THROWBACK THURSDAY: King of the Hill ‘Aisle 8A’

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Spoilers Below

And a very happy Throwback Thursday to you, BlabberBuddies! Paulie Von Doom here with a scintillating review of one of my favorite cartoon of all time. You know, at first, I didn’t care much for King of the Hill. It was one of those shows that I’d watch just to kill time before the next cartoon. Maybe it was the animation, or maybe, at the time, I didn’t quite get the jokes, but thanks to the miracle that is Netflix, I’m able to fully appreciate this funny, irreverent, and often warmhearted look at a simple Texan trying to make sense of a world that’s change. We all know the particulars,rigidly regimented Hank Hill is head of the Hill family. He spends most of his time hanging out in the Alley drinking Alamo beer with his best friends, Dale, Bill, and mushmouthed Boomhauer. Together they contemplate life between beers and get into Texas sized shenanigans involving his wife, Peggy, son, Bobby, niece Luanne, the rest.

The episode I chose today, in my opinion, showcases the the show’s wit as well as it’s heart. The episode, entitled “Aisle 8A” shows us what happens when Hank Hill is forced to deal with Connie getting her first period.

Mind you, the B plot isn’t all that noteworthy, Dale, Billy, and Boomhauer marvel at a new trash can Dale bought. That being said, I’ll get that out of the way quickly. It gets stolen by the garbage truck. Meanwhile, Khan and Mihn are jetting off to Hawaii for a big computer conference. Khan is making a big speech and will be away for a week. Mihn is unable to find a babysitter for Connie and enlists Hank and Peggy to take care of her. Khan is nervous, as always, to let Connie near the Hills but has no choice. After giving the Hill’s “Connie’s  babysitting book V4.0” the Soupenusenpones (or however you spell it,) are off to Hawaii.

Bobby, the lovable lout of a boy,  exclaims to Joseph, his best friend of “questionable” parentage,  that he and Connie will be camping out in the living room. Joseph asks what kind of pajamas he’ll be wearing. This makes Bobby nervous. After going through his stash of childish onsies and cartoon character pajamas,  he enlists the help of bachelor-cum-lady’s-man Boomhauer, but of course, it’s difficult to understand the fast talking Texan. Bobby chooses his Ninja Turtle pajamas.

Now, lets face it, the transition for childhood to adolescence is awkward and clumsy. Few writers have been able to capture the transition very well. In my experience, the two who are best at it are Mike Judge and Stephen King. I say this because both have an uncanny ability to use vernacular to tell a story. We see Connie, at first, loving Bobby’s childish antics, then growing more irritated an annoyed with him. Bobby thinks he is coming on too strong, but when Connie goes to the bathroom, leaving Hank alone to take her to school. Connie eventually comes out, and this is where the true heart of the show comes shining through.

We all know the character of Hank Hill. The man is wound up tighter than a nun’s ass on Sunday, which is what makes the episode so gat-dang funny to begin with. Hank being uncomfortable around a menstruating girl is comedy gold. From his initial “Bwaaaaauuugh!” when Connie reveals her Aunt Flo has come for a visit and takes her to the E.R., to the time spent down the dreaded Aisle 8A (feminine products) we see a man struggling to come to terms with what makes him eternally uncomfortable. When he can’t get a hold of Mihn or Peggy, he calls his mother. She answers. Awkward breathing. Then he hangs up, later to lament “I even hung up on my own mother…and she’s such a nice lady.”

Peggy eventually takes over and we see a shift, as Bobby begins to worry that Connie will dump him because she is now a “woman.” This is later resolved when she says “I still want to be your girlfriend, but for those four days, I don’t want to see you!”  The happy-go-lucky Bobby walks away happy. Credits roll.

As I stated before, the transition from childhood to adolescence is hard. It’s even harder when a grown man and a team of writers has to draw on their own experiences or the experiences of others to remember those feelings, thoughts, and to recall the energy and passion that those changes bring. Bobby, a late bloomer,  clings to childhood while the rest of his friends eventually go through normal pubescent changes. It is this holding on that makes the episode so great. Granted, being a grown up has it’s advantages, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could just hold on a little longer to those simpler times when there was nothing to worry about? When all of our needs were met? When everything made sense in the world?

We also see the fundamental difference between two fathers in this episode. Though uptight and rigid, Hank possesses an enormous heart. He bites the bullet and ignores what makes him so uncomfortable to help out his neighbor’s daughter despite the constant obnoxious ribbing at the hands of Khan.  What truly makes Hank such a likeable character is that, though there are lots of things he doesn’t like, he’s willing to sacrifice his own comfort for the sake of others.  Kahn, (a character I always felt was a little too over the top for his own good,)  has no idea how to handle his daughter. Cultural paradigms dictate that boys are better, and that is why Connie is handled so…harshly, I suppose is a good word. He puts many demands on her, and when something that makes him uncomfortable occurs he shies away from it.

             Well, seems like I got a little carried away there, BlabberBuddies, but you get the gist of what I’m saying. So grab an Alamo, kick back and watch Aisle 8A again and enjoy! -PVonD

8 out of 10