Who doesn’t love a good running joke? Sometimes a joke is so good that writers find a way to use it repeatedly in their work. From easter eggs in the background to character catchphrases, they are sure to bring a smile to the audience.
Due to the episodic nature of television, this medium has produced some of the best jokes in pop culture. Some of the most notable are the animated shows for children and adults.
10 Jonesy Gets Fired - “6Teen”
The concept of six teenagers surviving everyday life in a mall might not seem like a good idea for a show, but 6Teenager removed it with aplomb. This is thanks to the diverse cast of characters that fall into every imaginable teenage stereotype. Their conflicting personalities lead to wacky misadventures as they struggle to deal with teenage drama and hold onto a minimum wage job.
One of the best jokes came from Jonesy (Terry McGurrin), the group’s self-proclaimed ladies’ man. In each episode, he gets a new job and is unemployed again by the end. Somehow his reputation doesn’t spread from store to store so he can try his luck again in the next episode.
9 What does this button do? - “Dexter’s Laboratory”
Until such hits Samurai Jack And primitive, Gendy Tartakovsky cut your teeth Dexter’s laboratory. The show followed the titular Dexter (Christine Kavanaugh and Candy Milo), a boy genius with a hidden laboratory where he creates all sorts of inventions. Unfortunately, he cannot support his older sister Dee Dee (Katherine Cressida), from penetration.
Breaking her brother’s boundaries, DeeDee inevitably reaches for the nearest big red button that she has to touch. This usually blows up everything Dexter has been working on, though sometimes it ends up helping him. This is a simple and understandable joke that constantly brings smiles.
8 Internet - “Magic Parents”
Behind Spongebob, Pretty weird parents was the longest running show on Nickelodeon. It followed a ten year old boy named Timmy Turner (Tara Strong), who was gifted by fairy godmothers to make his life less miserable. This predictably leads to all sorts of jokes, especially when Timmy desires more outlandish things.
Naturally, Timmy’s friends and family are curious about how he got his new acquisition. Luckily, he can reassure them with two words: the Internet. This joke was ahead of its time as nowadays people buy more things online than in person.
7 Derpy Hooves - “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic”
When Twilight SparkleTara Strong) arrived in Ponyville, Pinkie Pie (Andrea Liebman) hosted a welcome party at her new home at the Golden Oaks Library. One of the guests, a gray pegasus with yellow hair, suddenly perked up with a squint. Fans jumped on the silly design, calling her Derpy and speculating about her backstory.
The show picked up on 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 “Latest Roundup”, but her name was later removed due to controversy. In later seasons, her name was changed to Muffins and she became a regular supporting character with a speaking role (Tabitha St. Germain).
6 Snail - “Adventure Time”
Finn the manJeremy Shada) and dog Jake (John DiMaggio) met a lot of interesting characters in the land of Ooo. Yet the character who has been the most consistent in his adventures is the little snail. Often found in the background, the snail waves with pleasure to those who manage to find it.
Almost every episode Adventure Time shows the Snail somewhere in the background. This adds a lot of re-watch value to the series, just to see if viewers can spot the snail in every episode. At the end of the second season, the snail was finally given a more prominent role when he fell under the power of the evil Lich (Ron Perlman).
5 Platypus Perry! - ‘Phineas and Ferb’
Choice of one running joke from Phineas and Ferb this is not an easy task. The show featured dozens of catchy jingles and catchphrases that kept the audience enthralled as they popped up between the boy’s latest antics. However, perhaps the most iconic is the dialogue between Dr. Doofenshmirtz (Dan Povenmire) and his nemesis, Perry the Platypus (Dee Bradley Baker).
When Perry tells the doctor about his new plan to take over the tri-state territory, Doofenshmirtz doesn’t understand why the platypus is standing in front of him. It’s not until Perry puts on his signature fedora that Doofenshmirtz realizes it’s Perry. Sometimes Doofenshmirtz still can’t tell until he removes an extra piece of clothing he has, leading to a funny confusion in the usual formula.
4 My Cabbage - Avatar: The Elementalist
When the Avatar Team travels the earth to teach Aang () the four elements, they inevitably get into a lot of fights. One innocent witness to almost all of them is a humble cabbage merchant (James See). Inevitably, his stand will be destroyed, and all he can do is exclaim, “My cabbage!”
The cabbage vendor is a simple joke, but it works, and his constant presence has made him a fan favorite character. As the series continues, Legend of Kor, he finally wins, establishing his own monopoly on the cabbage. With the announcement that C will be reprising his role in the upcoming live-action series, a new generation will be able to laugh at the man’s pain.
3 My leg is “SpongeBob SquarePants”
Almost twenty-five years old sponge Bob Square Pants shaped the lives and humor of several generations of children. From playing with the fried chef to catching jellyfish, there’s no limit to SpongeBob’s comedic possibilities.Tom Kenny) and his friends will stand up. And yet one of the funniest and longest-running jokes is the voice clip.
Since the first season, whenever there is an accident or collision, the voice Mr Lawrence can be heard saying “My leg!” This line is often associated with a minor character named Fred, who was also voiced by Lawrence. Its popularity eventually led to an episode being written in the eleventh season about Fred’s history with the bat.
2 They Killed Kenny - “South Park”
One of the most popular animated shows for adults, South Park follows the adventures of four boys living in the titular city of Colorado. He pulled Comedy Central out of obscurity with his vulgar style and hard-hitting political satire. He’s had many iconic jokes over the decades, but the one from the start prevails.
Near the end of the earliest Kenny episodes (Matt Stone), the least talkative of the boys, dies a violent death. His friends respond with an impassioned “Bastards!” but by the next episode, Kenny was back and life was back to normal. Although this joke was toned down in later episodes, it occasionally resurfaces and remains one of the most memorable aspects of the show.
1 Sofa gag - “The Simpsons”
There are few animation shows that can compare The Simpsons in terms of impact on popular culture. The combination of brilliantly written gags and iconic characters helped it become the longest-running American animated series, American sitcom, and American prime-time television series. While there are many jokes worth highlighting, the most iconic have to be the couch jokes on the show.
When the Simpson family gathers on the couch to watch TV at the end of the credits, something stupid 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 films. Even though the quality of the writing has deteriorated in later seasons, this joke remains a constant source of entertainment.
Source: Collider
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