Orange You Sad I Did Say Banana?

Orange You Sad I Did Say Banana?
Air date	December 11, 2005
Written by	Dan Sterling
Directed by	Adam Kuhlman
Episode guide
Previous	"A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Clown"
Next	"You Gotta Believe (In Moderation)"

"Orange You Sad I Did Say Banana?" is the one hundred-ninety-second episode of King of the Hill. It aired first on December 11, 2005. The episode was written by Dan Sterling and directed by Adam Kuhlman.

Summary

When Ted points out how Kahn has lost touch with his heritage, Kahn completely reconstructs his life and his family in order to remain true to his roots.

Plot

Kahn has longed for a pool, and Hank and the guys agree to build it in exchange for property rights on the pool (being able to use it whenever they want). Meanwhile, Ted Wassanasong and Nguc Phong are celebrating Māgha Pūjā, a Laotian holiday where they show concern for the less fortunate, which Kahn knew nothing about. Upon being told by Ted that he is a banana (a slang for an Asian acting like a white person) for being too Americanized and that his residence has no Laotian artifacts, Kahn vows to return to his Laotian roots. Although Minh agrees Connie needs to understand her Laotian bloodlines, soon the attempt at duplicating the austerity of Laos makes everyone miserable. This also spills over into Hank's problems as Kahn turns the swimming pool into a reflecting pool by filling it with lily pads and replacing the water, rendering it unswimmable.

Things go too far when Ted enlists Kahn in a guerrilla squad with designs on being air-lifted back to Laos to fight the communist regime; after being asked what happens when Ted gives him the codeword "Siddhartha", he explains that they are to get onto a cargo plane to Laos. If they are not shot down by enemy anti-aircraft, they parachute down, then if they are not shot on the way down or die on impact, they march into Laos' capital, Vientiane (Lao: ວຽງຈັນ), then if they are not shot or run over with a tank, they will likely be taken prisoner and tortured or reeducated and put into the enemy army. Kahn then begins to doubt the mission on the probability of the mission being ineffective. Minh manages to bring Kahn back to his senses when she reminds him why the Souphanousinphones emigrated to America: to escape from people telling them how to live. Kahn tells Ted he is glad he was reminded of his Laotian heritage, but he will no longer be part of the guerrilla movement. Kahn also bluntly tells Ted, "It's like this. You want to play a round of golf at Nine Rivers? Give me a call. You want someone to feel guilty about the way they live their life? Call someone else!" Finally, Kahn and Minh celebrate by inviting the Hills, Gribbles, Boomhauer and Bill to a pool party, where Kahn shows new appreciation for his life of American secularism.

Characters

• Hank Hill
• Peggy Hill
• Bobby Hill
• Dale Gribble
• Boomhauer
• Bill Dauterive
• Joseph Gribble (non-speaking)
• Connie Souphanousinphone
• Kahn Souphanousinphone
• Minh Souphanousinphone
• Nancy Gribble (non-speaking)
• Ted Wassanasong
• Nguc Phong
• Cindy Wassanasong
• Laoma Souphanousinphone (mentioned)
• Doggie
• Fred Ebberd (mentioned)
• Dominga (non-speaking)
• Swimming pool contractor
• YMCA employee
• Ellen DeGeneres (mentioned)
• Justin Timberlake (mentioned)
• Nick Lachey (mentioned)
• Jessica Simpson (mentioned)

Stinger Quote

• Kahn: "Haha, it just joke."
• Nguc Phong: "Hmm."
• Kahn: "Maybe too far?"

