King of the Hill/Manger Baby Einstein

Manger Baby Einstein
Season 13, Episode 17
Airdate	May 10, 2009
Production Number	DABE09
Written by	Sanjay Shah
Directed by	Kyounghee Lim
← 13x16 Bad News Bill	13x18 → Uh-Oh Canada
King of the Hill — Season Thirteen

Manger Baby Einstein is the seventeenth episode of the thirteenth season of King of the Hill, and the two hundred fifty-second episode overall.

Starring: Mike Judge (Hank Hill), Kathy Najimy (Peggy Hill), Pamela Adlon (Bobby Hill, Mom #1), Brittany Murphy (Luanne Platter), Johnny Hardwick (Dale Gribble), Stephen Root (Bill Dauterive)

Special Guest Voice: Tom Petty (Lucky)

Also Starring: Stephanie Darby (Aghast Mom), David Herman (Zookeeper, Fan, Thuggish Guy), Ashley Gardner (Reverend Stroup, Mom #3, Diya's Mother), Jonathan Joss (John Redcorn)

Plot Overview

Unable to return to work, Luanne brings back the Manger Babies who John Redcorn quickly make a success.

Notes

Stinger Quote

Bill: I respect puppets. Puppets saved my life once.

Seen, But Not Heard

• Boomhauer

• Kahn Souphanousinphone

• Minh Souphanousinphone

• Connie Souphanousinphone

• Nancy Gribble

• Joseph Gribble

Arc Advancement

Characters

• Luanne has been out of work since giving birth and Jack won't let her return until her schedule clears up. It's unclear if she ever returns to Jack's.

• Luanne goes mainstream with the Manger Babies, but a jealous Dale destroys them all save for Gurgle Gurgle who she keeps to entertain Gracie.

Referbacks

• One of John Redcorn's acts is Jerry Popper and his puppet Chip Block from "Now Who's the Dummy?".

Trivia

The Show

• This episode marks the final appearances of Reverend Stroup and John Redcorn.

Allusions and References

• The episode title references the Baby Einstein multimedia children's products that John Redcorn likens to what he'll turn the Manger Babies into.

Memorable Moments

• The opening of Luanne's DVD has a "John Redcorn Presents" opening that has a somewhat inappropriate image of barechested John Redcorn laying down reading a book with his hair flowing in the wind.

• A spurned Dale angrily puts up a Manger Babies poster in his basement and begins lifting a small weight, which, even then, he seems to have trouble lifting.

Quotes

• Lucky: Maybe it's time to exit the hairstyling industry. They keep restricting what barbers can do. My guy said he can no longer perform dentistry.

• Peggy: We just have to find you a new job, the kind that lets you bring your pets to work, but defines "pets" very loosely.

• Luanne: I've always wanted to be a children's entertainer. It's so much more tasteful than the other kinds.

• Lucky: I fully support Luanne's ambition to be the breadwinner, since I'm starting to realise the liability lawsuit game is best left to the young.

• Luanne: I'm so happy! I'm going to have a baby and a career, just like Cosmo magazine told me to do.

(Hank sighs)

Luanne: I can hear you judging me through your breath, Uncle Hank. But I'll prove your breath wrong.

• Lucky: Luanne and the Manger Babies are gonna be some kind of children's group. And I'm gonna have to be Gracie's mother and father. I'm like a seahorse.

• Bill: I respect puppets. They say the things the rest of us only think. A puppet saved my life once.

• Diya's Mother: Diya's birthday party is coming up and I'm through with hiring clowns. The last one didn't wear enough makeup and too much of his inner pain showed through.

• John Redcorn: I'm here scouting new acts. And you wowed me. Did you know "wow" upside down is "mom"?

Luanne: I believe you.

• Hank: Why is this nonsense so popular? Sticking babies in front of TVs can't be good for their brains.

Peggy: Hank, today's parents just need a little ten-minute break now and then, even if it means a slightly dumber kid.

• Hank: All right, what's the emergency?

Lucky: I don't know how to say this, so I'll just say it. I've got a rolling baby.

Hank: What?

Lucky: Every time I set Gracie down, she rolls. I don't know what to do.

Hank: Look, Lucky, it's normal for babies to do weird things. Babies are weird.

• Luanne: Oh, I can't believe I'm getting ready to go out and perform for hundreds of my fans. Everyone loves me and I don't even have to love them back. I really do hope you get to experience this one day, Bobby.

Bobby: You really think I can be successful like you?

Luanne: Probably not.

• Luanne: Does this doll make my hand a slut?

• Hank: What the hell is this?

Bobby: I think it works because it doesn't lie to my generation. It's real.

Hank: No, it's not. It's smut.

Lucky: I don't know, Uncle Hank. Smut isn't usually this sophisticated.

• Peggy: Poor thing. All of her loved ones end up rotting in jail or dying in the dryer.

• Luanne: I didn't mean to steal your idea, Mister Gribble. I just got desperate. I guess that's what happens when you sell your soul for a taste of success.

Dale: Wow, that would've been a great story for the Manger Babies if I hadn't brutally murdered them.

• Luanne: I don't know who I am anymore. I'm like an asteroid drifting in space without a puppeting career.

• Lucky: I'm glad we're done with our go-go lifestyle. Besides, I never told you this, but I didn't care for that British penguin.

Luanne: He was so demanding. Always asking for his marmalade.