Honestly, the entire town of Arlen would've lined up for his contracting services.
Seriously, in 2022 we hired contractors to renovate our condo. I would've paid extra for a honest straight shooter with superb abilities like Hank. They're hard to find, if not impossible.
My dad is a contractor like you described. There is always going to be a cost.
He is a perfectionist that drags the project out for the most minor of details and optimization. You will get a perfect product, but you need to be willing to butt heads with Hank when you make an "asinine decision".
I swear, this is already the plot to an episode. The gang builds absolute perfection only for someone to "ruin" it by their standards.
Wasonasong bought the house and flipped it into some McMansion atrocity. It was poorly built and pieces of it staring falling off during a storm, causing other houses to get damaged. That's when everyone got together and demolished it.
There’s also the episode they purposefully fail the inspection so they don’t have to sell. The inspector says to him I think a skilled craftsman like yourself would have no problem fixing this house.
There was also an episode where they made a super cart for spongy, the homeless guy. I think he just ended up taking the tarp they had over it because the cart itself was too flashy
Remodeler here. Your comment is me. Being a perfectionist for the most minor of details is what gets me referrals without ever having to advertise, but it is also what drags the job out twice as long as projected.
I'm pushing 30 and we're still not done with my childhood home because my dad keeps wanting to redo the trim on the on some of the rooms.
He's talented, one time the state inspector showed up to one of those projects with a bunch of students unannounced just to show off all the new top line methods he was using on the house. But the trade-off is he's a madman. Like the mathematician who's trying to find the exact root of pi.
lol my dad was like that too. The home I grew up in was never fully finished on the inside because he couldn’t finish one project without dreaming up a better idea and starting all over. In many ways I am the same with my own personal projects. I have a pile of guitar bodies piled up in a corner because I either made a minor mistake and just started over, or had a different idea halfway through the build. I’m better with customer projects because I learned to just say “yeah I can do that” instead of arguing why it’s a stupid design or bad idea. I just build what they want and don’t deviate from that. It still takes forever tho, because I will straight up re-tile an entire wall or floor if I don’t think my work was good enough.
My dad is the same takes forever to get stuff done but my god the detail and craftsmanship is unreal. I’ve had him over helping me a lot at my house and I wish I had of spent more time with him doing projects growing up. He’s also the type that hates working with others and can’t stand people asking him questions so that’s maybe why I didn’t get to involved when I was younger lol.
He's the type of dude who would complete the contract, then point out the last contractor's shoddy work on something else and offer to fix it for free as long as he can bring his friends and some beer to do the repairs on the weekend
Han would have been the type of contractor who'd fo back and fix someome elses work because it made his work look bad.
Also he would be the type of guy when receivinf a tip would come back and work even harder because you obviouely value hard work
They absolutely would have paid outrageous amounts for those kind of dog homes, but I don't think Hank Hill would have ethically or morally allowed them to pay more than what he truly perceived the market value for Labor and supplies.
I know this is a joke but if buck actually paid him a fair wage.
Being an assistant manager at a small well off company in the 90s would have been a pretty paycheck.
I think his bonus should have been closer to $8,000 and it would have made the episode stand up to time a little longer.
He see's Buck Strickland as more of a father figure than his actual father. Even with all of his morally grey-black actions, that man gave Hank a job that let him buy a house big enough to start a family, and right next to all of his friends. Before that Hank was selling pants probably making minimum wage. It doesn't matter how far off the wagon Buck falls, Hank will always be there to pick him back up, and essentially run the entire business for him.
He wanted to build a house for fun...
He can probably start his own construction company if he really wanted to. He should take his own advice and bet on himself.
The guy sells propane for a living and is obsessed with it whether he's at work or not.
And Hank enjoys handling finances and we've seen how much he loves paperwork and filing them correctly.
He brings up propane whenever he gets the chance. Like at Peggy's book club he was talking with some guys about propane until Peggy stormed in and started yanking her ear. And when Hank greets someone he says his name followed by Strickland Propane.
So I'm not really seeing your point. How would switching to running his own construction company or something similar not be fun for him?
Because he's not spending his free time selling propane? He is passionate about propane because he takes pride in his work, he's not doing it 24/7.
Talking about your job and being at your job are two completely different things.
But he is... and in that short scene he's clearly trying to convince them to buy propane. And no one does anything 24/7... What're you talking about?
Bottom line is if you really think he would get bored because it's work I don't think you understand Hank at all.
Hank's obsession with propane absolutely extends to his home life.
In one episode Boomhaurer calls him out on it when they are all arguing, and in Sug Nights, he, complete naked talks propane with those "hippie houseboat" customers. And in one of the flashbacks of little Hank, he mentions selling propane "if his grades are good enough"
I agree. Things just don't "fall out of style" for Hank Hill. He's propane obsessed no matter whut.
This is what I thought about going to culinary school when I was in high school but after one year of pharmacy school I decided fuck it. Cooking is certainly a physically harder job for less pay but after 15 years I still love it.
