At a backyard performance, John Redcorn, the town's resident Indian, steps in. The following dialog ensues:
LUANNE [giggles]: John Redcorn! Are you performing here too?
JOHN REDCORN [chuckles]: They could not afford me.
JOHN REDCORN: I'm here scouting new acts. And you wowed me.
JOHN REDCORN: Did you know "wow" upside-down is "mom"?
LUANNE: I believe you.
JOHN REDCORN: I want to produce a line of educational children's videos to turn you and the Manger Babies into the next Baby Einstein. I'm talking DVDs, merchandising, the works.
LUANNE: Wow.
LUANNE: Will I have to move to a factory in China?
JOHN REDCORN: No. We can do it all here in Arlen. I have a camera, editing equipment, and a base guitar left over from a previous enterprise.
LUANNE [squeaks]: Babies, we've been discovered!
It's totally plausible that Redcorn would be the one to help launch Luanne's business. No one else on the show has shown much technical or business savvy.
So an Indian is arguably the most sophisticated person on King of the Hill. It's a nice achievement even though he's a cartoon character.
Redcorn still dresses like a stereotypical New Ager and still talks in a solemn voice. But other than that, he's one of the most refreshing (and only) recurring Native characters on TV.
For more on the subject, see TV Shows Featuring Indians.
1 comment:
I haven't seen every episode of this show but the ones I have seen with his character in it are always a play on and against the Indian stereo-types and his character always seems to be part of the struggle and consideration. The evolution of the character from healer to a business man in this century is refreshing and because the show's point of view is almost never one sided and it does play with other typical stereotypes most of us have about people and places not offensive to me in the least. In fact examining each attempt of the JR character to find his "calling" actually reminds me of the stereotypes most of us hold, weither we struggle with or against them is another thing.
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