Bobby Slam

Bobby Slam
Air date	December 14, 1997
Written by	Gina Fattore
Directed by	Chris Moeller
Episode guide
Previous	"The Company Man"
Next	"The Unbearable Blindness of Laying"

"Bobby Slam" is the twenty-second episode of King of the Hill. It was first aired on December 14, 1997. The episode was written by Gina Fattore and directed by Chris Moeller.

Plot

Hank becomes elated when Bobby announces he has joined the wrestling team at school. Meanwhile, Peggy is asked to substitute teach the Middle School girl's gym class. Her experience is a frustrating one; when she requests new basketballs for the girls, she is informed the money was earmarked to place holograms on football game tickets. The discrimination continues when the girls are denied uniforms. Peggy loses her cool when Coach Kleehammer asks the girls to move so the boys can have extra room to scrimmage, but with no one on her side, she is forced to comply. Connie tells Bobby she made a mistake when she signed up for sports. Peggy promises Connie she can play whatever sport she choices. Connie tells her she wants to join the wrestling team.

Peggy tells Kleehammer about Connie's wish, but the coach attempts to dissuade her, claiming it is a "boy's sport." When Minh and Kahn learn about their daughter's new passion, they fear she might get hurt. But they realize it might be enough to set her apart from others when she applies to college. The Souphanousinphones threaten the principal with a lawsuit unless their daughter is allowed to participate, and later, a reluctant Kleehammer informs the boys a girl will be joining them. He then warns that, as a result, some of the boys may not make the team. Later, Bobby tells his parents that Kleehammer looked directly at him when he made the announcement. At school, Kleehammer announces that tryouts will be held to determine ability. To his horror, Bobby learns he will face Connie on the mat.

Peggy is mortified when she hears the news and immediately knows Kleehammer did this to spite her and trap Bobby and Connie in a no-win situation; if Connie wins, then Bobby will be looked down upon for losing to a girl but if Bobby wins, then not only would he be labeled a girl-beater, but it would also jeopardize Connie's chances to enhance her college application. Meanwhile, Minh enlists Luanne's assistance to help coach her daughter, while Hank tries his hand at prepping Bobby for the match. The day of the tryout finally arrives. Tired of the problems brought on by their situation, Bobby and Connie decide to fake their match, using rehearsed wrestling moves seen from Bobby's video game. Though the parents and school faculty recognize the illegitimacy of the moves, the student body believes it to be real, causing them to cheer Bobby on. Connie meanwhile fakes wanting to pursue a "party school lifestyle", putting her parents in shock and causing them to rescind their stance on having Connie wrestle.

Characters

• Hank Hill
• Peggy Hill
• Bobby Hill
• Luanne Platter
• Dale Gribble
• Jeff Boomhauer
• Bill Dauterive
• Kahn Souphanousinphone
• Minh Souphanousinphone
• Connie Souphanousinphone
• Stuart Dooley
• Clark Peters
• Principal Carl Moss
• Coach Kleehammer (debut)
• Doug
• Joseph Gribble
• Tom (non-speaking)
• Judy (non-speaking)
• Susie (non-speaking)
• Leventhal (non-speaking)
• Shawn (non-speaking)
• Tom Landry Wrestling Team Tryouts
  • Keyser (mentioned)
  • Gutierrez (mentioned)
  • Fino (mentioned)
  • McJimsey (mentioned)
  • Eyles (mentioned)
  • Nadell (mentioned)
  • Falzarano (mentioned)
  • Solon (mentioned)
  • Heinrich (mentioned)
  • Donnelly (mentioned)
  • Eglinton (mentioned)
  • Mather (mentioned)

Stinger Quote

• Coach: "Ooh, that's gotta hurt!"

Trivia

• The episode title is a pun of Body slam, a well-known move used in professional wrestling.
• Clark Peters is clearly a member of the wrestling team, but when the coach is assigning matches by last name for the upcoming meet, we never hear him say the name "Peters," although the episode could have cut away before he would have gotten there.
• Bobby and Connie could not possibly have been paired up for a wrestle off. They go by weight classes, and there is no way Bobby and Connie are in the same weight class.
• This is the first appearance of Clark Peters, although he is not given a name until later in the series.
• Connie: "I wanna go to a party school - Chico State, yeaaahhh!" Connie is referring to the reputation of California State University in Chico, California. The school gained its reputation after Playboy compiled two lists of America's top party schools - one in 1987, one in 2002. Chico State ranked first on the 1987 list, and second in 2002.
• It is revealed in this episode that Peggy wanted to name Bobby "Jeffrey" but Hank would not allow it. Since it is later revealed that his middle name is "Jeffrey"- that may have been a compromise.
• The night after this episode which referenced wrestling aired, then-World Wrestling Federation owner Vince McMahon referenced King of the Hill in his "Attitude Era" speech as an example of how the WWF was now appealing to a more mature audience, in contrast to its more family friend 1980s-early 1990s heyday. However, McMahon was also probably unaware that James Carville, an old friend of the Clinton Administration who was tied to current WWE owner Ari Emanuel through his brother and then-Senior Advisor to the President Rahm Emanuel, had guest-starred on King of the Hill two months prior.
• When Bobby joins the wrestling team, Hank presents him with an athletic cup made of steel which is likely against the rules. But this is rendered a moot point when Bobby encourages another boy to punch him in the groin while wearing the cup and still gets hurt.
• When Bobbie pops the ketchup packet on his eyes to look like blood, Kahn yells "No Mercy Finish Him", which are lines from The Karate Kid.

Goofs

• Peggy calls Connie "Bonnie" in the opening scene.
• Peggy's right eye becomes the same color as her skin in one frame.

Gallery