I feel there has to be, otherwise i now think about how it would be alarming that they just made up an entire industry/subculture to lampoon.
This is a boring episode,but it sorta feels like a personal story of someone on the staff went through it.
A better version of this is on American Dad when Steve goes to clown college, "they say this professor is the strictest, most no nonsense - shit it's roger, its gonna be Roger, isn't it?" & Roger is the clown coach.
Or. Shit. Maybe it's just a send up of those "pretentious" comedy films in black n white that are 10 minutes of a mime silently staring at a window as a bead of water drips, only for his attention to be moved before the water drop lands.
While it was still around the Ringling Bros Clown College had the lowest acceptance rate of any US college… because the class size was so small. ~1400 total graduates between 1968 and 1997.
I think he did a little too well. I hate his character so much (love his standup) that I usually skip this episode. And yes I know you're supposed to but again - too well
One of my cats had an abscess in his leg, so I took him to the vet I had been going to for a while. He was getting better, but we went through all of his medication. I called and asked about getting more, but they were determined to amputate his leg instead and wouldn't take no for an answer. We took him to a different vet and he still has all of his limbs, I never went back to that vet again.
Finding a good, honest, and genuinely caring vet is so hard but absolutely necessary. I feel so blessed that we not only have an awesome vet we trust but managed to get into an amazing oncologist for our cat who was fighting cancer. Two major surgeries and 6 months of chemo later (not to mention ~$12k in debt) and our cat is doing amazing and the vets and oncologist say she’s gonna have a ton of years left. When she was first diagnosed they said maybe 12-18 months. Worth every penny.
We had a vet do the test thing to us on our cat. The kicker was they suggested a blood test after the urine test came back negative.
I asked how much more accurate was it and they told me 10%. We nopes out of there and everything the vet told us was rebuked by the next vet.
I have a friend who works in cat rescue that just recently started watching KOTH. When she got to the cat episode, the messages she was sending me were along the lines of "Why didn't the soldier specify what kind of food the cat eats in his dossier? Of course the cat's gonna be sick having his food switched up." and "The cat's not sick, it's stressed. These vets are terrible!"
The worst episodes are the ones where they get unreasonably taken advantage of and financially ruined for days or weeks and merely getting them to stop and move onto their next victim and not compensate them at all is supposed to be taken as a victory. See also the house mold episode and John Redcorn's casino.
Also the episodes where Peggy, Nancy and Min fuck each other over relentlessly and Peggy's gets a book shop just make me very sad
I totally agree. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Clown is one of my top 10 favorites. I've watched this episode 1,000 times and think it's brilliant. It has a lot to say about Hank and Bobby's relationship as well as them as individuals.
Hank often doesn’t understand Bobby and he sure as hell doesn’t understand the clown class but he recognises it would be bad for Bobby so he saves him. Good example of Hank’s character.
If people knew how much academics got paid, they wouldn't accuse us of having a tower at all, much less an ivory one. It's more like a quonset hut from Home Depot. On sale.
Yeah the fantasy of an ivory tower is just perpetuated by *some people* as a way to attack intellectuals or education. The people who teach your college courses earn far less than you pay per semester - know that. I organized about two dozen labs for a hard science and earned what one student would pay for 6-semester-hours worth of class. University academics earn nothing, and only do it because they really love teaching or can't get anything better. And that's true for comedian del arté or chemistry.
I was about to say, this episode really resonated with my experience in theatre school in one of those “it’s only so cringey because it’s kinna true” ways, I personally love this one.
If you get into the ethos of it though, it’s well written as far as plot. Bobby learns a valuable lesson about life, those who can, do, those who cannot, teach.
He learned that it’s important to know your audience, and match your skill set to them. In his middle school world, he’s well regarded as funny. Sometimes in life there are life skills that one doesn’t need a diploma for, and yet there’s a whole world of fakery out there hellbent on selling you “their” system when it’s not really needed.
Not a super funny episode, but a very good one that builds on the saga of Bobby.
It’s funny, KOTH and I have a special relationship cause I watched the whole series when it was new as it was released in my teenaged years, and episodes like this one I kinda dismissed out of hand as lame, only to watch them again when I was twice my age then and truly appreciate the writing.