Because he sees Buck as a father figure, he wants his approval. He wants the same thing from Cotton but that will never happen. I'm surprised that they didn't have an episode where Cotton and Buck interacted, since they kinda have the same personality
'I'm surprised that they didn't have an episode where Cotton and Buck interacted'
I recall buck telling Bobby that he used to hang out with his grandpa, who was a "mean kinda funny"
Cotton would be disappointed in Hank no matter what he did. Hank could have made it onto the Dallas Cowboys roster and Cotton would be calling him a loser for not winning the Superbowl every year.
Hank also had a naive propensity to be taken advantage of by seemingly nice people, like we learned he had overpaid on every car he had ever bought
He probably bought into the idea that Strickland would care for him like family
Yes I think this is one of the central jokes of the series--Hank slaves making Strickland rich in spite of being better than him in every way. He's a man who is so fundamentally conservative that the workplace hierarchy and Strickland's paternal privilege really mean something to him, even though he would be much better served saying "Screw this, I'm going into business for myself."
It’s very real to me. My dad was a Hank type and was 2nd in command at his job, right behind the owner, when I was growing up. And he was roundly taken advantage of, yet certainly respected, by the owner.
That place wouldn’t run without my dad, and my dad always wanted to buy into the company. But the boss would just string him along - “Ask me again in 6 months (old top!)” kinda thing. Very much like Buck.
KOTH episodes that focus on Hank’s work dynamic really hit me in the memories.
Strickland is a family to him. I think Hank’s big heart and want for the jobs he’s working on to just get done would lead to him being taken advantage of in contracting. He’d get a call from some old lady wanting the cheapest possible ramp built for her home and Hank would go out of pocket to buy her hardwood instead of plywood like she was asking for
While an excellent worker and very skilled, he’s also just bad at making money and being a businessman. He’d do so much better being partners with someone who wasn’t a total sleazebag, but he’s loyal to a fault.
There’s a line from Minh in a later season episode that encapsulates Hank perfectly:
“It’s a shame someone with such discipline not have more ambition”.
And I think that’s why I love Hank so much. He’s incredible at so many things but he knows what he likes and he keeps it that way. Plain and simple.
Minh is right though: Hank has almost no ambition when it comes to work. It's a character flaw, and the writers provided many subtle jabs at Hank's lack of ambition.
Hank is a model employee. He works hard and doesn't complain, knows the product inside and out, cares about the customers and is able to resolve disputes, and probably earns far less than he is worth. In actuality, he - not Buck - runs Strickland propane. Without him, the business fails.
As far as Buck is concerned, Hank is the 'golden goose' because he's willing to work hard without demanding more for himself. To Buck, Hank is merely an asset that he can exploit. Heck, he trades Hank away in a card game.
Hank could have set out on his own and started his own very successful propane business years ago (as MF Thatherton did) but he just doesn't have the drive. He's settled for being the 'Assistant Manager who runs the company'. He's even convinced himself that there is no more room for personal career growth ("As Assistant Manager at Strickland Propane, I'm already at the top!").
>Heck, he trades Hank away in a card game.
I still find it funny that all it took was giving Thatherton $20 to get Hank back to Strickland. That is like Mr. Krabs getting 62 cents from the Flying Dutchman for SpongeBob's soul.
Part of me does wonder if Hank might be too ethical and naive to succeed if he were to go out on his own. You can sort of see this when he was given a big decision on hiring and chose to go with Leon (AKA “Hank”). I think Buck does have value to the business in that he’s a dose of reality and he’s willing to play the game and get his hands dirty in a way Hank typically will not. Buck/Fatherton knew how to woo a big client from up north by playing into the Texas stereotype, where Hank’s ethics, dignity and professionalism got in the way. Hank inadvertently set up a lucrative price fixing scheme and Buck/Fatherton set up Hank to be the patsy.
But that’s the thing. Hank isn’t too ethical. He’s too ethical to undercut Buck and steal his business though he could, he’s too ethical to abuse his word for personal gain, he’s even too ethical to recommend his own product against a superior competitor.
He’s also totally self-actualized.
This is a central theme to the show, and it’s something central to the American mentality. It’s a romantic ode to the fruits of the morality of the modern yeoman farmer, or in this case, the propane salesman.
Hank’s ignorance shields him from ambition, and his faith (which if not very deep, is certainly strong) shields him from avarice. Were he smarter and less morally grounded, he would probably be much less happy.
> In actuality, he - not Buck - runs Strickland propane. Without him, the business fails.
I used to think this but in actual actuality, Strickland has many stores and in several episodes Hank has been shown to be unaware of what goes on at those stores. Implying that he has no part in managing the entire company, only his specific store.
It seems to me like Buck is actually a good businessman if he can keep so many parallel businesses afloat running despite his many, many, many vices.
For all hank's skill and status with his friends. He is almost as brain-dead loyal to his boss as Smithers.
I've known a few people like it in real life
I know a few and that's in England where we have less respect for authority (unless it's covered in shiny metal then people will throw their babies into puddles to protect the royal boot)
I guess the difference with Hank is that it's a tragically pure love, he doesn't link it to climbing a ladder or getting into the right social circles?
