Episode Capsule for 4E11 "Plastic White Female"
Ondre Lombard
This capsule is also available on the World Wide Web via the URL
http://www.cyberverse.com/~piero/olombard/4E11.html (for now).
Plastic White Female Writer: David Zuckerman
Director: John Myers
===============================================================================
Production Code: 4E11 U.S. Airdate: 5/11/97
Capsule Revision: A - 5/18/97
===============================================================================
- TV Guide Synopsis
The Freshman Season Ends
Remember Hardball? Drexel's Class? The Sinbad Show?
[yep, and Babes, and The Crew, and The Show...--ed] After seven
years and 16 tries, Fox has finally found a series worthy enough to
follow The Simpsons. And audiences love it. King of the Hill
was one of the highest rated new shows of the 1996-1997 season, second
only to NBC's Suddenly Susan.
In the offbeat season finale, Bobby anxiously prepares for his
first boy-girl party by practicing his moves on a plastic head that
Luanne uses for beauty school. Meanwhile, Luanne labors to create
a hairdo to pass her final exam, but disaster strkes when Hank gets
his hands on the plastic head. Voices: Mike Judge, Kathy Najimy.
- Did You Notice...
... Bobby has a "Mrs. Doubtfire" lunchbox?
Ondre Lombard:
... a picture of a cactus on the backdoor?
... Luanne wears something other than the same general outfit like most
animated characters do?
... a lot of the girls in school look older and taller than Bobby?
... Luanne doesn't wear a bra?
... how loudly Peggy snores?
... Miss Kremzer tapping Hank's head with her pen?
... someone shouts a congratulatory "Ow!" during the applause for Luanne?
- Movie, TV and Other References</A>
+ "Single White Female"
The title is either taken from personal ads, or this 1992 movie
+ Rock Me
The song playing in John Redcorn's car, by one-hit wonder rock band Great
White
[The scene where Bobby watches Luanne style the head outside her window
looks like a reference of some sort--ed]
+ "Mrs. Doubtfire"
1993 Robin Williams movie featured on Bobby's lunchbox
- Previous Episode Similarities
[4E01] Suggestive 80s rock song playing in John Redcorn's Jeep
[4E02] Bobby is confused about things related to girls
- Animation and Continuity Goofs
When Hank comes into the room, and Luanne goes away from Kahn, Jr., the gloves
she's wearing and the bottle she's holding both disappear in the next shot.
In the shot after Luanne says "I can't let anything happen to it before my
final exam," for a brief moment, Luanne's half-blouse becomes a full blouse.
In the close-up of the plastic head, Luanne's pink blouse turns into her green
t-back bra (except with sleeves), and her blue pants turn into her red biker
shorts.
Luanne had the head in rollers before she left with Peggy. But the head's
hair is back the way it was when she first got it when Bobby starts rehearsing
with it.
Peggy is not wearing her babushka when she returns, and she went with Luanne
to the mall, but returns with grocery bags.
The ketchup bottle should've stuck out of Bobby's robe pocket.
Since when do cupboards have locks?
- Freeze Frame Fun
>> Food items in Bobby's lunchbox
- Sandwich in a ziplock bag
- Chocolate candy bar
- Juice
- two pieces of candy
- Quotes and Scene Summary
In between their Star Trek-style preperations to spit on a car from an
overpass, Joseph tells Bobby that he's having a party and decides to invite
him. The big surprise is, it's a boy-girl party. "Fire!" orders Joseph, who
is the only one who spits at a car. Bobby swallows his spit and looks
weirdly.
Opening/intro song.
At Beauty Academy, Miss Kremzer calls on Luanne for a question, which she
fails to answer correctly. Instead, another girl gets it. Kremzer gives
Luanne some intimidating advice for next week's final exam.
Bobby helps Luanne with beauty homework, while Luanne does something with
Kahn, Jr.'s hair. Hank walks in with the mail.
Bills. Bills. Bills.
Why do we keep getting Bill's mail?
-- Hank, "Plastic White Female"
Luanne offers to give Hank a new look, but Hank declines. Luanne sweetly
pleads with him to help her practice for her exam, so Hank gives in. Luanne
stops working on Kahn, Jr., who notices she can't see any highlights. Luanne
squirms out of it.
