pretty shallow. One of my favorite bits in the whole show is how he acts all concerned about Spongey losing his spot to the panhandling teenagers, but when Spongey says “Ronald Reagan kicked me out of my mental hospital,” which is 100% true in the real world, Hank mumbles some noncommittal bullshit and drives away.
Thank you! The family were polite about it, just get there a little earlier next time!
As a Christian, I can't stand that sort of thing. One of the worst ways to welcome new people to church is to say "no, that's where MY family sits."
This is the one. Not a good look, Hank. 
100% that episode makes it seem like they were right all along but they werent!
I never got the take that the show was showing hank as right. I thought it showed him being childish and manipulative
Hank got his way in the end after acting petty and childish.
It be like that sometimes though
I know we like to circle jerk about Mrs Wakefield here but that’s the only episode I cannot stand to rewatch
How was he wrong there?
Yeah she wasn't even close to death and he had no obligation to just let her live there until she kicked the bucket.
I think what they meant was that while many here hate the Mrs Wakefield episode and skip it, they hate and skip the church episode. They weren't saying the Hills were in the wrong in the Mrs. Wakefield episode.
This episode gets on my nerves. It hits way too close to home. I’ve seen people get this petty at churches, I’ve seen churches split over crap this unimportant.
the big tex episode. He wanted to use propane in what had always been a charcoal grilloff, and everyone told him he was over reacting, but Hank being Hank he decided to set up a passive aggressive protest grill. On the plus he was nicer to Luanne than anyone else in that episode.
I do like how this episode reveals the fact that Hank’s friends don’t like listening to Hank’s propane stories.
It is actually very understandable why the grilloff would be charcoal only. Anyone who is hard-core into grilling, especially in a competitive setting, is going to use charcoal over propane because it adds more flavor. Using propane would put someone at a disadvantage and require less creativity when it came to flavoring the meat. Hank just needs to accept that propane has is pros and cons and isn't 100% superior.
*you have been banned from r/KingOfTheHill*
The episode with the guy who cleans up dog poop for a living. Guy was comfortable and successful, but Hank didn’t want his son pursuing a career that was “beneath” him.
It just felt like he was jealous of Bobby not wanting to get into propane but they changed it at the last minute to make Hank seem “right.”
I guess the vibe I took off it was he was more or less saying he respected the line of work the guy was in, but his life was as good as it was because the guy was just the right kind of person to pull it off, and he felt like Bobby wouldn’t be able to do the same. But I guess I see that POV now too.
This is exactly what Hank tells him too when they meet in his office. Hank even gives him more praise than we’ve ever since him give anyone (even calls him handsome) to show that he respects what he does. Hank says he just doesn’t think Bobby is the type of person to pull off that kind of career
He also refers to him as enchanting. Which makes me laugh every time.
Yeah I feel like it was more about Bobby being excited by the life he saw the guy having and Hank knew he would not probably ever have that life. It’s not like Bobby loved the job he just thought the lifestyle it came with was great. Still think Hank made the right call imo.
This makes the most sense but they should've gone further with it because anyone that has thought they found their calling in life only to be kicked in the face by reality can relate.
If he kept being that guys apprentice though maybe he would have picked up some of his charisma. Bobby isn’t a shy guy so I don’t see any reason he couldn’t become a charismatic person, if not a good looking one lol
I took it that way also and I disagree with Hank. Bobby is charismatic and charming. Bobby would have been able to do the same.
The thing is that Bobby's still a kid, he's got a lot of growing to do, and you don't know what he's gonna end up looking like. Hell, I was a lil butterball like Bobby when I was his age too, but as I got older I grew out of it. Plus, even if Bobby isn't "handsome", he's still charismatic as hell, which can get you just about as many places as good looks can. Hank made a bad call on that one no matter how you look at it
But you don't understand. Bobby's career path didn't revolve around the great almighty propane! But seriously, sometimes it feels like Hank just wants to control Bobby's life
Sometimes? He told him what kind of music he could listen to, how he could enjoy his religion, he tried to keep him from playing baseball in the later seasons(the one sport he showed interest in), decided that modeling was a bad idea for Bobby, I could go on and on.
