My Own Private Rodeo

"**My Own Private Rodeo**"
"My Own Private Rodeo"
King of the Hill episode
	Dale and his father Bug tearfully reconcile after a 20 year estrangement.
Episode no.	Season 6; Episode 18
Directed by	Cyndi Tang-Loveland
Written by	Alex Gregory & Peter Huyck
Production code	6ABE16
Original air date	April 28, 2002
Guest appearance
	David Herman as Bug Gribble
Episode chronology
← Previous; "Fun with Jane and Jane"	Next →; "Sug Night"
	King of the Hill (season 6)
	List of episodes

"My Own Private Rodeo" is the 18th episode of the

Writers Guild of America Award for Animation.^[2]

Plot

gay rodeo. After the show, Hank goes to Bug, who reveals the truth: twenty years ago, he was still closeted

, and he kissed Nancy to avoid appearing attracted to a man. The conversation is interrupted by Juan Pedro, Bug's lover, who is upset upon learning that Bug had a son and did not tell him.

Eventually, Bug returns to

Joseph's

lack of resemblance to Dale or Nancy and asks if Joseph is "adopted". She reluctantly admits that his true father is John Redcorn, but is no more willing to admit the truth than Bug is willing to admit to Dale that he is gay. Bug finally decides to admit the truth.

Dale's explanation of Juan Pedro being his "partner" and working with him at a gay rodeo are misconstrued by Dale as his father being a government agent, which breaks his heart once again. Dale deserts the renewal ceremony and heads to the gay rodeo, intending to blow his father's cover. After Dale sees Bug at the rodeo, he informs his father that he knows he's a government agent and that he will let everybody at the event know. Bug then says there has been a terrible misunderstanding and that he is gay. Still not trusting Bug, Dale then goes into the rodeo pen and announces that Bug is spying on them and Bug ties him down. After a struggle, Bug finally makes up with Juan Pedro and kisses him in front of Dale, who relents and lets them attend the ceremony.

As they dance together at the reception, Nancy asks Dale if he's really OK with his father's sexuality. Dale asserts that it's a non-issue since he's never had a problem with John Redcorn being gay.

Original plot

tracking device would be implanted in him by his father's cohorts. Most of the episode's events, like Hank going to the rodeo, remain the same, but the ending is different in that Bug, feeling Dale would reject him if he told the truth, covers his sexuality by explaining he is monitoring the gay rodeo's activities. Relieved, Dale has his father hold his hand while he goes to the dentist.^[4]

After the script was re-written, David Herman was hired to do Bug's voice.

References

^ "14th Annual GLAAD Media Award Winners Include The Goat and Zanna, Don't!". Playbill. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
^ IMDB
^ King of the Hill: My Own Private Rodeo Episode Summary - TV.com
^ http://www.queertv.btininternet.co.uk/ijk.htm^{[permanent dead link]}

[1] "14th Annual GLAAD Media Award Winners Include The Goat and Zanna, Don't!". Playbill. Retrieved 2022-01-31.

[2] IMDB

[3] King of the Hill: My Own Private Rodeo Episode Summary - TV.com

[4] ttp://www.queertv.btininternet.co.uk/ijk.htm^{[permanent dead link]}

[2]

[4]

v t e King of the Hill
Seasons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Characters	Hank Hill Peggy Hill Bobby Hill Cotton Hill Dale Gribble Bill Dauterive Jeff Boomhauer John Redcorn Guest stars
Episodes	"And They Call It Bobby Love" "Won't You Pimai Neighbor?" "My Own Private Rodeo" "Lucky's Wedding Suit" "Death Picks Cotton" "To Sirloin with Love"
Media	Home media Soundtrack Animation Throwdown: The Quest for Cards Warped Kart Racers Bless the Harts Animation Domination