NBC's Community is one of the smartest shows ever written, thanks to its hilarious jokes and meta-humor. Created by Dan Harmon (most famous for co-creating Rick and Morty with Justin Roiland), the show is full of subtle and clever jokes that demand constant pausing, rewatching, and Googling.
Like Arrested Development, the show is full of hilarious running gags and catchphrases that provide fun callbacks to hardcore fans. So, here are the top 10 running gags of the series, ranked.
Minor Characters
Unlike other shows such as Friends or How I Met Your Mother, which uses characters like Carl the Bartender and Gunther from Central Perk just for jokes, the minor characters of Community are so much more than extras used for a quick laugh.
The characters are hilarious and sometimes entire episodes focus on them, such as "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons" focusing on Fat Neil. Fan-favorite running gags include Magnitude's "Pop-Pop!" and Starburns insisting "My name is Alex!".
Awwww
Another hilarious running gag is when Annie and/or Shirley say "Awww" in a high-pitched voice at something cute or adorable, with even Troy doing it once, and saying "I wanna lick it!" (he was talking about a puppy. Obviously.).
On Troy's 21st birthday in "Basic Mixology Certification", he says "I wanna bathe in my manhood!", Annie aw's, that ends up as a disgusted groan, and Annie and Shirley's "Aww" in "Pillows and Blankets" turns into screams of terror when kids in tiny riot gear attack them.
Daybreak by Michael Haggins
The Michael Haggins smooth jazz song has been used so much in Community that it is impossible to hear it without envisioning Abed or Troy humming it. It was first used in the season 3 Halloween episode, "Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps" when Abed hums it while telling a story.
Michael Haggins even visited the set of the show, and a cameo was speculated, but ultimately did not happen. Writer Megan Gantz revealed that Daybreak was Abed's favorite song, and it is Troy's ringtone in season 4.
Dean Pelton's Outfits
The outfits first appear in season 1 but feature more prominently in the subsequent seasons. He usually wears them when he has something to announce to the study group, often very irrelevant and strange news, such as a dance or a new Caesar Salad Bar at the cafeteria.
The outfits are often very elaborate and related to the news he announces, such as dressing up as a cat for Feline Awareness Day. A truly iconic moment is in the series finale when the Dean shows up wearing all the outfits he could fit into since he hadn't worn any silly costumes the entire year.
Troy's Malapropisms
Troy is often shown to be the dumb one in the study group and is often the butt of many jokes. A truly hilarious running joke is Troy mistakenly using words to mean something else. This first happens in season 1 when he mishears 'scapegoat' ("If all we need is an escape goat, maybe we should just let this one go."
He also hilariously says "unstoppable juggle knob" instead of "juggernaut", and confuses 'ultimatum' with 'all-tomato', which he thinks means "Give me the whole tomato, or else". Classic Troy.
Shut Up, Leonard!
Leonard Rodriguez (he changed his name to get Hispanic voters), a fellow Greendale Human Being, often had run-ins with the study group, who used to shut him up by saying "Shut up, Leonard!" followed by an insult. It is also subverted once, when Jeff says "Thank you, Leonard." when Leonard says he's looking good.
Iconic lines include "Shut up, Leonard! Those teenage girls you play ping pong with are doing it ironically." by Jeff, and "Shut up, Leonard! I know about your crooked wang." by Britta.
Britta is the Worst
Britta gets increasingly sillier and annoying with each season, and the characters call her out for it. Her rants and rebellious demeanor often end with everyone groaning and calling her 'the worst'. Chang does it for the first time in season 1 when she pronounces bagels as 'baggels'.
She's also called hilarious insults because of it, such as being called 'a human tennis elbow' and 'the opposite of Batman' by Troy. Other characters do it as well, such as Vicki in "For A Few Paintballs More", and Mr. Rad in "Regional Holiday Music".
Troy and Abed In The Morning!
Troy and Abed are best friends and creators of the pretend morning talk show, Troy and Abed in the Morning! They interview many people from Greendale, such as Jeff, Rich, and Starburns. They sing the title of the show, and it is not taped and instead, it is just them just goofing around.
They also subvert it when the situation changes, such as saying "Troy and Abed being normal" in a deadpan voice or singing "Troy and Abed are in mourning" at Pierce's funeral (poor Troy didn't know they were saying mourning with a 'u').
Chang and Dean making Name Puns
Throughout the series, Chang and Dean Pelton keep saying forced puns on their names, such as "Is there... any room in your pocket for a little spare Chang?" and "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a Dean!". When the Dean gets replaced by a fake, the study group calls him a Doppeldeaner (and Officer Cackowski calls him Deanelganger).
Jeff even addresses it, saying "It's not even clever, you just keep substituting it for the word 'change'!". When Chang gets amnesia (or Changnesia) in season 4 and says his name is Kevin, he makes puns on the name Kevin ("Welcome to Shirley's Sandwiches", the food here is 'Kevin'ly")
Rhyming Celebrity Names
Perhaps the funniest running gag is the use of characters rhyming responses with the names of people, especially celebrities. For example, when Richie and Carl ask Chang if everything is okay, he answers with "Peachy keen, Avril Lavigne!"
Other rhymes include "Well, well, well, Harvey Keitel" by Annie, "Well what do you know, Henry David Thoreau." by Troy and "Scouts honor, Sinead O'Connor!" by Alan. Britta, true to nature, ruins even this when she says "My, oh, my, Mike Ty..son.", although she does manage to say "Here's the deal, Jessica Biel.".