King of the Hill - TV-PG

Wickedly funny at times, but not for all tastes.

TV Rating: TV-PG Network: Fox, FX, Syndicated Cast: Mike Judge, Kathy Najimy, Pamela Adlon Genre: Comedy
Available on: DVDDownload

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that the family in this long-running animated series lives in a lower-middle class Texas community where men drink beer, gossip, and watch TV. The humor satirizes and glorifies life in Texas and is geared toward adults. Hank does try to teach a moral lesson to Bobby whenever something goes awry, which could provide topics for discussion -- but there are better programs for kids to learn from. Teens with mature humor will enjoy and "get it."

Families can discuss the notion of using sarcasm and humor to make a point. Does your teen understand the underlying themes of the series? Is the subtext clear despite what the characters might say or do? Do you and your teens find humor in the same elements of the program?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Joly Herman

Not everyone will "get" KING OF THE HILL because it straddles the fence between good clean livin' and hedonism in a very interesting way.

While the Hill family -- Hank (voiced by Mike Judge), Peggy (Kathy Najimy), Bobby (Pamela Adlon), and Luanne (Brittany Murphy) -- is constantly bombarded with the realities of contemporary life -- trouble with the law, drug-addled hippies ruining a camping trip, discovering the lies behind enculturation, traffic school, money issues, and so on -- they nonetheless attempt to keep their home free of bad influences.

Troubles are hashed out by the community in a comic manner, though it's sometimes difficult to discern whether the moralistic views are real "American values" or a parody of them. This is where the conflict arises and the comedy comes through. Try as they might, the Hills just can't keep the big bad world from infecting their little Texas town, but it's their old-fashioned values creaking along that make for the laughs -- and the heart -- of this series.

Keep in mind, however, that some mature topics might offend sensitive viewers. Others might not appreciate the way these topics are clumsily handled, since King of the Hill can hit pretty close to home. Parents will want to decide for themselves before giving their young teens unlimited access to the show.

Teens who like King of the Hill's humor might also want to check out Family Guy or The Simpsons.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content Luanne is bursting with hormones, as are other cast members. Some innuendo and references to pornography.
Violence
Language "Jackass," "hell," "bastards," etc.
Message
	Social Behavior Hank is the upstanding citizen in his community, but everyone else is bound to misbehave. The characters' sometimes-questionable stances on issues are mined for laughs.
	Commercialism
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco The men drink beer whenever they can pull the cooler out of the garage. Dale is always smoking. Illegal drug use is alluded to but looked down upon.