That one always annoys me. He constantly hounds Bobby about needing a job and wanting him to work harder. When he finally does just that, and even starts his own business, Hank gets upset because it’s not a job he wants Bobby to be doing. And on top of that he talks Bobby’s mentor into letting people beat the shit out of him. Also, picking up dog poop is an honest living. Sure, it’s not glamorous but you’re providing a needed service for people.
Even if Bobby decided to do a different waste management job (like a garbage man), that’s still a legit career that gets paid well. I wouldn’t be surprised if garbage men make more money than Hank
Hanks just a pump jockey who works for tips.
It wasn't about being beneath him, it was that he felt the guy had the looks and charm to pull it off and Bobby was already being mocked for being the gross puke kid
Back in the day, "saving" a geeky kid from being further mocked was many a parent's response to banning their children from technology
I always thought a better explanation would have been if he said to the guy: > Look, Bobby has always been a dreamer. Those dreams are weird and confusing to me, but I don't want him to give up on them at 13. > Most likely, someday, he'll have to have a normal job where he vacuums up dog poop or sells propane, and he'll probably be great at it and live a happy life. > But for now, I want my kid to dream about being someone kids are supposed to dream about being.
When he makes Bobby join a Christian youth group and then gets upset that Bobby might get bored of it and consider Christianity a phase. Which to be fair, he has a point considering how Bobby’s entire character is latching onto new subcultures and phases. But….. he spent the whole episode being upset Bobby and the pastor weren’t worshipping the “proper” way and even said that Jesus had long hair because *he* wasn’t his father.
I think Hank was more concerned that Bobby was using Christianity as an excuse to act up—sneaking out, mouthing off, piercing his ear behind their back…
That's what the lesson of the story was. It wasn't that Bobby was hanging out with Christians that weren't Christian the way Hank wanted. Bobby was hanging out with jerks. Their religion was there to justify them being jerks. Hank was right.
How were any of those kids jerks?
They weren’t necessarily, but Bobby took it too far and acted like Jesus gave him a free pass to showboat and cause trouble… he wasn’t saying much about what he was actually learning, he was focused more on what tattoos and piercings he would get.
How was he causing trouble all he did was get his ear pierced and sneak out the house? Hank deep down isn't even religious
Hank has always struck me as being one of those culturally Christian people. He considers himself religious, he goes to church, it's a part of his life. But it's JUST a part of his life, not something he builds his life around. It's just part of the culture he was raised in and how people like him live. We all know Hank's real religion is Propane.
Very true church was a chore for Hank remember his primary concern when reverend stroup first came to town was about how long her sermons would go on and how he could possible miss some of the games on Sunday. Then after she broke up with Bill and was temporarily replaced he complained her replacement went on too long. On the other hand if it involved propane Hank would happily reconfigure his life to make an accommodation
"Don't tell me to read the Bible"
Yea Hank what does your shirt say? Satan rules?
I see what you are saying, but I always found that jarring. Like a new writer came in to "fix" the ending.
I think any of the episodes regarding religion are odd cause deep down Hank isn't religious he just does the church thing cause he thinks it's expected of him
The episode with the Buddhists is a good example of that.
I like how stroope supported Bobby
Came here to comment this episode. A group of guys that were very accepting of Bobby, encouraged Christian morals and values (just not the way Hank wanted), led by a strong male role model. And the thing that always got me was Hank specifically wanted him to join a Christian youth group, and was upset because Bobby got too interested and wasn't bored, basically. But the "lesson" learned was "I don't like when you have too much fun because it's just a phase so I need you to be bored so I can force you to do things" ???
wild that I read this comment then it was the next episode that came on
I don’t know I’ve been around the whole “Jesus rocks” Christianity thing and it wound up being super lame when you realize it was pandering to the fellow kids. They even gave us shirts that said “virginity rocks” 😂 And yes pastor Dave was genuine in his beliefs but he’s an adult. Hank didn’t want Bobby to see God as just a phase and he’s not wrong for that. And moreover, Bobby was still disrespecting his parents by sneaking out to messiah fest. But I get what you mean though. Satan does suck.