Trivia

• Māgha Pūjā (Lao: ມາຄະບູຊາ) is a Theravada Buddhist festival commonly celebrated in Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka and Thailand, it falls on the full moon day of the third lunar month, usually in the month of February or March in the Gregorian calendar.
• "Banana" is a derogatory term given to peoples of Asian ancestory who live a "western" or "caucasian" lifestyles. "Twinkie" is often used for the same meaning.
• The episode name is a play on the punchline, "orange you glad I didn't say banana?". Bobby says this punchline at his birthday party in "Shins of the Father".
• Kahn asks Minh if they had a magazine subscription to Xaignabouri Muang Weekly. He is referring to Muang Xiagnabouli (Lao: ເມືອງ ໄຊຍະບູລີ), the capital of Xaignabouli Province in northwest Laos.
• As Connie enters the kitchen, the transliteration of Lao-to-English subtitles (on Hulu) shows that Kahn says, "Sa-baai-dee, luuk-saao tee naa-hak. Bpen-jang ci ai?" (Lao: ສະບາຍດີ, ລູກສາວ ທີ່ ໜ້າຮັກ. ເປັນ ຫຍັງ ເສຍ ໄຫ້?) translates to "Hello, lovely daughter. Why are you crying?" However, Kahn's Lao does not really match the subtitles.
• Connie ask Kahn if he is saying "goodnight" or if he is cursing at her in Lao. "Goodnight" in Lao is fun dii (Lao: ຝັນດີ).
• Ted shows Kahn a 300-year-old carving of Man of Louang Namtha, he is referring to Luang Namtha (Lao: ຫລວງນໍ້າທາ) the capital of Luang Namtha Province in northern Laos, which borders China and Myanmar (Burma).
• The Souphanousinphones are shown eating rice and meat with chopsticks. This would be uncommon with Lao eating customs as chopsticks are used for noodles, while a spoon or the hands are used to eat rice and meat. It is more common in East Asian eating culture (Japan and China) to eat rice with chopsticks.
• Kahn reveals during childhood he had two pet chickens, one was named Phouma. Phouma (Lao: ພູໝາ) translates to "mountain dog", as phou (Lao: ພູ) means "mountain" and ma (Lao: ໝາ) means "dog". The variant Phouma (Lao: ພູມາ) is also the surname of Prince Souvanna Phouma, the last Prime Minister to serve under the Kingdom of Laos, at the conclusion of the Laotian Civil War, the king abdicated to the Pathet Lao, who abolished the kingdom and proclaimed Laos as a communist state in 1975.
• The conical hat Kahn wears is called a koup (Lao: ກຸບ) in Lao. Originating in Vietnam, the hats are commonly worn by farmers throughout Asia and used to shield the face from the sun and rain.
• When Minh changes the TV channel after Kahn leaves the bedroom, the theme song to the sitcom Friends ("I'll Be There For You" by The Rembrandts) is heard playing. Minh is voiced by Lauren Tom, who played Ross' girlfriend Julie in seven episodes in seasons one and two of the show.
• Kahn says, "Connie is finally getting used to eating fermented fish chunks and rice husks." Padaek (Lao: ປາແດກ) is a traditional Lao sauce made from fermented fish, it is a common ingredient used in Lao dishes and not usually eaten by itself. Rice husk is the coating on a grain of rice and is not edible nor eaten in Lao cuisine.
• Nguc Phong's military marching commands in Lao, is actually gibberish.
• "Siddhartha", Ted's codeword to initiate the mission to overthrow the communist government of Laos, is a reference to Siddhartha Gautama, more commonly referred to as the Buddha and the founder of Buddhism.
• As Kahn walks through the door, Connie stops playing her violin and begins to play her phin (Lao: ພິນ), a type of lute with a pear-shaped body, originating in the Isan region of Thailand and played mostly by ethnic Laotians in Thailand and Laos.
• This episode aired in December 2005 and forecasted the future 2007 Laotian coup d'état plan conspiracy allegation by the U.S. Department of Justice that Lt. Col. Harrison Jack (Retired) and former Royal Lao Army Major General Vang Pao, among others conspired in June 2007 to obtain large amounts of heavy weapons and ammunition to overthrow the Communist government of Laos in violation of the Neutrality Act. The charges were ultimately dropped in September 2009 and the case helped serve to further highlight, instead, major human rights violations by the Lao government against the Hmong ethnic minority, Laotian refugees, and political dissidents.
• The songs "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins and "Caribbean Queen (No More Love On the Run)" by Billy Ocean are heard in the episode.
• When Kahn and Minh are watching television at night, the television scene resembles a Joseon-era Korea with Hanbok clothing and Korean architecture in the background.

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