Rodeo Days is the seventy-second episode of King of the Hill. It was first aired on January 16, 2000. The episode was written by Jon Vitti, and directed by Cyndi Tang-Loveland.
Synopsis
Bobby goes to work with Hank out in the country on a propane run. This is where Hank's customer tells Hank of an upcoming Calf Wrangle. Hank tries to encourage Bobby who is soon dressed in cowboy clothes and practices with Joseph. The day comes, though, and unlike Joseph and the others, Bobby cannot tip the calf and it drags him about. He is saved, or perhaps simply distracted by the rodeo clowns. He soon wishes to join them and confronts them about doing so. He steals Bill's underwear, a pair of glasses glasses, Peggy's shoes, and Luanne's makeup to complete the look before training with the clowns. Meanwhile, Joseph is succeeding as a young cowboy and begins to become embarassed as Bobby uses his antics at school. Finally, one day Bobby performs in from of an audience when his father sees. Hank believed Bobby was a cowboy, and didn't recognize him until Bill recognized the clothes. At this time Joseph, fearing that his new friends will make fun of him for associating with Bobby, makes jokes with the other cowboys and Bobby is hurt. At home, Hank takes Bobby's clown clothes and insists that he doesn't stay a rodeo clown. Peggy also reveals that her uncle, who she said was in the rodeo, was really a clown and not a cowboy. Soon after, they return to the rodeo as spectators to watch Joseph ride a baby bull. When he falls off and the clowns are attacked before they can save him, Hank helps Bobby redress as a clown and encourages him to save Joseph. Using his routine, Bobby distracts the bull as they retrieve Joseph, and gets the audience to laugh. After the rodeo, Joseph and Bobby make up, and Joseph gives Bobby one of his buckles.
Trivia
- In this episode, we found out that Bill owned a pair of boxers that was discontinued for 20 years.
- The situation where Bobby becomes a rodeo clown while trying to keep it a secret may be a bow to the landmark 1927 motion picture "The Jazz Singer" where the son of a Jewish cantor becomes a performer of ragtime and jazz to the dismay of his orthodox father who wanted him to follow the family tradition and become a cantor. In the film, the son disguises himself with burnt cork blackface, while Bobby disguises himself with clown make-up. The film is famous for using a soundtrack and marked the beginning of the transition from silent films to "talkies."
- Peggy admits that she had a uncle name Boppo who was a Rodeo Clown.
- In the episode, where Bobby endlessly repeats the phrase "Vat are you talking about?" in a Yiddish accent, it is the final time Bobby uses a comedic shtick first seen in "And They Call It Bobby Love."
Goofs
- First of all, cowboys do not look upon rodeo clowns as depicted in this story. Also, if both clowns were indeed incapacitated, it is the job of the pick-up men to rescue Joseph. There would be severe legal problems for an underage, inexperienced clown entered the arena.