I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t be more ecstatic about a new season of King of the Hill. And I love it. But I see a big old elephant in this room that needs to be discussed. The issue is generational, and I would like some answers.
Now, I’m not talking about the strange timelines and aging discrepancies. At least not entirely. Animation time is a weird animal. For example, at some point during Season 13, Hank mentions that he has lived next door to Kahn for 7 years. And yet Connie is still in middle school. Also, G.H. was born at the end of Season 3 and remained a baby for the next 10 seasons. There is also a lack of clarity as to Hank’s age, with his birth year stated at various times as 1953, 1956, 1959, and 1966.
But this animated age ambiguity is acceptable to me. I have a bigger issue.
Generation Shift
The reboot of Season 14 didn’t just age up the characters of Arlen, Texas. It shifted them each down a generation.
The original show depicted stereotypical Boomer parents raising a stereotypical Millennial child. While it may not have been a clear intention of the creators to define the generational cohorts and their typical traits while depicting their family dynamics, this description is apt.
Hank and Peggy have classic Boomer traits, with their tradition and conservatism (not necessarily political, but in their lifestyle). They are community-oriented, hard-working, and perhaps a bit judgy. Bobby, on the other hand, represents a typical Millennial. He is creative, a status-quo challenger, and much more relationship-oriented. Hank is frugal, while Bobby is extravagant. Hank values teamwork, while Bobby values individuality.
For more on generational stereotypes, I have a great chart. Find it here.
The show captured a dynamic that many families were experiencing in the 90s – Boomer parents raising Millennial children. The two cohorts are famously at odds with each other. At least the media depicts such odds. This conflict, whether real or contrived or simply exaggerated, makes sense, as these two living generations are big. They consist of large populations with decidedly different values, and both are highly coveted and courted by advertisers and other media for attention, dollars, and votes.
According to stereotypical conflicts, and many of us will attest, through observation, these two generations have difficulty understanding each other.
And therein lies the general premise of the show.
Until now.
Bobby As Time-Anchor
Again, the timeline can be hazy, but we know one thing for sure. Bobby is 21 years old. This is clearly stated, and just as in the earlier seasons, Bobby’s age is the only real known, and so the ages of the other characters are roughly presumed based on that.
Previously-Millennial Bobby is now solidly Generation Z.
Of course, that would make Connie, Joseph, and Chane Gen Z, as well. It also implies that Hank, Peggy, and all the other elders on Rainey St. are now Generation X.
G.H. would have been Gen Z in the early seasons and now appears to be 14/15-ish, which makes him Gen Alpha, and he is depicted as a typical Alpha, so I won’t say more about him here.
So what if Hank is Gen X and Bobby is Gen Z? Why is that a problem?
Because it doesn’t work!
Here, let me explain.
Something Is Off
First of all, Gen X and Gen Z are relationally more kindred spirits than at odds with each other. But also because the main characters of the show don’t exhibit the classic traits of these generations.
Let me point out the most obvious and glaring example of this problem. Bobby does not appear to be comfortable with texting customs and protocol amongst his own peers, and awkwardly gets schooled by his older employee, Emilio, most likely a Millennial.
Sure, sure, sure, 13-year-old Bobby was awkward and unsure about how to relate to girls. But that was a 13-year-old problem, not a generational trait. I cannot think of one reason why 21-year-old Bobby would not be familiar with the usual ways people of his generation communicate with each other, including nuances of punctuation and whatnot. And Gen Z, as digital natives, are more comfortable with texting than any other group of people on the planet.
It would appear that Connie and Chane exhibit typical Gen Z traits. Even Joseph, who can get away with acting strange just because he has always been a little dense, exhibits expected behavior. An example is their pursuit of unique relationship structures with an emphasis on boundaries.
I find it odd that Bobby appears so out of place in his own generation. One might argue that it’s because he opted out of college and into a strenuous, time-consuming career where he likely spent most of his time alone or around older people. I find that an insufficient explanation.
Hank and Peggy, on the other hand, had their excuse written in. It seems the writers wanted Hank and Peggy to experience the disorientation of a changing world without the audience confused (as we may be with Bobby) about why they seem surprised things are not as they were 20 years ago (or 8, but I digress). Hence, Hank and Peggy have just returned to Texas after spending several years living in Saudi Arabia, maybe the most conservative and traditional place on the planet. And in a U.S.-modeled neighborhood, apparently designed around 1950s American culture.
Fine. This doesn’t change the fact that Hank and Peggy are Boomers through and through. Remember when the Trypp driver dropped them off and Hank offered him a 4-star rating so he would have something to work toward? Typical Boomer.
Interestingly, it is very easy to believe Dale and Boomhauer are Gen X, and that has always been the case. Dale is cynical as can be, and Boomhauer embraces a more non-traditional, independent lifestyle than the stereotypical aging Boomer.
The Beer Story Seals It
I want to talk about “The Beer Story” episode because it is my favorite of the new season, but it also solidifies my unwillingness to accept this generational downshift.
“The Beer Story” is a great episode that displays exactly what I would have expected from an adult-Bobby/older-Hank relationship dynamic. In this episode, Hank and Bobby both enter a craft brew competition with their separate creations.
Hank’s beer is traditional, expected, and conservative. He is competitive, confident, and judgmental.
Bobby’s beer is creative, trendy, and personalized. He is focused, arrogant, and ambitious.
This is, beyond doubt, a competition between a Boomer and a Millennial. Period.
And the way you can really tell there is a discrepancy is by the way Bobby, once again, does not see eye-to-eye with his peers. Joseph and Chane discuss the right style of beer for Bobby to submit. They want something with mass appeal and bulk appeal, something you want to drink a lot of. They are focused on advertising and converting a brewing competition win into sales prospects for the restaurant.
While Bobby is creative, his peers are entrepreneurial, a standard Gen Z trait.
And Peggy just wants a beer named after her. Typical Boomer.
A Problem? How Big?
So here’s my problem: The writers may not have intended to write a show where the characters fit quite perfectly into generational stereotypes, establishing all the conflicts and challenges we see for ourselves in everyday life as a result. But they did. And they did it well.
But then they changed it, and something got left behind.
They could have easily aged up the characters more than they did. Or they could have made the current timeframe more ambiguous. They could have at least made the main characters, particularly Bobby, more aligned with the other characters of the same generation.
Is there a statement being made here? What is it about this 3-person family that has them in a slower-moving time bubble than the rest of the world?
Is it just a quirk of the show, not to be overly dwelt on? It is animation time, after all.
And yet, something just doesn’t sit right with me.
But don’t get me wrong, I love it. I won’t stop watching. Maybe it’ll all make sense soon. And maybe it doesn’t matter.
I’d love to hear what you guys think. Drop a comment and let us know how you see it.
Hey! I bet you’ll also like these:
Generational Stereotypes Chart
The Weirdest Thing About Each Generation
Best Adult Animation for Relaxation
Generation X: Champions of Adult Animation