In the kitchen, Hank discovers that Peggy's hair, a result of Luanne's
practice, is a fright. Peggy expects Hank to donate his head to Luanne's
education too, but Hank isn't willing.
My hair is our livelihood. The advantages of propane don't always sell
themselves.
-- Hank, guarding his hair against first-year beauty school student Luanne,
"Plastic White Female"
Luanne: All set, Uncle Hank.
Hank: Uh, Luanne, I'm thinking about just letting my hair grow.
Luanne: Oh. Well, have you ever considered a different color?
Hank: [laughs] Men don't do that.
Luanne: Oh sure they do. Even President Reagan did.
Hank: Hey, now, if Ron Reagan dyed his hair, and I'm not saying he did,
it was only to show his strength to the Communists.
-- "Plastic White Female"
Hank chats with his pals.
Dale: Joseph's having a party.
A boy-girl party.
With girls.
Hank: You're gonna need some chaperones if my Bobby's there. [laughs with
Dale]
Dale: Don't worry. I've got it all under control. There's not gonna be
any hanky panky at my house.
[Nancy returns home from another "session" with John Redcorn]
Hey, John Redcorn.
[John waves at Dale]
-- "Plastic White Female"
Hank: You know, it's about time Bobby got bit by the love-bug. Heh heh.
Boy when I was his age, I was so girl-crazy, they called me Ricardo
Montelban. Heh. [remorsefully] After the actor.
Dale: Yep. Joseph's getting to be a real ladykiller, too. I recon he gets
that from his old man.
[John drives off with Nancy]
-- "Plastic White Female"
Hank: Hey there, Bobby. I guess they found a cure for the cooties. Heh
heh heh.
Bobby: I don't know. What are cooties?
Hank: Well, when I was a boy, that's what they called the germs you got
from girls.
Bobby: Oh, you mean like plemitia?
Hank: Huh?
-- Not quite, "Plastic White Female"
When Peggy learns Bobby was invited to his first boy-girl party, she
says, "Already?" and appears eager to support Bobby's consideration of not
going.
Hank: Son, why would you not want to go to a boy-girl party?
Luanne: Parties are fun, Bobby. Everybody dresses up, and you get to
touch-dance...
Bobby: Touch-dance?? I don't know. What if I get felt up?
Luanne: Ah, you just need a little practice.
[Peggy glares at her]
[Luanne walks off]
-- Nurturing pint-up hormones, "Plastic White Female"
You think Jeff Foxworthy just woke up one day and took some funny pills?
-- Hank, "Plastic White Female"
"And that's why blondes don't necessarily have more fun," concludes Miss
Kremzer. In class, Luanne doodles a hairstyle. The final exam involves
plastic heads, whose hair the students must style using their year's worth of
theory. Again, Luanne is given intimidating advice.
In the school hall, a clumsy Bobby starts to feel intimidated by the girls in
school, who soon appear to be giant perfume-spraying monsters with rotating
breasts, to Bobby. Bobby is snapped back to reality by Kahn, Jr., who asks
Bobby if he wants to eat.
Bobby: Are you going to Joseph's party?
Kahn, Jr.: Nope. Dad won't let me be around boys until after I'm married.
-- Oxymorons abound, "Plastic White Female"
Kahn, Jr. asks Bobby if he's going. Bobby says he'll wait for Joseph's
upcoming birthday party.
At home, Hank helps Bobby pick out party attire, but Bobby says he's not
going. "It's just a dumb party." Hank responds, "A dumb party with girls."
When Bobby says he doesn't like girls, Peggy calls Hank into the kitchen.
They argue over Bobby's decision.
Peggy: He obviously is not ready to socialize with the opposite sex, Hank.
Hank: The way you baby him, he never will be. [walks off]
Peggy: [to Bobby, cheerily] Do you know anyone who would like a hot fudge
sundae?
-- "Plastic White Female"
Luanne: Look, Ant Peggy, I got my practice head! It's got real hair and
everything.