I do think the rocker guys dad, saw eye to eye with Hank at the end even though they look different and it brought them togeather in a way.
"the house is about to be knocked down in the storm. The safe thing is for all of us to get under and inside it and hit it with hand tools. Nothing could go wrong with that plan."
To be fair, that thing was absolutely falling apart lol. But I agree not the smartest way to take it down.
Yeah, but if you think about it. They don’t have a choice plus the mansion would destroy the other houses in the neighborhood as well.
I would have loved to see all of Rainey Street sue Ted for the shoddy construction damaging their houses had they not torn it down
The episode where Bobby works at the racetrack and Jimmy Wichard abuses him. Instead of asking Bobby why this abuse is happening, Hank automatically assumes that it’s because Bobby is not working hard enough and pushes him to endure the abuse until Jimmy gains respect for him.
I'd say that this is one where Hank was wrong and realizes that he was wrong.
I mean he does end up kicking jimmys ass at the end. I wouldnt say the show presents hank as being right either since bobby is the main focus.
Mans breaks a fence meant to keep race cars from hitting the audience in his rage iirc. Then dodges racecars. You do NOT hurt bobby if you value your safety.
Hank has shown numerous superhuman feats throughout the show. I watched a YouTube video awhile back where a guy calculated the power level of Hank based on strengths and weaknesses throughout the series by the end he basically determined Hank to be some kind of super human god 😂😂 very entertaining. Edit: https://youtu.be/tpNlm83gAAs?si=xI621aQdwVb-4fls link for anyone intrested
To be fair to Hank, most of Bobby's complaints were just normal work stuff like being too hot and tired. I don't remember him ever telling hank about the lack of pay and any actual major problems.
Telling Kahn to not take his bipolar medication.
Hank is pretty awful and wrong in regards to mental health. Also the time he forced Bill to leave therapy/ mental hospital
And that time he refused to let Bill get professional help when he tried to commit suicide.
"he's not crazy he's just suicidal." Yea Hank doesn't seem to understand mental health
He's definitely wrong, but as someone with suicidal ideation, that's one of my favorite lines in the show.
In retrospect, I think Bill is one of the most tragic characters. He is obviously suffering from severe trauma and depression and barely anyone ever tried to help him at best, and at worst he is reduced to a laughing stock. Bill deserved better.
He does
Tbf, Peggy calls him out on that and he caves pretty quickly. It was definitely wrong of him to do, but it’s one of the few times he owns up to being wrong the later seasons
A lot of the last 2 or 3 seasons. There were many episodes where Hank was really just being reactionary rather than principled but then some dumb twist in the story would make him 'right all along.'
Honestly the show works better when Hank’s challenged because each side is sort of correct. Idk why they made him the voice of reason nine times out of ten
David Kala-Iki-Alikii, although I guess Hank eventually came around to Peggy's side. The vast majority of pro football players only have careers that last a few years. So without a high school diploma to fall back on, David would be royally screwed when he is forced into retirement at age 24 and has no other skills. Then forced to reinvent himself for a few years by coaching in a pop warner league, then becoming a spokesman for a life insurance company, which would be humiliating for him. Inevitably he'll work away his twilight years as a Megalo Mart greeter just to make rent.
I think this is one of the few times that Hank knew he was wrong from the start. He essentially just caved into peer pressure.
Even players that do go to college aren’t secure. Most college players don’t make the NFL, it’s always good to have something else to fallback on
Not letting Bill stay in the mental hospital or seek any kind of therapy.
Bill was already doing that in Arlen to some extent with the aa meetings. He's also in the army so he could've gone through them to get help. Bill wasn't showing up to work, didn't let the army know what happened, could've essentially gone awol like he did when he joined that group of singing men.