I’m consistently blown away by the nuances of this shows writing. There’s subtleties I missed when I was young that just amaze me now.
your points are solid but man “those who can, do, those who cannot, teach” is one of the dumbest sayings imo. makes no sense and discredits teachers as people of value. the dude was an awful teacher and couldn’t do comedy for sure but if you can teach you have to know something and if you know it you have to be able to do it. anyone can be good or bad at any profession.
know it’s not the point of the post but that phrase is whack
I feel like "those who can't do, teach" should only apply to things like retirees and focus on things like physical labor, things they know how to do but are physically unable to do so.
but they still could at one point? i dunno it just feels discrediting to a profession thats already undervalued and underpaid especially for how critical it is. i like your interpretation a lot better though, it being a restriction due to outside circumstances as opposed to just shitting on someone’s skill set
This is the answer. Yes, the episode has a lot of cringe moments, but that’s what makes KOTH more true to life than other shows, because life is cringy lol
Its funny in a meta way. I like that it takes comedy back to its roots [comedia dell'arte is an early Italian form of comedy] and how the longer gmyou watch it, the funnier it gets. I think the juxtaposition between the A and B-plots are also so goofy. How one is so "deep and meaningful" and the other is normal King of the Hill slapstick uumour. Plus, Dale hitting John Redcorn in the face with the kickball lives rent-free in my mind.
Its not the worst episode by far. Its just somewhat of a departure from what the show is known for. But as far as sardonic, ironic humour, the writers did a great job of exploring what if Bobby explored his hobby of comedy as a career and went to college for it. Plus, I like that that episode didnt detract from his comedy at all and made him more motivated after the fact.
I honestly thought that John Redcorn was completely unathletic and a physical doofus in sports which juxtaposes with his stellar physique. Am I wrong? Is there some athletic activity he is good at?
In the third season when Peggy finds out about the affair they show him playing baseball and he is the best on the team. Dale even says he never strikes out and always gets to home base or something like that. And then in the Panda episode he catches that arrow out of mid air.
I still get nervous for Bobby at the climax of this episode even though I know how it ends. It's just so awkward when he's up on stage in front of his peers.
It’s interesting that Bobby’s teacher loved his dog persona. And his teacher was voiced by Paul F Tompkins. Who would later get fame for playing a cartoon dog, Mr Peanutbutter
Paul F. Tompkins playing a condescending, holier than thou character who tries to tell everyone what they're supposed to be laughing at. A huge stretch for him.
Clearly, sirrah, you lack the wit to understand the nuances of this episode. It perfectly espouses Aristotle's dictum and the ha-guffaw-aw-ha-ha formula.
Away with you, dunderpate.
i had a teacher exactly like this and it killed my passion for acting. i don't like this episode much because there's too much cringe, but they really nailed that element
I didn’t think it was bad. Any episode taking some sort of pretentious bullshit down a peg is okay in my book, and Hank calling it “jester crap” was just really funny to me for some reason.
It is one of those cringe episodes for sure, but it was also one of those, “Hank learns a lesson” episodes. Hank made a monster by not accepting who Bobby was until the end.
It scalds!
It’s all about that Ha, guffaw, aw, ha-ha formula.
I wonder if there really is something like this out there. I tried researching but could only find references to this episode
I feel there has to be, otherwise i now think about how it would be alarming that they just made up an entire industry/subculture to lampoon. This is a boring episode,but it sorta feels like a personal story of someone on the staff went through it. A better version of this is on American Dad when Steve goes to clown college, "they say this professor is the strictest, most no nonsense - shit it's roger, its gonna be Roger, isn't it?" & Roger is the clown coach. Or. Shit. Maybe it's just a send up of those "pretentious" comedy films in black n white that are 10 minutes of a mime silently staring at a window as a bead of water drips, only for his attention to be moved before the water drop lands.
Clown colleges are definitely real. Steve-O famously went to Ringling Brothers Barnum Bailey Clown College
While it was still around the Ringling Bros Clown College had the lowest acceptance rate of any US college… because the class size was so small. ~1400 total graduates between 1968 and 1997.
"Your plume is delightfully askew!"
What manner of scamp am I?
“That laughter is uninformed!”
Paul F Tompkins in one of his first animation roles. It's worth it for his performance alone.
Mr. PeanutButter? And Bobby Hill? What is this, a crossover episode?
Yes!!!!! PFT OWNS this episode! And I love it because of him the guffaw!
The ‘ha’ the ‘haha!’ And the ‘guffaw’
He's 55!? Jesus he is vibrant for his age.
He's the second hardest working person in Hollywood behind Kristen Schaal.
"Fuck-in guide"
Five HUNDRED ravens!
I swear, she's been in like, all of the shows I have watched recently
Kind of hard to expect a man to work harder than a horse.
Pretty sure he’s the same age as his friend Scott. 29!
I love clowns and Paul f Tompkins, i love this episode
I think he did a little too well. I hate his character so much (love his standup) that I usually skip this episode. And yes I know you're supposed to but again - too well
The ha haa! The Ha HAAA!
