Running gag

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The running gag is a popular hallmark of comic and serious forms of entertainment. A running gag is an amusing situation or line that reappears throughout the work. They are often unintentional at first, but familiarity or popularity of such gags among viewers encourage their reappearance. Often, the humor in a running gag derives entirely from how often it is repeated.

Examples of running gags

In the movie Airplane! there are many running gags. Perhaps the most well-known gag involves the character Dr. Rumack (Leslie Nielsen) responding to sentences containing the word "surely" with "Don't call me Shirley."

In the animated series The Simpsons there are many running gags, especially noted in its opening sequence, which has a different message on a chalkboard, musical interlude on a saxophone, and segment involving a couch.

In the television series South Park, the character Kenny McCormick died in nearly every episode, followed by the character Stan Marsh shouting, "Oh my God, they killed Kenny!" and then Kyle Broflovski shouting, "You bastards!". Kenny reappears in each subsequent episode as if nothing happened, yet the children know that Kenny has died more than once.

On the line by Ross of the television series Friends: "We were on a break!" This referred to an argument Ross and Rachel had in the 3rd season, and was referenced all the way through the series into the series finale in season 10.

In the Metal Gear video game series, the cardboard box is an item used by the main character, Solid Snake, in order to hide from enemies. His fondness for the trick developed into a running joke over the course of the series.

In the television series The Fairly OddParents, Timmy Turner obtains many rare or illicit items through the use of magic. When he is asked where he obtained the object in question, he usually responds, "Uh, Internet?"

In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air a favorite running gag is Jazz getting thrown out of the house after offending one of the Banks. Once Jazz was in the driveway and offended Phil. So Phil threw him inside the kitchen door after Jazz made a remark about already being outside.

In the webcomic 1/0, the running gag manifested itself as an actual character. It took the form of the word "gag," with arms and legs. Not only a running gag but also a pun, it would occasionally appear during a lull in the main action, running by and shouting meaningless training-related phrases, which were the limit of its intelligence.

In the Sim series by Maxis a running gag is to include llamas where ever possible.

Running gag

Examples of running gags

See also