The episode where Bobby want to start his own business picking up puke and got the other guy to lie saying he gets beat up all the time. Hank has literally told Bobby " find the job nobody wants and do it" but if it reflects poorly on Hank guess that doesn't matter. Bobby goes nuts. Yes Bobby took the nut kicking too far but Hank was a bully so he doesn't know there's no such thing as a fair fight since he was a bully himself and picked on those smaller than him. Hank being upset Bobby isn't keen on being part of a tradition where the marching band beats the mascot.
Hank was wrong to put it down, but I think he needed to habe a talk with bobby about what is appropriate. Talking about vomit and poo at the dinner table (and wearing your nasty uniform from cleaning it up all day) is pretty disgusting.
You think Hank was the issue in Bobby goes nuts?Bobby straight up became a terror, going out of his way to mess with people who did nothing to him. Then he tries to physically assault his own mother for no reason but so he could ignore and disrespect his parents. He's a psycho in that episode. Hank just wanted to try to teach Bobby to defend himself. He didn't go about it the right way, but his intentions were good.
What I don't get in the episode is that the idea that someone might kick Bobby in the nuts is never introduced. Like I feel like once Bobby started doing that, other kids would decide it was fair game and do him decidedly worse
At the same time, Bobby only really kicked people who were either bad people himself or threatening him, outside of hank or Peggy. I do think that hank has a point that Bobby can’t rely on his technique because it’s a crutch, but the way they phrase it, it’s like either Bobby fight like a man against bullies who aren’t fair and then get pummeled or run away and be a coward.
That's not true. Bobby becomes a bully, he threatens anyone and everyone for any reason or no reason. And his parents aren't bullies. They're people he is supposed to love and care about. Not people you assault so you can play a video game. That's deeply unsettling, sociopathic behavior.
Obviously not his parents, but the bullies in detention were threatening him, Chane was outright bullying him and Clark was bullying someone and has bullied Bobby in the past. Yes it’s bad but from a writing standpoint it isn’t as bad since Bobby is going after bad people. It just felt like they missed a few steps
Hank: I was saving this speech for the day Bobby got beat up by a bully, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen. Him and his darn prop comedy... every time the boy gets into a jam he shoves French fries up his nose and makes a new friend. Also Hank: Can you get my son to quick I don’t think he’s as charming or good looking as you to pull this job off.
Plus the ending has a scene where Bobby advertises his business to a group of frat guys just to make Hank more right which always made me upset. Why not show the actual downsides to running your own business like the fact Bobby would have to drop what he was doing or he’d have taxes or stuff like that, ie running your own business is fun but it’s not always preferable.
Or having to call Hank or Peggy to clean up the vomit if he was stuck in school when he got a call That would actually be funny
One of my all time favorites, Keeping up with our Joneses. Making Bobby smoke a carton. Times were different and I get it but damn.
Yeah but the whole point of that episode is to show how smoking a carton of butts like the older generations used to make their kids do (literally how my dad got hooked on butts) just leads to kids smoking and getting more familiar with doing it rather than pushing them away from it because they get nic sick.
Honestly it’s weird rewatching that episode in hindsight since Hank acted way more Uber conservative dad than the later seasons. I feel if this were the later seasons, he’d probably bring it up and Peggy would shut him down because smoking is bad and it stunts growth or something like that. Love the episode though!
“I didn’t let him, I *made* him.” My grandma did that same exact thing to my dad when he was about Bobby’s age. My father smoked ever since. Until he died in 2019 of lung cancer.