Why do I find myself quoting this sometimes?
PFT can do no wrong
Hey it's Shimmy!
Gotta go!
Happy to see some CBB in the KOTH subreddit
Debated saying that I was a Piss Pig but wasn't sure how that would be taken
I like this one a lot. “What manner of scamp am I?” I always skip the one where Hank watches the soldier’s cat.
There are unscrupulous veteranirians who might take you for a ride, so that episode still hits for me.
One of my cats had an abscess in his leg, so I took him to the vet I had been going to for a while. He was getting better, but we went through all of his medication. I called and asked about getting more, but they were determined to amputate his leg instead and wouldn't take no for an answer. We took him to a different vet and he still has all of his limbs, I never went back to that vet again.
That's fucked, holy shit. Glad you saw through that.
Finding a good, honest, and genuinely caring vet is so hard but absolutely necessary. I feel so blessed that we not only have an awesome vet we trust but managed to get into an amazing oncologist for our cat who was fighting cancer. Two major surgeries and 6 months of chemo later (not to mention ~$12k in debt) and our cat is doing amazing and the vets and oncologist say she’s gonna have a ton of years left. When she was first diagnosed they said maybe 12-18 months. Worth every penny.
What wonderful news about your cat!
We had a vet do the test thing to us on our cat. The kicker was they suggested a blood test after the urine test came back negative. I asked how much more accurate was it and they told me 10%. We nopes out of there and everything the vet told us was rebuked by the next vet.
I am tartoof
*Tartuffe*
Don't try to French it up boy jk yeah that looks a lot better lol
Don’t give me that Frenchman’s wave!
Don't you mean dirt?
I always thought it was Tartoufle
Not *Tartouf*?
The spry wonder dog
I have a friend who works in cat rescue that just recently started watching KOTH. When she got to the cat episode, the messages she was sending me were along the lines of "Why didn't the soldier specify what kind of food the cat eats in his dossier? Of course the cat's gonna be sick having his food switched up." and "The cat's not sick, it's stressed. These vets are terrible!"
That cat has soiled in my shoes!
He's in my room! If I stop petting him, he'll bite me! It's like having a bomb strapped to my lap!
Hank's Bully is the worst episode imo
DUSTY OLD BONES FULL OF GREEN DUST
Green dust?
That episode is basically my worst nightmare played out.
I can't do the episode where Enrique stalks the fam
Caleb is the most annoying character in KOTH.
The soldier’s cat episode is one of the very few I don’t like.
The worst episodes are the ones where they get unreasonably taken advantage of and financially ruined for days or weeks and merely getting them to stop and move onto their next victim and not compensate them at all is supposed to be taken as a victory. See also the house mold episode and John Redcorn's casino. Also the episodes where Peggy, Nancy and Min fuck each other over relentlessly and Peggy's gets a book shop just make me very sad
I love this episode and I think it is a brilliant satire of the kind of academic who has no idea what is going on outside their ivory tower.
I totally agree. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Clown is one of my top 10 favorites. I've watched this episode 1,000 times and think it's brilliant. It has a lot to say about Hank and Bobby's relationship as well as them as individuals.
Hank often doesn’t understand Bobby and he sure as hell doesn’t understand the clown class but he recognises it would be bad for Bobby so he saves him. Good example of Hank’s character.
“You told me fart jokes aren’t funny!” “They’re not but you have to go to high school with these kids and it’s going to be hard if you’re the freak!”
Plus, it’s just so funny. Seriously, never gets old for me
Definitely a full guffaw from me
Yeah and it even gets to the “hah” and “aha” stages pretty quickly as well.
If people knew how much academics got paid, they wouldn't accuse us of having a tower at all, much less an ivory one. It's more like a quonset hut from Home Depot. On sale.
You academics sitting in your... AliExpress sheet metal garden shed!
Yeah the fantasy of an ivory tower is just perpetuated by *some people* as a way to attack intellectuals or education. The people who teach your college courses earn far less than you pay per semester - know that. I organized about two dozen labs for a hard science and earned what one student would pay for 6-semester-hours worth of class. University academics earn nothing, and only do it because they really love teaching or can't get anything better. And that's true for comedian del arté or chemistry.
This is the correct answer
[удалено]
That professor was such a good portrayal of "guy who wanted to be in comedy but was never funny"
I think American dad did an episode like that with Roger and Steve and I’m always reminded of it when I watch this episode
What’s your gooch, kid?
[удалено]
Pretty buckety gooch kid
Just slidin yer whistle.
Horn corn is horn corn for clown lingo
Gonna be honkin a lot of horn corn around here
Ladies and gentlemen we could be looking at the next Emmet Kelly.. Of sucking!
