The critics may be raving about Hulu’s new King of the Hill reboot, but a couple of high-profile collaborations have Texans questioning the marketing campaign. A Whataburger burger promo and Hank Hill’s animated appearance with a controversial podcaster are pouring propane on a social media fire.
On August 5, San Antonio-based Whataburger latched on to the King of the Hill hoopla with a press release touting the No. 2 Double Meat Whataburger as Hill’s favorite order. Although the initiative also launched two limited-time deals, triple rewards points, and free No. 2 with the purchase of a medium drink and fries, Facebook users were quick to say the promo push “ain’t right.”
“Y’all are a Chicago company now – what do you know about KOTH?” wrote one commenter below Whataburger’s post about the burger. “Seriously, just start selling hot dogs and keep out of things you aren’t part of.”
“Oh, look, another lame cash grab attempt with absolutely nothing new at all! ‘Come eat our burger we’ve always had, because a fictional cartoon character likes it,'” chimed in another account.
Although others were quick to defend the beloved Texas-born chain, even more had the same joke in mind. Is the No. 2 cooked with propane and propane accessories?
A promotional Hulu clip, also released on August 5, added even more fuel to the discourse. The short video shows Hill being interviewed by Theo Von, one of Joe Rogan’s frequent guests and a comedian sometimes associated with the “manosphere,” a loose-knit group of media outlets often accused of misogyny.
While it’s difficult to pinpoint Von’s exact political leanings, the comedian has drawn ire for past comments, including stating his opposition to interracial dating when he was a 19-year-old cast member of Road Rules: Maximum Velocity Tour. Since then, the podcaster hasn’t shied from hot-button issues, but his guests run the gamut from MAGA world figures like Donald Trump, JD Vance, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to progressive heroes like Bernie Sanders and Hasan Piker.
Again, a social media post trumpeting the clip drew a mixed bag of responses. Many of the commenters were quick to say that Hill would never drink a Celsius energy drink.
“OG Hank would not drink Celsius, nor would he do this show,” wrote one Instagrammer.
Other users defended the popular comedian.
“Theo Von having Hank Hill as a guest on his podcast somehow makes sense, haha. This was great!” read one upvoted comment.
Despite the social media debate, the new King of the Hill is being widely praised for its soft-pedal approach to America’s currently charged political environment.
“King of the Hill camps out somewhere on the rich land between acknowledging an exurban populace bound to a set of values supposed ‘elites’ might scoff at,” wrote Salon critic Melanie McFarland. “But if one were to remove the veil of snobbery and suspicion dividing urban and rural America, one would find a lot more Hanks and Peggys in the world than far-right trolls.”
And at least one promotional collab has almost everyone saying “mmm-hmm.” The real-life version of Hill’s favorite brew, recently released by San Antonio’s Alamo Beer, is now flying off the shelves.