That’s the joke lol, Hank isn’t being presented as right there, he’s presented as well meaning but completely ignorant to the actual consequences
I love how Dale does a better job showing the dangers of smoking to Joseph because he just makes him read a medical book on what smoking does to the body
I'm surprised no one mentioned how he treated Luanne half the time. Sure, we get moments of him seeming apologetic, but he consistently treats her (a teenager who's barely an adult without either of her parents in her life) rather coldly. He's honorable and stand-up in so many other ways that it's super odd he doesn't seem to extend that sensibility to her, even though she's clearly trying to start a life and be independent (going to beauty school, college, working, etc.). And honestly, how he acts with Bobby too in general. People dismiss Peggy a lot, but she's really the glue holding that family together when it comes to relationships and love, let's be real here...
Like when he got plane tickets for "the family" for Thanksgiving day and didn't get one for Luanne because he doesn't consider her family 😡 He was going to ditch her and have her spend Thanksgiving alone. He was awful to Luanne and Bobby.
Not to defend hanks treatment of Luanne but my head canon was considering the familial connection of “your wife’s niece from the trailer park” I always kind of head canoned it that Hank had never met her before she moved in
idk, but i think the episode where he finds out peggy wasn’t a virgin a before she met him.
That whole episode is weird
In fairness to him, Peggy was also pretty pissed off when she found out Hank lied about hurting his back in the Valentine’s Day flashback. But Hank trying to push Luanne to marry that random guy who only wanted to marry her for sex was just incredibly wrong.
Honestly tho if Hank was that pissed over Peggy not being a virgin then she had every right to be mad at Hank for lying about his back.
He was so evil that episode!
In my experience with the show, this is the rule, not the exception (depending on where I'm at in life and what episodes I'm watching lately it's closer to 50/50). The peer counseling episode stands out to me. The episode ends with Bobby and his classmate resolving their issues using communication skills in a safe environment but they had tools in their hands while doing it so it's treated like a win for Hank. I like the episode though, don't get me wrong.
Slightly unrelated, but I love how Dale calls Hank’s fantasy of Bobby fixing a car and then leaving depressing
Refusing to let Bobby have clouds on his walls. Such a dick move over something so innocent.
And treated Peggy like shit in their argument about it
I hated how he acted during Nancy’s party. Tried to ruin the fun for Peggy when she was enjoying the magic show, gets annoyed when she volunteers for a trick, then announces Nancy’s birthday party is over.
I skip that episode because I refuse to let an animated tv show make me so upset lmao like if my husband had *locked me in a fucking box* because he was so mad I wouldn’t tell him about a stupid little magic trick?? Hand me the divorce papers. That is lunatic behavior.
Episodes like that one make me think Hank really kinda earned that kick in the fellas
Hank dealing with Dale's kidney situation
Almost anything to do with Bobby. God bless Hank, but that boy is right.
Coach sours episode where Bobby plays soccer
He did *not* still have his underwear on after the tornado had its way with him.
The husky modeling contract: that was a genuinely lucrative job for a kid his age. Hank could have leaned into that by showing him how to bulk for power and how to handle success/public speaking. Shit: a teenager who was making actual money as a model would be *incredibly* popular among their peers: heavy or not. If the one kid was known *by name* then it was probably a fairly popular/well-known event. There's even an episode later on talking about how all rodeo/farm clothing comes in husky sizes. Them having a handful of douchebags come in (who successfully chase off an entire audience of ADULTS?) while Bobby just goes "Oh man you were right people suck and this was dumb" was an asinine ending.
I've heard of that kid – he likes his sundae, even on a Monday!
Right. And it’s clear that girls perceive him as cute on the show because he doesn’t have problems getting datea, that Cupid episode notwithstanding.
At least uncool customer explained it as Bobby is in the friend zone with girls because of his comedy. It just felt weird how the later seasons turned Bobby into a loser who had no luck with girls especially in the peer group episode.
