Who doesn’t love a good running gag? Sometimes a joke is just so good that writers find a way to repeatedly sneak it into their work. From Easter Eggs in the background to character catchphrases, they never fail to make audiences smile.
Thanks to the episodic nature of television, the medium has produced some of the best running gags in pop culture. Some of the most noteworthy come from animation shows made for children and adults.
10Jonesy Getting Fired - ‘6Teen’
The concept of six teenagers surviving their day-to-day lives in a shopping mall might not sound like a good idea for a show, but6Teenpulled it off with aplomb. This is thanks to its diverse cast of characters who fall into every teen stereotype imaginable. Their conflicting personalities result in wacky misadventures as they try to navigate teen drama and hold down minimum-wage jobs.
One of the best jokes came from Jonesy (Terry McGurrin), the group’s self-proclaimed ladies' man. Every episode has him getting a new job, and by the end, he’s once again unemployed. Somehow his reputation doesn’t spread from store to store, so he can try his luck again next episode.
9What Does This Button Do? - ‘Dexter’s Laboratory’
Before hits likeSamurai JackandPrimal,Genndy Tartakovskycut his teeth onDexter’s Laboratory.The show followed the titular Dexter (Christine Cavanaugh and Candi Milo), a boy genius with a hidden lab where he createsall sorts of inventions.Unfortunately, he is unable to keep his older sister, DeeDee (Kathryn Cressida), from sneaking in.
After violating her brother’s boundaries, DeeDee is inevitably drawn to the nearest big red button, which she has to touch. This usually blows up whatever Dexter was working on, though occasionally it ends up helping him. It’s a simple and straightforward gag that manages to consistently bring out smiles.
8Internet - ‘The Fairly OddParents’
BehindSpongeBob,The Fairly OddParentswas the longest-running show on Nickelodeon. It followed a ten-year-old boy named Timmy Turner (Tara Strong) who was gifted fairy godparents to make his life less miserable. This predictably results in all sorts of hijinks, especially when Timmy wishes for more outlandish things.
Related:10 Classic Nickelodeon Cartoons That Should Be Revived on Paramount+
Naturally, Timmy’s friends and family are curious about how he got his new acquisitions. Fortunately, he’s able to placate them with two words: the internet. This joke would prove to be ahead of its time, as nowadays people buy more things off the internet than they do in person.
7Derpy Hooves - ‘My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic’
When Twilight Sparkle (Tara Strong) arrived in Ponyville, Pinkie Pie (Andrea Libman) hosted a welcome party at her new home in the Golden Oaks Library. One of the guests, a gray pegasus with yellow hair, was accidentally animated with cross-eyes. Fans latched onto the silly design by naming her Derpy and speculating about her backstory.
The show embraced Derpy’s popularity by turning her into a Where’s Waldo-type character and slowly giving her more screen time. She was named and voiced in the episode, “The Last Roundup,” but her name was laterremoved due to controversy.In the later seasons, her name was changed to Muffins, and she became a regular minor character with a speaking role (Tabitha St. Germain).
6The Snail - ‘Adventure Time’
Finn the human (Jeremy Shada) and Jake the dog (John DiMaggio) have metmany interesting characters in the land of Ooo.Yet the character who has been most consistent in their adventures is a little snail. Often found in the background, the snail is happy to wave at whoever manages to find him.
Related:10 Best Animated Shows for Parents and Children
Nearly every episode ofAdventure Timefeatures the Snail somewhere in the background. This adds a lot of rewatch value to the show just to see if audiences can spot the snail in every episode. At the end of season two, the snail was finally given a more prominent role when he fell under the sway of the evil Lich (Ron Perlman).
5Perry the Platypus! - ‘Phineas and Ferb’
Selecting a single running gag fromPhineas and Ferbis no easy task. The show had dozens of catchy jingles and catchphrases that delighted audiences when they popped up between the boy’s latest escapade. Yet perhaps the most iconic one comes from the exchange betweenDr. Doofenshmirtz(Dan Povenmire) and his nemesis, Perry the Platypus (Dee Bradly Baker).
When Perry confronts the doctor about his newest plan to take over the tri-state area, Doofenshmirtz is confused about why a platypus is facing him. It isn’t until Perry dons his signature fedora that Doofenshmirtz realizes that it’s Perry. Sometimes Doofenshmirtz still can’t tell until he removes any extra article of clothing he has, which results in some fun mix-ups of the usual formula.
4My Cabbages - ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’
As Team Avatar travel the land to teach Aang () the four elements, they inevitably get into many scuffles. One innocent bystander for nearly all of them is a humble cabbage merchant (James Sie). Inevitably his stand will get destroyed, and all he can do is exclaim, “My cabbages!”
Related:10 ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Universe Characters That Deserve Their Own Spin-Off
The cabbage merchant is a simple joke, but it works, and his continued presence has made him a fan-favorite character. In the sequel series,The Legend of Kora, he finally wins by establishing his own cabbage monopoly. With the announcement thatSie will reprise his rolein the upcoming live-action series, a new generation will get to laugh at this man’s pain.
3My Leg - ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’
At nearly twenty-five years old,SpongeBob SquarePantshas shaped the lives andhumour of several generations of children.From fry cook games to jellyfishing, there’s no limit to the comedic possibilities SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) and his friends will get up to. And yet one of the funniest and longest-running jokes is a voice clip.
Since the first season, whenever there is an accident or collision, the voice ofMr. Lawrencecan be heard saying, “My leg!” This line is often associated with a background character named Fred, also voiced by Lawrence. Its popularity eventually led to an episode in season eleven being written about Fred’s history with the bit.
2They Killed Kenny - ‘South Park’
One of the most popular adult-animated shows,South Parkfollows the adventures of four boys living in the titular Colorado town. It pulled Comedy Central out of obscurity thanks to its vulgar writing and hard-hitting political satire. It has had many iconic jokes over the decades, but one that has been there since the beginning reigns supreme.
Related:The Top 10 ‘South Park’ Episodes of All Time
Near the end of most early episodes, Kenny (Matt Stone), the least talkative of the boys, suffers a violent death. His friends respond to this with a passionate, “You bastards!” but by the next episode, Kenny is back and life is normal. Though this gag was toned down in later episodes, it occasionally surfaces and remains one of the most memorable aspects of the show.
1Couch Gag - ‘The Simpsons’
There are few animated shows that can matchThe Simpsonsin terms of animpact on popular culture.A combination of brilliantly written gags and iconic characters have helped it become the longest-running American animated series, American sitcom, and American scripted primetime television series. Though there are plenty of jokes that are worth highlighting, the most iconic has to bethe series' couch gags.
Related:The 15 Best ‘Simpsons’ Episodes of All Time, Ranked According to IMDb
As the Simpson family gathers on the couch to watch TV at the end of the credits, something silly and outlandish happens to them. Over the years, the gag has evolved from quick jokes to elaborate sequences that pay homage to other shows and movies. Even as the writing quality has dipped in later seasons, this gag remains a consistent source of entertainment.
