Cultural Representative: King of the Hill

"[King of the Hill is] the most acutely observed, realistic sitcom about regional American life bar none... this animated series is a lot like its protagonist, Texas propane salesman Hank Hill: it isn't flashy, never gets a lot of attention, but it does its job year in and year out," (Time.com).

It hasn't been until relatively recently, within the past year or so, that I've come to see King of the Hill as one of the most seminal and relevant cartoon-coms on television (although canceled in 2009 after 12 years and now syndicated).

King of the Hill, like the opening quote puts so eloquently, doesn't don any aloof airs, shove its ideals or ideas of right and wrong down your throat, or showcase slapstick, quirky or hyperbolic comedy for the sake of shock value and entertainment - yeah, Family Guy, I'm talking to you...

With their quintessential middle-class American mindset, the Hills invite you, the viewer, into their everyday lives, lives that are not much unlike any of ours. And the fictitious town of Arlen, Texas is not much unlike any suburb in America nor is the neighborhood on Rainey Street in which the Hills reside. Every aspect of the world created to fit the King of the Hill universe has an analagous within our every day lives.

Hank Hill is the average every-man - he works his fingers to the bone to sell propane, he tries his best to please his boss, yet maintain a healthy relationship with his co-workers,  he provides for his family as best he can and he is obsessed with lawn maintenance.Through him we see all of our apprehensions of sexual identity, intimacy and emotional connection or disconnection from those around us, those most important to us. He is emphatic about sports - a huge Texas Longhorns fan.

Peggy Hill, Hank's wife, is definitely the quintessential melodramatic suburbanite. With an inflated sense of intelligence and verbose naievity, Peggy more than often shoves he foot directly into her mouth, yet rarely realizes until the situation directly affects her. She views herself as overly-knowledgable, clever, cunning, and supremely attractive - she is a poor real-estate agent, mediocre newspaper columnist, and horrificly sub-par Spanish teacher. More often than not, Peggy's ego will champion her inability to see the long term effects of her actions until themoment has arrived through which the agonizing realization of her actions is manifested.

The Hill's son, Bobby Hill, is the typical prepubescent 13-year-old boy - his character, being written to be around this age, allows Bobby to encompass both the teenager and the child, thus making his mindset an amalgam of both. Bobby is ot a huge fan of sports, is not self conscious about his image or pudgy belly neither is he on-beat with his sense of humor. Bobby is often found participating in activities traditionally seen as feminine - cooking, fashion, and playing with dolls at times. He is a reflection of Hank's discomfort and Peggy's confidence and thus, a representation of not only teenagers and children, but of us all completely.

I could press on and delve into the characters of Dale, John Redcorn, Bill, Boomhauer and Luane, but I believe the nucleus of King of the Hill resides in the nuclear family of the Hills. Surrounded by all the quirky neighbors, the stereotype of "redneck" - of which the Hills are constantly branded - and rough times, the Hills remain true to themselves, an ideal we can all relate to.