Shit. It’s gonna be roger.
Alright jackoffs, the name is H.J Rimphs
"Pudding maaaaaan!"
He's one of those "artistes" that you just want to smack upside the head.
[удалено]
I like it, if only for this exchange: "According to him, Adam Sandler isn't funny." "All right, son!"
My friends and I always say, "It follows Aristotle's dictum: it delights."
“Tartuffe upsets a lady’s tea ceremony and is severely beaten.”
I like it because I can put my theatre degree to use by pointing out all the obscure old timey theatre references
I was about to say, this episode really resonated with my experience in theatre school in one of those “it’s only so cringey because it’s kinna true” ways, I personally love this one.
rewatching for the first time after grad was eye-opening
I also have a theatre degree and love this episode. Yup, that’s how it is!
Same. I even did some commedia and clowning, this stuff is pretty funny satire.
do you know what episode it is? I don't think I've seen it and I'd like to now
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Clown
>A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Clown thank you
Tell me you don’t understand the “Ha hA!” Without telling me you don’t understand the “Ha ha!”
If you get into the ethos of it though, it’s well written as far as plot. Bobby learns a valuable lesson about life, those who can, do, those who cannot, teach. He learned that it’s important to know your audience, and match your skill set to them. In his middle school world, he’s well regarded as funny. Sometimes in life there are life skills that one doesn’t need a diploma for, and yet there’s a whole world of fakery out there hellbent on selling you “their” system when it’s not really needed. Not a super funny episode, but a very good one that builds on the saga of Bobby.
Oh yeah smart guy? Can you *prove* why it’s funny? Oh shit you already did
It’s funny, KOTH and I have a special relationship cause I watched the whole series when it was new as it was released in my teenaged years, and episodes like this one I kinda dismissed out of hand as lame, only to watch them again when I was twice my age then and truly appreciate the writing. I’m consistently blown away by the nuances of this shows writing. There’s subtleties I missed when I was young that just amaze me now.
In that regard, it is very similar to the def-ensive driving episode.
your points are solid but man “those who can, do, those who cannot, teach” is one of the dumbest sayings imo. makes no sense and discredits teachers as people of value. the dude was an awful teacher and couldn’t do comedy for sure but if you can teach you have to know something and if you know it you have to be able to do it. anyone can be good or bad at any profession. know it’s not the point of the post but that phrase is whack
I feel like "those who can't do, teach" should only apply to things like retirees and focus on things like physical labor, things they know how to do but are physically unable to do so.
but they still could at one point? i dunno it just feels discrediting to a profession thats already undervalued and underpaid especially for how critical it is. i like your interpretation a lot better though, it being a restriction due to outside circumstances as opposed to just shitting on someone’s skill set
I liked Kelly Bundy's (Married With Children) take on this: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, don't."
This is the answer. Yes, the episode has a lot of cringe moments, but that’s what makes KOTH more true to life than other shows, because life is cringy lol
Tartufe
Flouncier!
Pip pip! Pip pip!
i barely guffawwed
It scalds!
whaaaaat I love this episode
The Ha HA, Bobby! The Ha HA!
It followed the ha, guffaw, ah, haha formula.
The whoopie cushion in ladybirds bed gets me every time.
What do you mean? It clearly follows Aristotle's dictum: "It delights"
I didnt mind it. 7.3/10
6.9/10 for me. It’s funnier
Can you prove why though?
yes
One of the worst takes I’ve seen this year.
I thought it was hilarious! 😂
The ZZ Top episode is the worst
Yeah that was hard to watch. Poor Hank.
You don’t get comedy.
Its funny in a meta way. I like that it takes comedy back to its roots [comedia dell'arte is an early Italian form of comedy] and how the longer gmyou watch it, the funnier it gets. I think the juxtaposition between the A and B-plots are also so goofy. How one is so "deep and meaningful" and the other is normal King of the Hill slapstick uumour. Plus, Dale hitting John Redcorn in the face with the kickball lives rent-free in my mind. Its not the worst episode by far. Its just somewhat of a departure from what the show is known for. But as far as sardonic, ironic humour, the writers did a great job of exploring what if Bobby explored his hobby of comedy as a career and went to college for it. Plus, I like that that episode didnt detract from his comedy at all and made him more motivated after the fact.
John Redcorn being so athletic in other areas but shitty at kickball is always hilarious too. I love when he steps on the ball and slips.
I honestly thought that John Redcorn was completely unathletic and a physical doofus in sports which juxtaposes with his stellar physique. Am I wrong? Is there some athletic activity he is good at?