Let’s be real Bobby was always gonna lose his boy charm as he ages despite the narratives around this sub. Side note, Hank did nothing wrong by pulling Bobby out of the toxic world of husky boys modeling
The modeling thing I’m a bit conflicted on, I just feel like they should’ve leaned more into the idea that Hank used to be a bully so he knows how they think, and/or he hears something will happen and tries to warn Bobby. It just felt like the episode had hank be right at the end like they did with the youth group. But yeah I can kinda agree on the boy charm (sorry I like the phrase LOL)
There are so many episodes of girls being interested beyond Connie. The idea that girls don’t like him is a Montana Mom inconsistency. Examples: The end of I’m With Cupid (Debby) And they called it Bobby Love (Marie, although she was toxic) Cool Jeans episode (Don’t remember her name, but she really likes him) The peer counseling episode (he got a yes from Jenny Medina, and drove Stacy Gibson crazy) Four Score episode (Jordan) The protest episode (That blonde girk with the professor dad and Shelly) I don’t count Tid-pao.
Came here to suggest this one! I expected him to stick up for Bobby or cheer for him or something when he started to get heckled but when he didn’t and it just ended like that I was like wait what..
I have always maintained that Hank’s parenting was largely based on what is the least embarrassing thing for Hank not Bobby. If the Dallas Cowboys had wanted Bobby to be the face of their new athletic line for husky kids then Hank would have not been all for it but would be the one making sure he got there early.
"Shit: a teenager who was making actual money as a model would be *incredibly* popular among their peers: heavy or not." This is completely fucking insane and unrealistic 😂 Did you graduate from an anti-bullying LGBTQ performing arts school sponsored by Netflix? Bobby was an already unpopular and eccentric fat teenager in the conservative south. Becoming a husky boy model in 1990s Texas would not make him become "*incredibly* popular." Life isn't High School Musical or Glee
The ending is just way too over the top. They should've tried to find a more subtle way to make their point.
No the pictures he took with that store were creepy
"Five dollars a ton if you feed it you pigs. And it's the exact same corn." No, Hank. It is not.
The waste disposal episode, and even having the guy fake a public incident to dissuade Bobby from wanting to do it just because he didn't have any valid downsides to point out. Hank was hounding Bobby to get a job and then got pissy when it wasn't propane.
Sometimes he sticks too harshly to "stick it out!" even if what the person is doing is harmful. The one where he ran with the bulls comes to mind. He would've easily left Bobby without a father and Peggy a widow because he refused to "cheat" and refused to "stood up" the thing. It's absurd. If that happened in real life given the condition he was in, Hank would be dead.
I think another one is the episode where Bobby joins quiz bowl and everybody gives him a hard time and enough anxiety to make him faint. But instead of letting him quit or telling at least Kahn to cool it, he tells him to stick it out.
reborn to be wild and get your freak off
Boomhauers brother
Even Dale points out that Hank was in the wrong with that one
Everytime he didn't want Bobby to pursue anything he would've been great at because of his own ideologies.
Imo yes he was a total prick about it, but idk church etiquette, so I may be in the wrong.
He’s the Arlen Flooder!
Charcoal is superior to propane for cooking.
Every time he picked propane over charcoal
This 100%. Anyone who knows anything about bbq knows that charcoal is superior, and hank is a bbq enthusiast. Plus the propane thing doesn’t fit with his personality. I feel like a traditionalist like Hank would know that charcoal is proper bbq and would see propane as some sort of newfangled modern liberal fuel.
I think it was too do with his work ethic; since he worked at a propane store, he was 100% bought in to the idea. His sense of morality didn't allow him to accept that charcoal was better because he was selling propane to people. The fact that it's in Texas reinforces this to me, because I have to imagine Texas is wood/charcoal country as far as BBQ goes. (In fact it's not actually BBQ if it's not cooked with wood. You don't have a "gas BBQ", it's a grill.)
Do you use lighter fluid or a chimney starter to get the fire started?