Peggy: [moves closer to it] Well, Luanne, it's a very nice hea --
Luanne: [pulls it away] DON'T TOUCH IT!
-- "Plastic White Female"
Luanne has to keep the head safe till her final exam. While she bubbles
about how this is her big chance to prove herself to her class, Bobby stares
at the head curiously.
[End of Act One. Time: 7:00]
At night, Bobby watches Luanne style the plastic head outside her bedroom
window. When Luanne gets sleepy and starts to undress, he groans, turns away
and walks off.
The next afternoon, Bobby plays a gameboy while Luanne styles her plastic
head. Peggy tells Luanne that she and Bobby are going to the mall because
there is a sale on Jockey shorts at Sears. Luanne decides to accompany them.
Bobby wiggles out of it by telling Peggy that an Afterschool Special about
Jesus is on.
Once they've left, Bobby pulls down the windowshade and locks the door. He
starts girl-approaching rehearsal with Luanne's plastic head. A while later,
Bobby gets two sodas for himself and the head. "You look really special
tonight," compliments Bobby to the head. "You wanna dance?" Bobby turns on
some mambo music and pretends like he's dancing with a girl. When Peggy and
Luanne get back, Bobby turns off the music and drinks both cans of soda.
Peggy: Hello, sweethear --
Bobby: [guiltily] Nothing!
-- Bobby narrowly keeps his rehearsal with Luanne's plastic head from
Peggy, "Plastic White Head"
The guys surround Hank's mower. Hank arrives.
Hank: Hey, Dale, Bill, Boomhauer.
Dale: Don't you ``Dale, Bill, Boomhauer'' us. You said noon. It's twelve
fifteen.
Bill: Do you have any idea how long we've been waiting?
-- "Plastic White Female"
Hank overslept because his hair is growing too much, keeping him up at night.
Luanne notices Hank's unusually long hair and asks if she can trim it. Hank
still refuses, so Bill offers Luanne hair she can cut and practice with: the
hair of the new recruits coming into base today.
Hank: Boy, I can't wait for her to get that damn test over with.
Bill: Yeah, I know. You know, I feel for that kid. I remember when I was
starting out as a young barber. I felt so alone --
Dale: Nobody cares, Bill.
-- That's what friends are for, "Plastic White Female"
At the military barbershop, long-haired men wait in line with their uniforms
as Luanne finishes styling a recruit's hair. Bill compliments Luanne's work,
then starts shaving it off.
The next morning, Bobby comes to breakfast dressed very sharply, with a
dress shirt, tie and slacks.
Peggy: Well, you look good.
Hank: You look better than good. You look like a weatherman.
-- Bobby is dressed to impress, "Plastic White Female"
Bobby passes his bacon and eggs breakfast for fruit and skim milk to slim
down for the party.
Peggy: But Bobby, you said you didn't wanna go.
Bobby: I changed my mind.
Hank: He changed his mind.
Luanne: Bet I know why. [pulls a strand of feminine hair from Bobby]
Bobby Hill has a girlfriend!
Peggy: He does not! Do you?
Bobby: No.
Hank: There's nothing to be embarrassed about, son. Hell, I'm proud of
you.
Bobby: Hell, I'm proud of you too, Dad. Bye. [excuses himself]
Hank: See, Peggy? Our boy is perfectly normal.
-- He can use choice phrases now, "Plastic White Female"
While the song "Wouldn't It Be Nice" plays, we see Bobby's continuing
rehearsal with Luanne's plastic head. He rings the doorbell and presents the
head with flowers. He does a magic trick with it. In the locker hall, Bobby
drops a book in front of a girl again, but this time rebounds in a clever
way, earning a smile from the girl. Bobby pushes the head on a swing, with
the inevitable result. He looks at clouds with it, laughing.
In school, Bobby acts real smoothe with all the girls. Joseph's impressed.
Joseph: Man, when did you get to be so slick?
Bobby: What do you mean? Yo, Charisse you stone-cold fox, what up?
-- Bobby the Casanova, "Plastic White Female"
Joseph casually mentions that he hopes Bobby's lips don't fall off at the
party. Bobby doesn't understand. Joseph says that they're going to play
spin-the-bottle at the party. Again, Bobby looks challenged.