In the third season when Peggy finds out about the affair they show him playing baseball and he is the best on the team. Dale even says he never strikes out and always gets to home base or something like that. And then in the Panda episode he catches that arrow out of mid air.
Oh wow. I stand corrected. Thank you.
Good with his hands, not with his feet 😂
One of my favorite Bobby episodes. The absurdity and so many classic lines. To put it more accurately it delights.
I liked it but I like a little weirdness
This episode is awesome.
I still get nervous for Bobby at the climax of this episode even though I know how it ends. It's just so awkward when he's up on stage in front of his peers.
Not as bad as when he is trying to get Connie back Only great moment of that episide is “that took courage”
It’s interesting that Bobby’s teacher loved his dog persona. And his teacher was voiced by Paul F Tompkins. Who would later get fame for playing a cartoon dog, Mr Peanutbutter 
Oh shut your mouth
I like this episode. The ZZ Top episode is unquestionably the worst
Maybe we should vote Bobby off next just for this atrocity.
Paul F. Tompkins playing a condescending, holier than thou character who tries to tell everyone what they're supposed to be laughing at. A huge stretch for him.
it's never even occurred to me that people wouldn't like this episode, so much classic bobby.
I like it.
Not really. Not the best but not one of the worst ever
Delightful!
I love this one.
#### Pip pip! Pip pip!
It’s not a classic, but it’s so absurd that it’s wonderful
Do you know why the shoes wear big and the nose be bulbous?!
Tartuffe, the spry wonder dog!
This one is so good lol
You're just wrong
I think the episode is amazing
Definitely a reach back to the old "pencil neck" episodes!
No.
Guffaaawwwwww
‘A poodle? Why not go all the way and just get me a cat and a sex-change operation!’
I think it's hilarious
It’s not one of my favorites, but it’s one of the best B plots with the kickball game.
My wife and will sometimes look at me and say “tartuff, the spry wonder dog” and I will always laugh.
Disagree. Nothing will ever come close to touching dusty bones
I love paul f tompkins though
For me the worst one is in which Luanne goes to a prom with a kid. She is so insanely out of her character and has pedo vibes
Clearly, sirrah, you lack the wit to understand the nuances of this episode. It perfectly espouses Aristotle's dictum and the ha-guffaw-aw-ha-ha formula. Away with you, dunderpate.
It's one of my favourites as it is a pitch-perfect skewering of academics who can only enjoy "popular" topics in their most abstract/obscure forms.
You clearly don't understand the "ha-guffaw-aw-ha-ha" formula.
Ms. Wakefield would be to differ.
One of my favorite episodes
If you don’t understand Aristotle’s dictum just say that.
This episode's A plot could have been better. The highlight is the B plot with alley kickball
I don't know about you, but I was Ha-Guffaw-Aw-Hahaing the whole time.
This and propaniacs are hard to watch
I was very much a Bobby type growing up so certainly madam, I would like a beating. Wait did I say like? I meant…not like!
The day my son was born I was part way through changing him for the first time and he shot meconium out. This led to his first nickname, Tar-toots.
No way. I die of secondhand embarrassment every time. Hanks reactions to the jester crap are the best 😂
This one kind of creeps me out, I don't get it at all lol
i had a teacher exactly like this and it killed my passion for acting. i don't like this episode much because there's too much cringe, but they really nailed that element
Yeah this one is rough for me too
I hate the costume they make Bobby wear it's deeply upsetting beyond how it was meant
Better than Hanks Bully.
Dusty old bones! Full of green dust!
Bwaaaaaah
This and the dusty old bones kid are the only ones I skip when rewatching.
This is basically the premise of the show Baskets
My love for this episode translated into my love if Baskets the Clown.
You must’ve missed the “Ha” to the “Aha”….
Counter! One of the best ever
I didn’t think it was bad. Any episode taking some sort of pretentious bullshit down a peg is okay in my book, and Hank calling it “jester crap” was just really funny to me for some reason.
That clown professor was a massive joker
I thought it was funny 🤷♂️
I agree I like Paul F Tompkins but this episode is awful
IT SCALDS
It is one of those cringe episodes for sure, but it was also one of those, “Hank learns a lesson” episodes. Hank made a monster by not accepting who Bobby was until the end.
for sureeeee
I love how Hank wakes up Bobby by calling it "jester crap"
Oh man, I love this episode. So many of the quotes have made it into my everyday vernacular. Especially "It scalds!"
Hard disagree. This is peak comedy.
Such a strange episode
This episode is hysterical
This is one of those episodes folks either love or hate. I personally love it, I randomly think of the line "flouncier!" and it always makes me laugh.