<P> Dale Alvin Gribble (born July 12, 1957) is a fictional character in the Fox animated series King of the Hill, voiced by Johnny Hardwick (Stephen Root, who voices Bill, and actor Daniel Stern had both originally auditioned for the role). He is the creator of the revolutionary "Pocket Sand" defense mechanism, an exterminator, bounty hunter, smoker, gun fanatic, and paranoid believer of almost all conspiracy theories and urban legends . </P> <P> Dale had been estranged from his father, Bug Gribble, since he witnessed Bug kissing Dale's wife, Nancy, on the lips on their wedding day . In truth, Bug only kissed Nancy to hide his homosexuality as he was nearing a kiss with a Filipino caterer . When Dale entered the room, Bug, afraid of his son possibly rejecting him because of his sexuality, panicked and reached for the nearest female, not realizing that it was Nancy until the damage was done . Dale did not learn the truth until 20 years afterwards, when he witnessed his father working as a cowboy at a gay rodeo . It was here that father and son reconciled their differences . Dale's mother is deceased, this fact being learned in episode "Bobby on Track". </P> <P> Although highly suspicious of the government and of other people, Dale is unaware (although everyone else knows) that his wife Nancy had an affair with John Redcorn for nearly 15 years, and that Redcorn is Joseph's biological father . Dale never learned of the affair throughout the run of the series . The closest he has ever come to learning about it is in the episode where Peggy wanted to tell him, but she decided not to after seeing Dale and Joseph's relationship . John Redcorn even told Dale in the episode "Hank Gets Dusted" that he cheated with Hank's best friend's wife for 13 years, and Dale just thought he was talking about Bill's wife, Lenore; he never questioned what Redcorn said . This is apparently due in part to his blinding love for Nancy, his incredible naiveté, and his belief for some time that John Redcorn might be gay (though this can be disputed because of the actions in the episode "Three Men and a Bastard" where Dale tries to get John Redcorn to seduce Charlene knowing that he is a womanizer, even congratulating him earlier in the episode where the guys see John at the hardware store having just having had sex with an employee). An example of Dale's naiveté of Redcorn and Nancy's relationship occurs in one episode where he catches Redcorn sneaking through his bedroom window while Nancy was "sleeping" in their bed . When Redcorn, believing Dale had found out about his relationship with Nancy, sees this, he tells Dale he regrets him finding out in this way . Dale simply replies, "Get off my mower (Redcorn had jumped through the window by climbing onto Dale's lawn mower) and start massaging my wife," still in belief that Redcorn was simply Nancy's masseur with the task of curing her false recurrent migraine headaches (forcing Redcorn to say in an exasperated tone that Dale was "taking some of the fun out of this"). Dale also discovers that Joseph shares a father with another child (a child fathered by John Redcorn, unbeknownst to Dale), but assumes this means both Joseph and the other child were the product of aliens inseminating earth women . A recurring gag early in the series was that whenever Dale would make a comment about being Joseph's father or being lucky enough to have a wife like Nancy, John Redcorn would show up . </P> <P> In contrast to the usually shallow demeanor he has towards his friends and people in general, Dale is fiercely devoted to his wife and son, and frequently displays his love for them . He blames himself for all of the problems Nancy herself caused between them while she was cheating on him, has an explicit (and misplaced) trust in her, and pampers her constantly; lavishing compliments, favors and gifts upon her, often in the embarrassing presence of John Redcorn . However, he never really showed much interest in spending time with her, and sometimes, usually in social situations, he would momentarily forget that he was married . Dale is extremely proud of Joseph, towards whom he is highly generous and supportive, especially for his athletic prowess and strong build, which Dale never possessed any of . Unlike Hank's demeanor with Bobby, Dale is extremely attentive to Joseph's needs and feelings, and is never afraid to express his affection for him . Although Dale's attempts at good parenting occasionally go astray due to his odd ideas, he is portrayed as Joseph's primary parent (especially in the earlier seasons when Nancy was still having an affair), and is usually the first person Joseph turns to when in trouble . Joseph, unlike Bobby, has very little conflict with his father and rarely seems to feel the need to rebel against him, probably due to Dale's emotional availability and acceptance of his son's activities and tendencies--an area in which he outshines Hank . While he is comfortable and unworried about his son's development, Dale is very protective of Joseph: despite his cowardly nature, he once rushed into what he believed was the tractor beam of an alien ship to save him, even though he was convinced that Joseph's real father was an alien . </P>

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