Bobby, decked out in a red robe and ascot, acts coyly romantic with the
Head in his room. "I have something special planned for tonight." Bobby
gets a ketchup bottle. Just then, Peggy gets home, asking Bobby to help her
with the groceries. Bobby spins the ketchup bottle, and moves it towards the
head. Peggy overhears Bobby smoothe-talk the head. "Relax, baby. It's just
you and me." She lets a quick gasp and opens the door. To her horror, she
finds Bobby kissing on the head. They both shreik at each other, and Peggy
quickly shuts the door and starts panting.
[End of Act Two. Time: 12:45]
Hank and Peggy discuss Peggy's unpleasant encounter.
Hank: You must've got it wrong. Maybe he just fell on it or something.
Peggy: Hank, he was kissing it! I saw it with my own two eyes. I'm gonna
be seeing it for the rest of my life.
Hank: Now, Peggy, it's not your fault.
Peggy: Well, why do you say that?
Hank: I just said it's not your fault.
Peggy: Well it did not need saying. I _know_ it is not my fault. If
anything -- this is all _your_ fault. You made him go to that camp
with no toilet doors.
Hank: Don't point your finger at me, woman. You're the one who parks him
in front of the TV and makes him watch all them muppets. They got
frogs kissing pigs. What the hell did they think was going to
happen??
-- After Bobby is caught kissing the "Plastic White Female"
Peggy: Well, we are not going to get anywhere by attacking each other.
We have to do the sensible thing. We'll move to Berlin.
Hank: What?
Peggy: Bobby will be accepted there. I read somewhere that Germans,
they're very tolerant people. Their culture admires all kinds of
freaks.
-- Peggy thinks Bobby's attracted to Luanne's "Plastic White Female"
Hank says Bobby is just confused, and he decides to set him straight once and
for all.
Bobby sits nervously on his bed. Hank says, "Bobby, we're heading down the
hall towards your room, son." Hank knocks. "That's us knocking. Your
mother and me." Bobby says, "Come on." "Okay. We're coming on in." With
much delay, Hank finally opens the door, but Peggy is standing with her back
turned. Hank asks Bobby if he'd like to go on a car ride.
In the car...
Hank: Look, Bobby, I'm as open-minded as the next guy. Just so you know,
most states won't let you to marry a plastic head.
Bobby: I don't wanna marry it! [disgusted] Augh. I just needed to
practice my first kiss so I don't look like an idiot.
Hank: You're kissing a plastic head, and you're afraid of looking like an
idiot?
-- "Plastic White Female"
Hank decides to lock the plastic head in a high cupboard in the kitchen.
Hank: Son, I'm doing this for your own good. You're just using this head
as a crutch.
Bobby: It's not a crutch, Dad. It's something I've come to rely on to help
through life.
-- Webster's brainchild, "Plastic White Female"
Hank will only give Bobby the head if he needs it after the party. But Bobby
argues that he won't need the head after the party. Hank replies, "Exactly,"
and locks the cupboard.
At night, Bobby scales the bottom cabinets in the kitchen, but accidentally
pulls out a drawer of silverware with his foot, making a lot of noise. Atop
the counter, Bobby uses a fork to open the cupboard. Hank is out of bed,
looking vigilant. As Bobby opens the cupboard doors, Hank's eye twitches in
anger. Bobby carefully removes the head from the cupboard, but he's caught.
Hank gets all worked up and decides it's time for tough love. Bobby
worriedly tries to stop Hank from doing something drastic. Luanne and Peggy
wake up confused. In the workshop, Hank puts the head to a buzzsaw and
slices it in half, to Luanne's horror. She screams, "What about my test!!"
Hank flashes a guilty grin.
During the final exam, Miss Kremzer grades the heads. Hank winds up being
the replacement for Luanne's head that he destroyed.
Miss Kremzer: First, this is not the plastic head you were issued. Second,
just look at the way you shaved against the grain here, here,
and here. [writes two Xs, and an O on Hank's head] And these
are the worst sideburns I've seen since chair three, which
makes me suspect you cheated. F. That means you fail.