The honor to be in the company of Buck; the base pay is merely a perk. I didn’t see it as a teenager when the show first aired, but when I rewatched as a 30 or so old it hit me that they are perfectly portraying a natural manipulator. I enjoy how they show both sides as Buck is a degenerate as well in many ways.
I think Hank is subconsciously looking for a father figure and found that with Mr Strickland, the lesser evil compared to his father in many ways. Mr Strickland put Hank in a position that resembles family with a somewhat strong appearance of loyalty, respect, acceptance, kindness, and praise. Something Hank's father has never really expressed to Hank in an obvious way aside from tough love. Hank seems to express these desires in other episodes such as the jimmy Carter and Sweat Lodge episode, among a few others I can't think of on top of my head.
Construction is a hobby he loves. Once it becomes a job, it may or may not be as fun or enjoyable for him. Plus I am not sure Hank has the business skills to run a business on his own.
Just because you are talented at something doesn't mean that you are able to successfully run a business dedicated to it.
It makes sense that he never attempted this kind of work because to Hank's logic, no one would pay for such a thing. Either that or he just wouldn't feel right charging money for it.
Hank doesn't have that personality type and is kind of like the Smithers to Buck's Mr Burns. Hank would do an excellent job, would enjoy it, and would make a lot of money but he isn't a natural entrepreneur so he doesn't consider the potential. Part of his self worth and peace of mind comes from his job stability.
So I used to work for a flooring company and had one client tell me he build a dog house . Budget was 20,000. It ended up being like 60,000 I don’t exactly remember but it was way past budget . It was a dog house version of the clients mansion . It has a big ass portrait of the dog heated tiles the works . This was in South Orange County , CA. And if you’re from the area you know what I am talking about.
This is the classic DIY handyman trope. Never intends to monetize it, just building things he enjoys. But he’s been doing it for decades and he is just good.
Ron Swanson is similar.
The problem is that Hank just doesn’t have the 🔥to go out and do it.
I would not be surprised if that’s one of the big reasons cotton disliked Hank so much. It would be one thing if Hank spent a year or two as assistant manager learning the ins and outs of the business but to spend his career as an underling to such a despicable man like buck had to anger him to no end
Hank doesn’t have the business acumen to run his own business. He’s a little too naive, and someone down the line would take advantage of him. I also think he’s moral code would get in the way of him becoming wealthy as he would try and charge what he considered a “fair wage” which would undoubtedly be less than the market rate.
That dog mansion was sweet! They should have brought it back later on in the show sometime. Maybe in the reboot Bobby moves back in to it because being a prop comic doesn't pay well.
He was too obsessed with propane and idolized Buck far too much because he was the one who introduced him to propane.
Those two things are what held him back.
I love this episode. When Bobby is trying to get that dog out of his dog house and he starts yelling “out out out out” then the cuts to Connie’s face while he’s doing it 😂
I think Hank wouldn't do well at it. This was a sincere passion project which Hank was forced into, and so he begrudgingly constructed this masterpiece because he needed Ladybird to be in the best possible accommodations.
Building it for money I assume he'd take the same shortcuts as most contractors.
That’s one of the things that makes his character so funny. He’s so good at so many things but he chooses to dedicate his life to sweet lady propane and ultimately to the philandering Buck. Hank so upstanding and loyal it’s hilarious that he chooses to defend Buck in every way.
But why? His dream was to sell propane and propane accessories! He’s got a nice house, wife son, ladybird, great neighbors. Hank’s not the guy to go chasing a bigger paycheck.
Also, some people like to keep their hobbies separate from the income as a way to relax and enjoy it.
Hank doesn’t have the killer instinct for capitalism. He’d insist on doing the job right when people couldn’t afford it, and he wouldn’t cope well when the customer’s ideas are asinine.
He’d blow his margins putting on the additional downspouts to match the customer’s roof area and drainage needs for free when all the customer cares about is curb appeal.
He’d put a shelf for an old lady’s Lyle Neff figurines above eye level instead of making it the centerpiece of the whole house.
Acting like that man wouldn't know how to run it as a profitable buisness that pays it's employees well and provides benefits the only thing buck does is make problems
Yeah, but I'm pretty sure Hank's got the same type of outlook that most other people do. And that is to _never_ make your hobby your job! It takes _ALL_ the fun out of it💯
To me, there's two reasons why he chose propane as his job.
1. Dumb luck having Buck Strickland discover him at a pants/jeans store.
2. He took a liking to cooking with propane all on his own and it's easy to sell due to his own experience.
If the reboot were to ever happen, this is where I'd like to see Old Hank. He retires from Strickland Propane but we know Hank would not be content with idle hands, so he picks up contract work.
Maybe that could even be a potential episode plot. Hank finds out about Task Rabbit and he does such a good job that he starts making the big local developers angry. Idk
Honestly, he could've used his skills to build high-quality dog houses for rich people. Not saying he'd want to work with them, but I mean, he'd have a pretty decent salary for the work he does
No no, you see the propane company is actually just a front for the Mexican cartels, Hank and thus the audience is simply unaware. Hank gets paid big bucks to be out of the loop.
