When it comes to adult animated series, moms are usually the worst characters. Marge Simpson is easily the least funny member of the family and the same can be said for Lois Griffin on Family Guy. The tradition even dates back to the very first adult animated series, The Flintstones, where Wilma Flintstone is also the dullest main character on that show. King of the Hill, however, is the exception.
Rather than paint her as the picture-perfect voice-of-reason like those other shows do with their matriarchs, Peggy Hill is deeply flawed, and her shortcomings are the source of the show’s funniest moments. She’s self-important, meddlesome, reckless, and truly terrible at her job as a substitute Spanish teacher. These traits have often gotten Peggy into trouble, like the episode from the original series run where she leads a class field trip to Mexico and accidentally kidnaps a Mexican child, or the episode in this new season where she interferes with a food critic in Bobby’s restaurant.
Some people think Peggy is hilarious because of her flaws, but many do not agree. The King of the Hill subreddit has a very active “Why does everyone hate Peggy?” thread, with answers like, “Because of her ego,” “It’s really how arrogant she is,” and “She does some pretty bad and narcissistic things.” When King of the Hill returned last year, Collider published a piece titled, “15 Years Later, Peggy Hill Is Still the Most Hated Character on King of the Hill,” where they called Peggy “the punching bag of the King of the Hill fandom.”
But while most King of the Hill fans are aware of the regular shade thrown Peggy’s way, the woman who has voiced her since 1997, Kathy Najimy, had no idea.
In an interview for King of the Hill season 15, I asked Najimy why she thinks many people don’t like Peggy. She said, “I didn’t know that people didn’t like Peggy!” She then joked, “I just need to take some pills and some liquor to get over that.”
When I explained that some people cringe at Peggy’s meddlesome personality, Najimy defended Peggy, saying “What mother doesn’t meddle in her kids’ business?”
Toby Huss, who voices Dale in the series and participated in the same interview quickly came to the defense of his co-star’s character.
“That’s what I think is the best part of King of the Hill,” Huss said. “These characters are wonderfully human, and if you’re wonderfully human, you’re flawed in a lot of ways. And Peggy, as great as she is, you can see her going in a really flawed direction that can be cringey. [But] she doesn’t stay there. She pulls it back and she retains her humanity, as do all the characters.”
In reply, Najimy quipped, “There you go. What he said.” She also added “People can feel whatever way they want to feel, [but] this is what I think. I think there’s a whole group of people on the other side who love Peggy for being snappy and snarky and telling the truth.”
I couldn’t agree more, as I am firmly on team Peggy. As uncomfortable as her behavior can be to watch, she gets far funnier storylines than the typical TV mom on most adult animated sitcoms. Marge Simpson would never accidentally abduct a child from Mexico, bring them back to America, be put on trial for it, and still refuse to admit — under oath! — that she barely understands Spanish. Only Peggy would be so bold and that’s why some love her and others, well, don’t.
King of the Hill season 15 is now available to stream on Hulu.