Luanne: [cries]
Hank: [mutters] What a bitch.
-- "Plastic White Female"
Hank tries to comfort Luanne by telling her that this is the best haircut
he's ever had. When Miss Kremzer sees Hank explain what he likes about the
cut, she apologizes and says she's been mean and unfair. Finally, she passes
Luanne because she pleased her customer. Luanne's fellow students applaud.
Bobby, dressed for the party, is reduced to coming on to Ladybird. Peggy
walks in. "Bobby, your father told me you were just using the head for
practice. Now, I know he made that up to protect me, but I am your mother.
And I have decided that I am going to love you no matter what." Bobby
responds, "Okay." "I realize I am just as much to blame for your condition
as the media, and the Devil. I have been overprotective. You're not a baby
anymore. You are going to have a long and interesting life ahead of you and
it's time for me to just let go. Just let go, so you go on." Bobby has
immense difficulty freeing his hand from Peggy's grip. Bobby tries to back
away but just winds up dragging Peggy out the door with him.
Bobby is on his way to the party, but then he chickens out and runs off
and he nearly collides with Kahn, Jr.'s bike.
Kahn, Jr.: Hey, aren't you going to Joseph's party?
Bobby: I can't. It's a make-out party and my Dad took away my plastic
head.
Kahn, Jr.: What a buzzkill.
-- Good choice of words, "Plastic White Female"
Kahn, Jr. has been practicing too, to make her first kiss something special.
She suggests she and Bobby practice on each other. "You wanna kiss me?"
"No, it's just practice." Bobby agrees to it. Kahn, Jr. asks him to close
his eyes, resulting in a bumping of heads. "This is stupid!" remarks Bobby.
Kahn, Jr. decides to try it with their eyes open. They have a brief meeting
of the lips, slightly unsure of if they did it right. Kahn, Jr. asks Bobby
to check her for hickeys. Then Min calls Kahn, Jr. back home. Bobby decides
to go to the party. Kahn, Jr. wishes him good luck.
At the party, Bobby spins the bottle. Dale intrudes, asking why it's so
quiet. Nancy insists he should leave them alone, but Dale doesn't want any
"hanky-panky." The bottle ends up pointing to Nancy. A little too true to
the game, Bobby leaps at Nancy.
[End of Act Three. Time: 20:18]
- Voice Credits
Starring:
Mike Judge (Hank)
Kathy Najimy (Peggy)
Pamela Segall (Bobby)
Brittany Murphy (Joseph, Luanne)
Stephen Root (uncredited) (Bill)
and
Johnny Hardwick (Dale)
Also Starring:
Jennifer Coolidge (Miss Kremzer)
Ashley Gardner (Nancy)
Dawnn Lewis (Miss Johnson)
Lauren Tom (Kahn, Jr., Min)
- Reviews
Michael K. Neylon:
``Plastic White Female'' was a near perfect episode of KotH, maybe of any
show of its genre. Except for one potentally predictable part, this one
episode should be used as a newbie's introduction to KotH. Bobby's dilemma,
his first ``boy-girl'' party, is so true to real life, and makes it that much
more believable. [...] Bobby's ``solution'' to his problem is probably a lot
more drastic than I'd take. Yet, this provides the driving force for the
episode, both in humor (the scenes with Bobby `making out' with the head),
and in tension (Hank buzzsawing the head in half). The ending, with Bobby
[...] was a cherry on top of the entire show. The Luanne subplot works out
quite well. We delve a bit more into her character, which up to now, has
been relatively throw-away, and she seems to finally have some aspirations in
her life. She plays well with the rest of the plot.
[...]
One of the things about this episode, more than anything else, was the
excellent merging of two subplots. [...] The two plots, even though they
share the same element (the head), stay separate save for the buzzsaw
scene, yet work perfectly well running side by side. The writers for KotH
have yet to fail with this subplot idea (for example, the Boggle tourney
episode), and I hope they can continue this for next season.