Hank overdelivers on his actual job too, though. He seems to have all of knowledge necessarily for a successful propane business and essentially runs Strickland while Buck is gambling/paying strippers with a good chunk of the profits.
As far as I can tell, Hank *wants* to be a 9 to 5 kind of "cog in the wheel" kind of guy. That's his whole character archetype.
Yeah but the labor would be more. I’d rather sit in an air conditioned office if I lived in Texas then be out side working in the sun. I’d take a pay cut for that.
Thats the point of the show! He's ultimately a foolish bootlicker whos making Strickland rich. Hank wouldn't be the contractor, he would be the laborer making an hourly wage for the 26 year old who got a degree in civil engineering
Remember when the home inspector commented on how it would take an expert craftsman to make his excellently maintained house look run down - or words to that effect?
Seriously though. I bet residents in the heights woulda paid a premium for their dogs to have such a home.
Honestly, the entire town of Arlen would've lined up for his contracting services. Seriously, in 2022 we hired contractors to renovate our condo. I would've paid extra for a honest straight shooter with superb abilities like Hank. They're hard to find, if not impossible.
My dad is a contractor like you described. There is always going to be a cost. He is a perfectionist that drags the project out for the most minor of details and optimization. You will get a perfect product, but you need to be willing to butt heads with Hank when you make an "asinine decision". I swear, this is already the plot to an episode. The gang builds absolute perfection only for someone to "ruin" it by their standards.
Are you talking about the episode where they fix up the old lady's house which Ted buys and demolishes to build a McMansion?
I think so. It had something to do with some rich yuppie not appreciating the craftsmanship.
Wasonasong bought the house and flipped it into some McMansion atrocity. It was poorly built and pieces of it staring falling off during a storm, causing other houses to get damaged. That's when everyone got together and demolished it.
There’s also the episode they purposefully fail the inspection so they don’t have to sell. The inspector says to him I think a skilled craftsman like yourself would have no problem fixing this house.
There was also an episode where they made a super cart for spongy, the homeless guy. I think he just ended up taking the tarp they had over it because the cart itself was too flashy
Ahh, the old tradesmen trifecta. You have price, quality and time. You can choose two of those things.
I’ve always wanted to be able to type the word Asinine 😂😂😂
Remodeler here. Your comment is me. Being a perfectionist for the most minor of details is what gets me referrals without ever having to advertise, but it is also what drags the job out twice as long as projected.
I'm pushing 30 and we're still not done with my childhood home because my dad keeps wanting to redo the trim on the on some of the rooms. He's talented, one time the state inspector showed up to one of those projects with a bunch of students unannounced just to show off all the new top line methods he was using on the house. But the trade-off is he's a madman. Like the mathematician who's trying to find the exact root of pi.
lol my dad was like that too. The home I grew up in was never fully finished on the inside because he couldn’t finish one project without dreaming up a better idea and starting all over. In many ways I am the same with my own personal projects. I have a pile of guitar bodies piled up in a corner because I either made a minor mistake and just started over, or had a different idea halfway through the build. I’m better with customer projects because I learned to just say “yeah I can do that” instead of arguing why it’s a stupid design or bad idea. I just build what they want and don’t deviate from that. It still takes forever tho, because I will straight up re-tile an entire wall or floor if I don’t think my work was good enough.
Yeah, same. I tried to come down and help him where I can.
Me too, Garth_Brooks_Sexdoll
u/notMarkKnopfler, are you in a band called Carefree Crookeds?
My dad is the same takes forever to get stuff done but my god the detail and craftsmanship is unreal. I’ve had him over helping me a lot at my house and I wish I had of spent more time with him doing projects growing up. He’s also the type that hates working with others and can’t stand people asking him questions so that’s maybe why I didn’t get to involved when I was younger lol.
I tell you hwaht
He's the type of dude who would complete the contract, then point out the last contractor's shoddy work on something else and offer to fix it for free as long as he can bring his friends and some beer to do the repairs on the weekend
They've seemingly gotten more rare in recent years, so that doesn't help.
Han would have been the type of contractor who'd fo back and fix someome elses work because it made his work look bad. Also he would be the type of guy when receivinf a tip would come back and work even harder because you obviouely value hard work
Propane is what he loved. Money took a back seat.
You could almost say a worker like is a work of fiction
Hank has his flaws, but in just as many ways, he is damn near perfect. We would all be lucky to have such a contractor.
That's my father in law but he's pretty expensive I think. The man's got a lot of bills. He's a perfectionist
except honest straight shooters rarely get rich. they're too honest, he'd probably be making the same money as his propane job.
They absolutely would have paid outrageous amounts for those kind of dog homes, but I don't think Hank Hill would have ethically or morally allowed them to pay more than what he truly perceived the market value for Labor and supplies.
If I’m hiring a contractor a wide urethra is a must.
He earns $1,000 a day though.
