Bobby Hill (King of the Hill)
| Bobby Hill | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Pilot January 12, 1997 |
| Last appearance | To Sirloin With Love September 13, 2009 |
| Created by | Mike Judge |
| Portrayed by | Pamela Adlon |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Student |
| Family | Hank Hill (father) Peggy Hill (mother) |
| Relatives | Cotton Hill (paternal grandfather,deceased) Tilly Hill (paternal grandmother) Didi Hill (paternal step-grandmother) Doc Platter (maternal grandfather) Maddy Platter (maternal grandmother) Hoyt Platter (uncle) Luanne Platter (first cousin) Gracie Kleinschmidt (first cousin, once removed) G.H. (Good Hank) Hill (uncle) Junichiro (uncle) |
Robert Jeffery "Bobby" Hill is a character on the animated series King of the Hill and is voiced by Pamela Adlon. Bobby is the only child of Hank and Peggy Hill.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Robert Jeffrey Hill, nicknamed Bobby, is 4 feet 11 inches tall and overweight. Bobby is a school-aged boy who enjoys comedy, music, dance and socializing with his friends, Joseph Gribble and Connie Souphanousinphone. Although at times Bobby is seen as odd by his parents and peers, he maintains a remarkable talent with people, particularly with girls, who find him cute and entertaining. Using these talents, Bobby aspires to be a prop comic like his hero "Celery Head" (a parody of Carrot Top) and a "ladies man". Bobby displays a natural talent as a marksman, shown in How To Fire A Rifle Without Really Trying and "To Kill a Ladybird". Bobby is generally very passive and is occasionally a victim of bullies. However, Bobby speaks out on issues concerning love.
[edit] Father-Son-Relationship Theme
Many episodes focus on the development of the relationship between Bobby and Hank, a double act. Bobby is not talented as an athlete or a craftsman like his father is. As a result, Hank doubts his masculine identity and normalcy, tacitly and with side-of-the-mouth remarks. often lamenting "That boy ain't right." Bobby is saddened by his father's lack of appreciation for the arts and his comedy routines. The two struggle to find common interests. However, Hank and Bobby find common interest in Texas, meat, propane, shooting and golfing, among other things as the show progresses. Despite differences, Hank and Bobby have a close relationship. Bobby considers his father as his hero.
[edit] Age
During the third episode of the show's first season ("Order of the Straight Arrow"), Hank refers to Bobby and his friends as being 12 years old. Hank may have been rounding up in Bobby's case since in the eighth episode of that season ("Shins of the Father"), Bobby has a birthday party. It can be assumed that Bobby turns 12 on this occasion since his next birthday, shown in in the fifth season ("I Don't Want to Wait for Our Lives to Be Over..."), has him turning 13. Bobby remains 13 for the duration of the series, despite the fact that several Christmas episodes air and his cousin Luanne Platter gives birth to a child of her own. In a coincidental matter, the show technacally ran for 13 years (the last episode, "Just Another Manic Kahn-Day", aired in 2010); Bobby was 13 when the series ended.
[edit] Character Development
The London Free Press states that he "might be the most complex, fully formed kid in TV history."
[edit] Reception
In their book "Abnormal Child Psychology", authors Eric J. Mash and David Allen Wolfe discussed the misconception that eating sugar contributes to ADHD. Certain media portrayals, including the events surrounding Bobby in the episode "Peggy's Turtle Song", are noted.[1] In the book "People of the century" by CBS News, they described Bobby as the "anti-Bart" (referring to Bart Simpson) while discussing how other characters have tried to "claim Bart's place of honor."[2]
Voice actress Pamela Adlon received highly positive reception for her portrayal of Bobby. She received an Emmy for her role in the episode "Bobby Goes Nuts", the only actor in the series to have won one.[3] IGN editor Talmadge Blevins quotes a line spoken by Bobby, "That's my purse! I don't know you!", describing it as one of the "most memorable lines ever uttered on television."[4]
In 2002, TV Guide ranked Bobby Hill number 48 on its '50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time' list.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Mash, Eric J.; Wolfe, David A. (2008-10-30). Abnormal Child Psychology. Cengage Learning. p. 159. ISBN 9780495506270. http://books.google.com/books?id=hhvjIBUVDeYC&pg=PT159&dq=Bobby+Hill+%22King+of+the+Hill%22#v=onepage&q=Bobby%20Hill%20%22King%20of%20the%20Hill%22&f=false. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
- ^ News, CBS (1999-11-16). People of the century. Simon and Schuster. p. 428. ISBN 9780684870939. http://books.google.com/books?id=wO3qlZr7s3MC&pg=PA428&dq=Bobby+Hill+%22King+of+the+Hill%22#v=onepage&q=Bobby%20Hill%20%22King%20of%20the%20Hill%22&f=false. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
- ^ http://animatedtv.about.com/od/kingofthehill/tp/kohtop10.htm
- ^ IGN review of Season 6
- ^ TV Guide Book of lists. Running Press. ISBN 0-7624-3007-9.
[edit] External links
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