Yours truly:
Beautifully unique portrayal of the angst of a pubescent confused and
inexperienced with socializing with the opposite sex. Very humorous, as
well. It was nice how the story with Luanne flowed with Bobby's instead
of conflicting with one another. Top notch writing and animation make
this an instant King of the Hill classic. Grade: A -
- Legal Disclaimer
King of the Hill - Capsule 4E11 copyright Ondre Lombard (wak...@wcat.com)
Episode summaries and capsule sections not to be redistributed in a public
forum without the previous consent of the author. The quotes are
copyrighted property of Deedle-Dee Productions, Judgemental Films, 3 Arts
Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox. This capsule is not meant to
infringe upon those copyrights. Now pass in your algebra homework.
Dongerous
In article
<Pine.LNX.3.95.970518...@brionne.cyberverse.com>, Ondre
Lombard <pi...@cyberverse.com> wrote:
<huge snip>
> Hank: Hey there, Bobby. I guess they found a cure for the cooties. Heh
> heh heh.
> Bobby: I don't know. What are cooties?
> Hank: Well, when I was a boy, that's what they called the germs you got
> from girls.
> Bobby: Oh, you mean like plemitia?
> Hank: Huh?
> -- Not quite, "Plastic White Female"
Plemitia?
What's that?
I believe Bobby said "chlamydia," which is a sexually transmitted disease!
Sounds like ol' Bobby's aceing Sex Ed!!!
<snip>
- Don
--
I don't believe you can find any evidence of the FACT that I had changed government policy solely because of a contribution" - President Clinton, 3-7-97
Dongerous
In article
<Pine.LNX.3.95.970518...@brionne.cyberverse.com>, Ondre
Lombard <pi...@cyberverse.com> wrote:
<big snip>
> Once they've left, Bobby pulls down the windowshade and locks the door. He
> starts girl-approaching rehearsal with Luanne's plastic head. A while
later,
> Bobby gets two sodas for himself and the head. "You look really special
> tonight," compliments Bobby to the head. "You wanna dance?" Bobby turns on
> some mambo music and pretends like he's dancing with a girl. When Peggy and
> Luanne get back, Bobby turns off the music and drinks both cans of soda.
Actually, I believe that was "tenejo" music, a sort of Mexican folk music
popluar in the Southwest.
<snip>
BTW, I'd like to say that these capsules are GREAT!!!
noel
> I believe Bobby said "chlamydia," which is a sexually transmitted disease!
Yeah. Chlamydia.
Dang ol'
-N!
------------------------------------------------------
"Proclaiming the beauty and majesty of Boomhauer's words across the land."
http://www.cyberramp.net/~noel/rside/boom.html
Ed Dravecky III
Oh, that looked a lot like the liquor cabinet to me...
> Hank: Well, when I was a boy, that's what they called the germs you got
> from girls.
> Bobby: Oh, you mean like plemitia?
YM "chlamydia" which is a common sexually transmitted disease.
(Apparently, the sex-ed course earlier in the season paid off
for Bobby...)
> The next afternoon, Bobby plays a gameboy while Luanne styles her plastic
> head.
Careful viewers will note that the Gameboy is flashing "Game Over"
the entire time that Bobby is "playing" with it.
--
Ed Dravecky * e-mail me at: dsheldon (at) netcom dot com
NOTE: This signature has been designed to block SPAM(tm)
Dongerous
In article <5logjt$1...@web.azstarnet.com>, dse...@azstarnet.com (David
Sewell) wrote:
> In article <fastslow-180...@169.132.208.129>,
> Dongerous <fast...@idt.net> wrote:
>
> >Actually, I believe that was "tenejo" music, a sort of Mexican folk music
> >popluar in the Southwest.
>
> That should be "tejano", which is just Spanish for "Texan". Closely
> allied terms/styles would include "conjunto" and "norten~o". All
> of these are popular music of the northern Mexico - US Southwest -
> Texas border region that combine influences from mariachi, traditional
> Mexican corrido (ballad), and US country-western.
Thanks! I couldn't find it in a dictionary, so I was flying blind. I knew
someone more knowledgeable would rearrange my mangled spelling (I almost
got all the letters right!).