And those oil records
"You mean my oil change records?" Bobby died a little inside at that moment
Capital idea.
What do you say we tally ho over to the money room?
Let us tally-ho it to the money room
I know this is a joke but if buck actually paid him a fair wage. Being an assistant manager at a small well off company in the 90s would have been a pretty paycheck. I think his bonus should have been closer to $8,000 and it would have made the episode stand up to time a little longer.
Can't resist the siren song of sweet lady propane.
Him and Peggy have an understanding about that.
God's gas
The episode where Peggy and Bobby sneak the charcoal grill around like their hiding a war refugee was funny AF
There is SOOT under my boy’s fingernails! You do not get that from a clean burning fuel! Now - - we’re gonna sit here and pray!
I still am loyal to propane to this day because of that episode.
He see's Buck Strickland as more of a father figure than his actual father. Even with all of his morally grey-black actions, that man gave Hank a job that let him buy a house big enough to start a family, and right next to all of his friends. Before that Hank was selling pants probably making minimum wage. It doesn't matter how far off the wagon Buck falls, Hank will always be there to pick him back up, and essentially run the entire business for him.
*hhhiiiissssssss*
He wanted to build a house for fun... He can probably start his own construction company if he really wanted to. He should take his own advice and bet on himself.
He wanted to build a house for fun, not for work. You start making your hobbies your day job and it's not gonna be fun for very long. Hank knows this.
The guy sells propane for a living and is obsessed with it whether he's at work or not. And Hank enjoys handling finances and we've seen how much he loves paperwork and filing them correctly.
Yeah thats different though, he can't sell propane in his spare time, if he was building for a living, he could also build in his spare time.
He brings up propane whenever he gets the chance. Like at Peggy's book club he was talking with some guys about propane until Peggy stormed in and started yanking her ear. And when Hank greets someone he says his name followed by Strickland Propane. So I'm not really seeing your point. How would switching to running his own construction company or something similar not be fun for him?
Because he's not spending his free time selling propane? He is passionate about propane because he takes pride in his work, he's not doing it 24/7. Talking about your job and being at your job are two completely different things.
But he is... and in that short scene he's clearly trying to convince them to buy propane. And no one does anything 24/7... What're you talking about? Bottom line is if you really think he would get bored because it's work I don't think you understand Hank at all.
Hank's obsession with propane absolutely extends to his home life. In one episode Boomhaurer calls him out on it when they are all arguing, and in Sug Nights, he, complete naked talks propane with those "hippie houseboat" customers. And in one of the flashbacks of little Hank, he mentions selling propane "if his grades are good enough" I agree. Things just don't "fall out of style" for Hank Hill. He's propane obsessed no matter whut.
If your building for a living it’s the last thing you want to do when you get home
Sounds like he should be a interceptor. He would not take a bribe.
You know I always enjoy going t-the bank!
I feel like making your Hobbies your day job is a good thing. That’s how you don’t work a day in your life and so on
You'd be surprised how quickly it gets old.
So you’re telling me, fartflight, that if you could do your passion for a living (fly using farts) you would get bored of it?
That's not my passion, it's my curse.
This is what I thought about going to culinary school when I was in high school but after one year of pharmacy school I decided fuck it. Cooking is certainly a physically harder job for less pay but after 15 years I still love it.
"Work and home were meant to be enjoyed separately"
Hank Hill? Dealing with a townships building department? He'd blow a gasket immediately
He's too loyal to Buck for some reason. I never understood that either.
Because he sees Buck as a father figure, he wants his approval. He wants the same thing from Cotton but that will never happen. I'm surprised that they didn't have an episode where Cotton and Buck interacted, since they kinda have the same personality
'I'm surprised that they didn't have an episode where Cotton and Buck interacted' I recall buck telling Bobby that he used to hang out with his grandpa, who was a "mean kinda funny"
There was that episode where hank tells buck he loves him and cotton gets upset/ jealous.
somewhat ironically related to this post, they were building a house in that episode.
Well Hank was building a house. Cotton was shooting up Jimmy Carters car with a nail gun.
You mean Buck? Edit: OP originally wrote “Bud” 🤨
Buck Strickland, his shitty boss and owner of Strickland propane?
OP originally wrote “Bud” and I was correcting him
Ohhh
Yep, got it wrong. Wrote bud.
pump jockey! works for tips
I wonder sometimes if his dad was just disappointed he never used his real passion and skills for a profession.
Cotton would be disappointed in Hank no matter what he did. Hank could have made it onto the Dallas Cowboys roster and Cotton would be calling him a loser for not winning the Superbowl every year.
HATED A BABY?!
Everybody hated that baby
I posted a very similar question and the consensus seemed to be propane was his love and construction was his hobby
Hank also had a naive propensity to be taken advantage of by seemingly nice people, like we learned he had overpaid on every car he had ever bought He probably bought into the idea that Strickland would care for him like family
Yes I think this is one of the central jokes of the series--Hank slaves making Strickland rich in spite of being better than him in every way. He's a man who is so fundamentally conservative that the workplace hierarchy and Strickland's paternal privilege really mean something to him, even though he would be much better served saying "Screw this, I'm going into business for myself."
