A Tribute to Dale Gribble - Favorite King of the Hill Character

Weak of chin, bald of pate, and paranoid of mind. How can such a person bring such a substantial amount of entertainment into one's life? If Dale Gribble could be transferred intact from Arlen, Texas and King of the Hill into Springfield and The Simpsons, he might very well be my second favorite character behind Homer Simpson. That he is my favorite character by far on King of the Hill goes without saying. For those unfamiliar with Dale Gribble, let me describe him. He is a self-employed bug exterminator, a conspiracy theorist extraordinaire, surprisingly limber, happily married to a woman who not only cheated on him for over a decade, but who gave birth to that other man's child and lets Dale raise him thinking he is the biological father and all without Dale ever figuring it out. He can be cruel to his friends, quick to betray anyone around him, and shockingly perceptive. In short, he is someone who most of us would not put up with for as long as Hank Hill and Boomhower have, yet my favorite episodes almost all position him as a major player.

Dale Gribble is an example of how to create a fictional character that should be hated, but isn't. He engages in a vast amount of behavior that should have a viewer regarding him in much the same way as most regard Peggy Hill. It is very easy to dislike Peggy Hill: she is a know-it-all who isn't nearly as smart as she tells other people she is and on many occasions she has acted no less than petty and hateful toward her own son. I think Peggy Hill is extraordinarily funny, but I don't like her. I think Dale Gribble is even funnier and though I find his political outlook distasteful, I like the guy. He is decent. Peggy Hill is decent deep down, but you have to dig pretty deep. Dale Gribble, despite blaming others, is basically a nice guy.