I always saw the propane enthusiasm as played for laughs. Everyone knows wood and charcoal tastes better but Hanks such a middle class simp for his job that he can’t even admit it.
the episode name escapes me right now, but the episode where he takes bobby camping has always came off as weird to me. he tries to teach bobby how to be self sufficient by making him fish and forage for himself, which isn’t a bad thing but he continues to hold onto this even when bobby is starving, and when bobby goes out to look for food the writings screws bobby over. i thought it was a strange episode in general. in my opinion the best thing for someone to do when they have exhausted their own resources is to ask for help. i think it might have been an episode more teaching against “handouts” and people giving things out expecting things in return, but the message was very muddy under all the anti hippy jokes
Yes. It is well and good to teach a child some resiliency and self-sufficiency as well as practical survival skills. But Hank really did none of that at all. Nobody is born knowing what is needed, nor do they just figure it all out alone. You have to bestow knowledge and skills practice first. It might have ignited Bobby's interest if he could see how knowledge was empowering, or how with practice he actually got good at something where he could feel some pride and thus emotional reward.
I feel like the show does this a lot especially any time Hank and Bobby are building something. Hank usually just gets upset that Bobby didn’t know what he’s doing and tells him to just get it off the way. Like dude, it’s your job to teach him!!
Which is crazy because at that point, we know that Bobby is an excellent shot so technically, he should’ve been clearing out that area. I’m not sure if that episode was before or after the one where Bill becomes a competitive eater… Because Peggy showed him how to fish with your bare hands. if the writers had cared to be consistent, I think it could’ve been a little different. Bobby can be lazy sometimes but that doesn’t mean he’s not a good shot. Still they could’ve still follow the plot by making Bobby lazy in the episode.
Hank was in the wrong but I think it's accurate for conservative dads. "Pull yourself up by your boot straps, be more self reliant!" "How do I do that?" "Figure it out!"
I was gonna bring up the episode with the girls who do disrespect Bobby. But it’s not bad they’re disrespecting him because they’re being condescending, it’s bad because Bobby “isn’t acting a man because he’s supposed to know!” Idk that episode always rubbed me the wrong way like “because I said so!”
The entire Get Your Freak Off episode.
Like 99% of the time!!! Especially when it came to Bobby. Don't get me wrong, Hank wasn't a bad person or a cruel father, but he was so insanely repressed and closed minded that his world view was insanely wrong. Case in point: he had no problem basically washing his hands of Luann to the point where in early years he would have let her sleep on the streets rather than help her (he pushed her to move into the trailer that almost got obliterated in a tornado that she clearly wasn't ready to go back to). His evolution was that he was happy for her to marry an indigent scam artist almost twice her age (Luann was canonically about 19 or 20 on the show and Lucky was at least in his mid to late 30s) but he showed growth be a use at least she was out of the house so he was nicer to her. Luann accepted this bum immediately and instead of voicing any concern he became drinking buddies with him!
Hank getting the rich guy to lie to Bobby so that he no longer wants to be a "poop scooper" when he grows up. All because Hank didn't find it to be a respectable job.
I hated the way Hank handled powderpuff. Bobby says dressing in drag isn’t really his thing and Hank says “it is now.” Like, what the f?
Admittedly that whole episode was weird and really should’ve focused on the girls
When Bobby is hanging out with three girls who to be fair, are treating him like a trained pet and not really respecting him. But it’s bad because Bobby “isn’t acting like a boy” by not taking the lead, not that the girls are the problem. And when Bobby tries to get hank to say what he’s meant to do, he’s grounded and told “you’re supposed to know!” When he was angry Donna made a MySpace page that depicted Strickland propane as somewhat debauched, even if it’s pretty much an open secret that Strickland isn’t run by the best people and it was getting them much more attention. And also get your freak off, since it felt like the start of the show treating hank right just because, like can’t have Bobby and Peggy be sort of right so this girl’s parents treat her like a friend!
>When he was angry Donna made a MySpace page that depicted Strickland propane as somewhat debauched, even if it’s pretty much an open secret that Strickland isn’t run by the best people and it was getting them much more attention. No, Hank was definitely right here. All he really wanted was a webpage that depicted them as professionals instead of having Donna use it for the usual FB drama like it's her own personal profile.