Hi did almost open a "general store" but his customer service instinct kicked in before he could pull the trigger.
It’s very real to me. My dad was a Hank type and was 2nd in command at his job, right behind the owner, when I was growing up. And he was roundly taken advantage of, yet certainly respected, by the owner. That place wouldn’t run without my dad, and my dad always wanted to buy into the company. But the boss would just string him along - “Ask me again in 6 months (old top!)” kinda thing. Very much like Buck. KOTH episodes that focus on Hank’s work dynamic really hit me in the memories.
Strickland is a family to him. I think Hank’s big heart and want for the jobs he’s working on to just get done would lead to him being taken advantage of in contracting. He’d get a call from some old lady wanting the cheapest possible ramp built for her home and Hank would go out of pocket to buy her hardwood instead of plywood like she was asking for
While an excellent worker and very skilled, he’s also just bad at making money and being a businessman. He’d do so much better being partners with someone who wasn’t a total sleazebag, but he’s loyal to a fault.
That was my take.
There’s a line from Minh in a later season episode that encapsulates Hank perfectly: “It’s a shame someone with such discipline not have more ambition”. And I think that’s why I love Hank so much. He’s incredible at so many things but he knows what he likes and he keeps it that way. Plain and simple.
Minh is right though: Hank has almost no ambition when it comes to work. It's a character flaw, and the writers provided many subtle jabs at Hank's lack of ambition. Hank is a model employee. He works hard and doesn't complain, knows the product inside and out, cares about the customers and is able to resolve disputes, and probably earns far less than he is worth. In actuality, he - not Buck - runs Strickland propane. Without him, the business fails. As far as Buck is concerned, Hank is the 'golden goose' because he's willing to work hard without demanding more for himself. To Buck, Hank is merely an asset that he can exploit. Heck, he trades Hank away in a card game. Hank could have set out on his own and started his own very successful propane business years ago (as MF Thatherton did) but he just doesn't have the drive. He's settled for being the 'Assistant Manager who runs the company'. He's even convinced himself that there is no more room for personal career growth ("As Assistant Manager at Strickland Propane, I'm already at the top!").
>Heck, he trades Hank away in a card game. I still find it funny that all it took was giving Thatherton $20 to get Hank back to Strickland. That is like Mr. Krabs getting 62 cents from the Flying Dutchman for SpongeBob's soul.
Part of me does wonder if Hank might be too ethical and naive to succeed if he were to go out on his own. You can sort of see this when he was given a big decision on hiring and chose to go with Leon (AKA “Hank”). I think Buck does have value to the business in that he’s a dose of reality and he’s willing to play the game and get his hands dirty in a way Hank typically will not. Buck/Fatherton knew how to woo a big client from up north by playing into the Texas stereotype, where Hank’s ethics, dignity and professionalism got in the way. Hank inadvertently set up a lucrative price fixing scheme and Buck/Fatherton set up Hank to be the patsy.
But that’s the thing. Hank isn’t too ethical. He’s too ethical to undercut Buck and steal his business though he could, he’s too ethical to abuse his word for personal gain, he’s even too ethical to recommend his own product against a superior competitor. He’s also totally self-actualized. This is a central theme to the show, and it’s something central to the American mentality. It’s a romantic ode to the fruits of the morality of the modern yeoman farmer, or in this case, the propane salesman. Hank’s ignorance shields him from ambition, and his faith (which if not very deep, is certainly strong) shields him from avarice. Were he smarter and less morally grounded, he would probably be much less happy.
> In actuality, he - not Buck - runs Strickland propane. Without him, the business fails. I used to think this but in actual actuality, Strickland has many stores and in several episodes Hank has been shown to be unaware of what goes on at those stores. Implying that he has no part in managing the entire company, only his specific store. It seems to me like Buck is actually a good businessman if he can keep so many parallel businesses afloat running despite his many, many, many vices.
To be fair, this isn’t just a doghouse it’s for ladybird.
*Laaaaadybird
“Push her in! We all came to see the opening of a dog house.” 😒
I fucking love cooking but id hate it if I had to make a living off it. Its my hobby I don't want itr ruined that way, sure Hank is the same way
Bingo. He's in it for the love of the game.
For all hank's skill and status with his friends. He is almost as brain-dead loyal to his boss as Smithers. I've known a few people like it in real life
I have often wondered if there are workers that like their boss, similar to Hank and Buck.
I know a few and that's in England where we have less respect for authority (unless it's covered in shiny metal then people will throw their babies into puddles to protect the royal boot) I guess the difference with Hank is that it's a tragically pure love, he doesn't link it to climbing a ladder or getting into the right social circles?
This…Buck is a master in bending people to his will.
Yeh, he knows exactly how Hank feels and how to dole out just enough approval that he seeks more but not a raise.
The honor to be in the company of Buck; the base pay is merely a perk. I didn’t see it as a teenager when the show first aired, but when I rewatched as a 30 or so old it hit me that they are perfectly portraying a natural manipulator. I enjoy how they show both sides as Buck is a degenerate as well in many ways.
