I don't believe that Peggy would have voted for the turnip. She has/had lots of gay friends (lost her virginity to one of them who was trying to figure out if he was gay, and the gay teachers at her school confided in her, and she kept their secrets) and embraced drag culture once she overcame her surprise in the episode about large shoes for women. She teaches Spanish (badly) and almost got sent to prison in Mexico and would be appalled by the racism of the turnip administration.
I had never watched it previously, but now I might (starting from the beginning, no less), in an attempt to try to remember how things used to feel, before everything became poison.
My sentiments as a native Texan (and Dallasite) are largely identical. TV & film depictions of Texas routinely get it woefully wrong. (Worst offender ever? "9-1-1 Lone Star," aside from its laudable inclusion of multiple queer characters.) "King of the Hill" OTOH is practically a documentary, like Charlotte said.
I also agree 100% that Hank wouldn't vote for Trump, but OTOH I assume that was the intended takeaway from his trip to the Bush presidential library: he *was* a Republican, pre-Trump, but the Bush-era party is obviously gone. Hank, the voter, may be as bewildered as Hank, the new retiree as to what to do.
I disagree that there's a "missed opportunity" in not attacking Trump directly. I know there's no way Mike Judge et al could've known while making the season that it'd come out within a week of the KOTH reboot, but South Park is now going full-frontal – very literally – on the subject. Judge seems to prefer subtle (e.g. "Office Space") or waaaaay over-the-top (e.g. "Idiocracy") forms of satire, but in-your-face isn't really his style.
But it sure AF works. Its edges are much sharper than before, and the show's much better for it.
What I very much liked is that the show is a reminder of how the American way *should* be, by means of example. The new Superman fights for truth, justice & the American way, and only a blithering idiot would've missed that Lex Luthor is now a Trump-Musk hybrid. Hank's wistful memories of Bush 43's presidency may not be quite as obvious, but they're equally telling IMO.
Niceness begets niceness. Good begets good. No hammer is necessary to pound those lessons into anyone's head, MAGA excluded.
Just thought of something: Johnny Hardwick, who voiced Dale, passed away almost exactly two years ago, which presumably means the scripts were written while Biden was still in office. He also voiced Dale in at least four episodes. This show and "The Simpsons" are still traditionally animated, and IIRC the full process takes 12-18 months, starting with the voiceover work.
The show still makes sense that way: Texans' attitudes are evergreen. But unless they went back & redid the entire show starting last November, they clearly couldn't have known what 2024 alone had in store for us, let alone this year.
"South Park" OTOH somehow figured out a way to crank out episodes within a literal matter of days. It's much more designed to be topical.
Oh Charlotte, thanks for this terrific invitation and review of King of the Hill! It sounds fabulous (and I loved the joke about lasagne AMAB) and just because of you I'm signing up for Hulu to watch it! I love your brilliance, deep reflection, fab. writing and HUMOR - you bring grace to everything you talk about by the subtle way you have an undercurrent of acceptance and appreciation for who we all are. In fact, you bring grace to everything you bring forth. I think your statement "what our country really needs is coming together to laugh at the ways we all seem to fall short and offering each other grace — and perhaps a reminder that we don’t have to tolerate clownish behavior." Says it very beautifully.
I don't believe that Peggy would have voted for the turnip. She has/had lots of gay friends (lost her virginity to one of them who was trying to figure out if he was gay, and the gay teachers at her school confided in her, and she kept their secrets) and embraced drag culture once she overcame her surprise in the episode about large shoes for women. She teaches Spanish (badly) and almost got sent to prison in Mexico and would be appalled by the racism of the turnip administration.
Thanks for the write-up!
I had never watched it previously, but now I might (starting from the beginning, no less), in an attempt to try to remember how things used to feel, before everything became poison.
My sentiments as a native Texan (and Dallasite) are largely identical. TV & film depictions of Texas routinely get it woefully wrong. (Worst offender ever? "9-1-1 Lone Star," aside from its laudable inclusion of multiple queer characters.) "King of the Hill" OTOH is practically a documentary, like Charlotte said.
I also agree 100% that Hank wouldn't vote for Trump, but OTOH I assume that was the intended takeaway from his trip to the Bush presidential library: he *was* a Republican, pre-Trump, but the Bush-era party is obviously gone. Hank, the voter, may be as bewildered as Hank, the new retiree as to what to do.
I disagree that there's a "missed opportunity" in not attacking Trump directly. I know there's no way Mike Judge et al could've known while making the season that it'd come out within a week of the KOTH reboot, but South Park is now going full-frontal – very literally – on the subject. Judge seems to prefer subtle (e.g. "Office Space") or waaaaay over-the-top (e.g. "Idiocracy") forms of satire, but in-your-face isn't really his style.
But it sure AF works. Its edges are much sharper than before, and the show's much better for it.
What I very much liked is that the show is a reminder of how the American way *should* be, by means of example. The new Superman fights for truth, justice & the American way, and only a blithering idiot would've missed that Lex Luthor is now a Trump-Musk hybrid. Hank's wistful memories of Bush 43's presidency may not be quite as obvious, but they're equally telling IMO.
Niceness begets niceness. Good begets good. No hammer is necessary to pound those lessons into anyone's head, MAGA excluded.
Just thought of something: Johnny Hardwick, who voiced Dale, passed away almost exactly two years ago, which presumably means the scripts were written while Biden was still in office. He also voiced Dale in at least four episodes. This show and "The Simpsons" are still traditionally animated, and IIRC the full process takes 12-18 months, starting with the voiceover work.
The show still makes sense that way: Texans' attitudes are evergreen. But unless they went back & redid the entire show starting last November, they clearly couldn't have known what 2024 alone had in store for us, let alone this year.
"South Park" OTOH somehow figured out a way to crank out episodes within a literal matter of days. It's much more designed to be topical.
This is why I ❤️ U
Oh Charlotte, thanks for this terrific invitation and review of King of the Hill! It sounds fabulous (and I loved the joke about lasagne AMAB) and just because of you I'm signing up for Hulu to watch it! I love your brilliance, deep reflection, fab. writing and HUMOR - you bring grace to everything you talk about by the subtle way you have an undercurrent of acceptance and appreciation for who we all are. In fact, you bring grace to everything you bring forth. I think your statement "what our country really needs is coming together to laugh at the ways we all seem to fall short and offering each other grace — and perhaps a reminder that we don’t have to tolerate clownish behavior." Says it very beautifully.
A fan who laughs at herself almost every day!
“…two-faced white liberal judgy-ness” ! Love it!
My goodness. I grew up in the Aramco camps. I’m going to have to start watching this!!!!!!! 💕🐪