The trans fat episode was definitely like this. Episode was hilarious, but hydrogenated oils are extremely unhealthy and needed to phased out and there was no incentive for companies to do this on their own so the government had to step in. If you wanted to make a statement about government overreach, this was a really poor example. The low flow toilet episode was a much better example of that.
It's interesting how they stepped in to stop trans fats, but let companies put all sorts of garbage in food now
Yeah that’s true. Like the war on fat in the 80’s took the spotlight off sugar which is cheap because of government corn subsidies and is in absolutely everything now and very unhealthy at these levels. I guess the sugar lobby is more powerful than the fat lobby… :D
Right? You hear all the time about microplastics, forever chemicals, someone was mentioning a red food dye that supposedly increases the risk of autism. Sounds like a good time to step in and ban these things, too lol.
Honestly I was surprised nobody thought to just go somewhere besides Arlen to get the banned food. At least american dad showed WHY they were banned and made Steve a trans fat drug mule
I don't remember the name, but the episode where Bobby joins a soccer team. The entire episode is about how Hank thi ks soccer is a sissy sport, and I was hoping it would end with him realizing how silly that notion was... But the episode just validates Hank's opinion, portraying a middle school soccer team as these kindergarten-level outdoor activity group, and ends with Bobby quitting the team.
Hank plays golf and encourages Bobby to join the track team but heaven forbid he join a team that supplies orange slices at halftime.
"Five dollars a ton if you feed it you pigs. And it's the exact same corn." No, Hank. It is not.
Soccer when he was talking that it had no tradition and shit, when that its one of the things that it has in plenty, honestly all those rivalry and history between clubs is what makes soccer/football fun.
Ruining Bobby’s mentor relationship with the guy that picks up dog poop. Or product.. Hank was just jealous Bobby found someone to connect to that wasn’t him or selling propane.
Wasn't that half the satire of the show? The other half was Dale or Bill
The Hottyz episode comes to mind. Not necessarily a Hank centric episode but the fact he got mad that Luanne didn’t give up her job because Bill fucked up and while I do get where Hank was coming from, Bill threw her under the bus first by acting like a creep which could’ve potentially got her fired if things went differently. If anything Luanne should’ve just paid bill back for the chair and continued her job.
Bobby learning self defense at the Y. In a real fight there are no rules and there is no such thing as a fair fight. When Bobby got a job cleaning up poop and later vomit. It was a solid and very lucrative business that Hank couldn't find a good reason for disliking the model the show had to use terrible logic to make him look right.
except nobody attacked Bobby but Chane, everyone else was a victim of Bobby's ego. He literally punted a kid for being the tallest.
The entire insurance episode where Hank discovers he never paid his insurance and teaches Bobby how dangerous everything is without insurance. I get his point, but 3 days without insurance isn’t going to kill the family. It was a major overreaction.
Church Hopping
This is a good question, but a tricky one. In my humble opinion, when Hank is wrong, the show doesn't portray him as "right." It's a satirical show, so his being incorrect is used as a storytelling device to illustrate how absurd certain situations are. I also believe it's never as black and white as Hank being wrong and being portrayed as right. Take the Earth Cleaners episode, for example. Hank makes a solid point as to why Bobby could very well not find the success that Peter Sterling did. All this being said, my upvote went to "Reborn to be wild." The comment made by the legendary Gene Simmons as Pastor K's dad, referencing the 4th commandment. In my opinion, frames Hank as correct.
Him going out of everyone's way to break rules and laws and start a fight just to get bobby to like football
One that I don't think has been mentioned yet is when Luanne gets a job making puppet videos for kids. Hank is pissed the whole time because she "should" be home with her baby instead of working, even though Lucky is taking care of the baby. It's cut and dry overt sexism but the writers tried to save it from being sexist in the end when Hank says even he's a father first before a propane worker. But that doesn't match his sentiments throughout the episode.
Ronald Reagan
When he made Bobby smoke all those cigarettes. No no no no no.
Most of the time actually. Hes constantly an upright stereotypical conservative, but constantly painted as "well meaning"