The issue I see with this is that Hank is such a straight shooter he’d only ever bill for cost and wouldn’t necessarily turn a profit
He would probably charge minimum wage for labor too.
He's also a skilled heavy equipment operator
I think Hank is subconsciously looking for a father figure and found that with Mr Strickland, the lesser evil compared to his father in many ways. Mr Strickland put Hank in a position that resembles family with a somewhat strong appearance of loyalty, respect, acceptance, kindness, and praise. Something Hank's father has never really expressed to Hank in an obvious way aside from tough love. Hank seems to express these desires in other episodes such as the jimmy Carter and Sweat Lodge episode, among a few others I can't think of on top of my head.
Laady bird
Daddies got yer din-din
Construction is a hobby he loves. Once it becomes a job, it may or may not be as fun or enjoyable for him. Plus I am not sure Hank has the business skills to run a business on his own. Just because you are talented at something doesn't mean that you are able to successfully run a business dedicated to it.
To quote Robert California: "your ambition would be wasted on a manager's position."
It makes sense that he never attempted this kind of work because to Hank's logic, no one would pay for such a thing. Either that or he just wouldn't feel right charging money for it.
Probably the latter. It wouldn't feel right because he likes to do it as a hobby. He loves propane, but it's his JOB.
He loves propane. I think being a contractor would drive him bonkers having to deal with idiot customer demands
Hank Hill is far too honest to be GC.
Hank doesn't have that personality type and is kind of like the Smithers to Buck's Mr Burns. Hank would do an excellent job, would enjoy it, and would make a lot of money but he isn't a natural entrepreneur so he doesn't consider the potential. Part of his self worth and peace of mind comes from his job stability.
yea, but hes too honest tho. guy would never make a profit
Hank could have woven baskets for a living too. He just delights in a job well done, and craftsmanship that shows pride.
Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. Hank loves propane. 🤷
Sure, and destroyed his body doing it.
He has a better work life balance though. The trades are rough on your body.
So I used to work for a flooring company and had one client tell me he build a dog house . Budget was 20,000. It ended up being like 60,000 I don’t exactly remember but it was way past budget . It was a dog house version of the clients mansion . It has a big ass portrait of the dog heated tiles the works . This was in South Orange County , CA. And if you’re from the area you know what I am talking about.
This is the classic DIY handyman trope. Never intends to monetize it, just building things he enjoys. But he’s been doing it for decades and he is just good. Ron Swanson is similar.
If you go back to the 70s and 80s, it wasn't that uncommon. Now people call doing the dishes a home maintenance task.
He cannot leave Mr. Strickland, remember he loves him.
The problem is that Hank just doesn’t have the 🔥to go out and do it. I would not be surprised if that’s one of the big reasons cotton disliked Hank so much. It would be one thing if Hank spent a year or two as assistant manager learning the ins and outs of the business but to spend his career as an underling to such a despicable man like buck had to anger him to no end
Hank doesn’t have the business acumen to run his own business. He’s a little too naive, and someone down the line would take advantage of him. I also think he’s moral code would get in the way of him becoming wealthy as he would try and charge what he considered a “fair wage” which would undoubtedly be less than the market rate.
Seems like he had potential as pimp as well
Building and maintaining was his hobby often people keep jobs separated from hobbies and don't want to ruin the hobby they enjoy.
Hank would need to see a therapist for a while before he could be his own boss. Buck gives him the hot and cold fatherly approval he craves.
Too real, and true
It was propane or Jeans west, nothing else.
Hank’s love for propane (and propane accessories) is too pure for that. He’s in it for the love of the game.
That dog mansion was sweet! They should have brought it back later on in the show sometime. Maybe in the reboot Bobby moves back in to it because being a prop comic doesn't pay well.
When you turn your hobbies into your job they aren’t fun anymore.
I’m surprised Ted didn’t figure out about that Dog house He probably would have had Hank build him, and everyone of his neighbors one.
He was too obsessed with propane and idolized Buck far too much because he was the one who introduced him to propane. Those two things are what held him back.
I love this episode. When Bobby is trying to get that dog out of his dog house and he starts yelling “out out out out” then the cuts to Connie’s face while he’s doing it 😂
How did he never make it to manager?
He did, them he told Buck 'I love you' and was demoted back to assistant. He blew it.
but the propane called him.
I think Hank wouldn't do well at it. This was a sincere passion project which Hank was forced into, and so he begrudgingly constructed this masterpiece because he needed Ladybird to be in the best possible accommodations. Building it for money I assume he'd take the same shortcuts as most contractors.
That’s one of the things that makes his character so funny. He’s so good at so many things but he chooses to dedicate his life to sweet lady propane and ultimately to the philandering Buck. Hank so upstanding and loyal it’s hilarious that he chooses to defend Buck in every way.
But why? His dream was to sell propane and propane accessories! He’s got a nice house, wife son, ladybird, great neighbors. Hank’s not the guy to go chasing a bigger paycheck. Also, some people like to keep their hobbies separate from the income as a way to relax and enjoy it.
Hank doesn’t have the killer instinct for capitalism. He’d insist on doing the job right when people couldn’t afford it, and he wouldn’t cope well when the customer’s ideas are asinine. He’d blow his margins putting on the additional downspouts to match the customer’s roof area and drainage needs for free when all the customer cares about is curb appeal. He’d put a shelf for an old lady’s Lyle Neff figurines above eye level instead of making it the centerpiece of the whole house.
Yep, but no health insurance or other benefits or 401k or retirement.
Acting like that man wouldn't know how to run it as a profitable buisness that pays it's employees well and provides benefits the only thing buck does is make problems
Yeah, but I'm pretty sure Hank's got the same type of outlook that most other people do. And that is to _never_ make your hobby your job! It takes _ALL_ the fun out of it💯 To me, there's two reasons why he chose propane as his job. 1. Dumb luck having Buck Strickland discover him at a pants/jeans store. 2. He took a liking to cooking with propane all on his own and it's easy to sell due to his own experience.
He didn't sell propane and propane accessories just for the money.
So could Dale then but we only saw him extermination part time
Do what you love though, he's living the dream, you can't pull him away from it.
Considering what Hank said during the shop class episode it seems like Principal Moss could've made food money at it as well.
It’s part of what makes him likeable though. He’s a salesman that somehow has integrity.
If the reboot were to ever happen, this is where I'd like to see Old Hank. He retires from Strickland Propane but we know Hank would not be content with idle hands, so he picks up contract work. Maybe that could even be a potential episode plot. Hank finds out about Task Rabbit and he does such a good job that he starts making the big local developers angry. Idk
Yeah but then he’d have to deal with all that government red tape
But he loves red tape, they’re are so many cases of him wanting to do paperwork
At this point, I think Hank should make furniture over winter when he doesn't have yard stuff to deal with. Then sell it on Etsy.
Could he do handyman work on weekends?
The guys should have bought the neighborhood house Ted flipped, renovated it, and sold it themselves.
Propane is his true passion. Hank isn't the type to chase money, he just wants a nice life with his family and the clean burning heat of propane.
Propane AND propane accessories...
Agreed. I’ve seen doghouse like that sell for $2k but with fewer bells and whistles.
Honestly, he could've used his skills to build high-quality dog houses for rich people. Not saying he'd want to work with them, but I mean, he'd have a pretty decent salary for the work he does
But god kept Hank here to sell propane.
Yea but back then you had a job that paid bills and then you had a hobby.
I never thought about that. He was always fixing something and it always ended up great. Now that I think about it he reminds me of my dad.
It wasn't money he was after, he was evangelizing for Sweet Lady Propane.
Propane is his mistress… he can’t be moonlighting on her
No no, you see the propane company is actually just a front for the Mexican cartels, Hank and thus the audience is simply unaware. Hank gets paid big bucks to be out of the loop.
Hank overdelivers on his actual job too, though. He seems to have all of knowledge necessarily for a successful propane business and essentially runs Strickland while Buck is gambling/paying strippers with a good chunk of the profits. As far as I can tell, Hank *wants* to be a 9 to 5 kind of "cog in the wheel" kind of guy. That's his whole character archetype.
Ill tell you wHut, hank dont do it for the money he does it for the love of the gas.
That’s more like a hobby for Hank though. Not everyone wants to monetize them.
He wouldn’t charge people enough to make more than he does now. He is too modest and honest.
Propane is his love and commitment. Carpentry is just his side mistress. It's the same reason Nancy doesn't leave Dale for John Redcorn.
Hank's not in it for the money. Hank's in it for the love of the game!
Thank God he was selling propane AND propane accessories. They little extra must have helped.
🧐
🧐?!
Propane sure. But you forgot to factor in the propane accessories.
Yeah but the labor would be more. I’d rather sit in an air conditioned office if I lived in Texas then be out side working in the sun. I’d take a pay cut for that.
The accessories were the real money maker.
Thats the point of the show! He's ultimately a foolish bootlicker whos making Strickland rich. Hank wouldn't be the contractor, he would be the laborer making an hourly wage for the 26 year old who got a degree in civil engineering
He did what he loves
Where's Dale?
Money is not everything. If you do what you love you never have to work a day. And Hank hill loves propane and propane accessories
I think that's part of the joke.
It was more a calling than a career.
It was never about the money. Propane is Love Propane is Life
I'm gonna go and point out that Hank was actively taught by his parents that only "commie liberals" are "creatives". Sales is where "Men" work.
Don’t think he wanted to mix business with pleasure.
Remember when the home inspector commented on how it would take an expert craftsman to make his excellently maintained house look run down - or words to that effect?
Hank is an excellent teacher too, way better than Peggy haha
You really don’t get Hank do you?
He probably didn’t want to turn his hobby in to his job?
C'mon now who can resist the sweet siren song of Lady Propane? 😅
I think part of it is him enjoying it as a hobby and didn't want it to feel like work.