ABC's Modern Family has gone down in history as one of the most iconic TV sitcoms of the 2010s. The series ran for 11 seasons, brought the mockumentary style to the family sitcom, and won five Emmys for the Outstanding Comedy Series.
Following the lives of various family members, the show never had a dull moment with characters spewing jokes and getting into mischief every chance they could. Like many comedy shows, Modern Family built up a collection of inside jokes and gags that they regularly called upon. These running gags are not only hilarious, but they reward the most loyal fans of the show.
Cam's Bicycle Shorts
Cam is one of the more eccentric characters in Modern Family when it comes to his personality and wardrobe choices. One of Cam's more memorable looks was his infamous bike shorts which were very tight.
In fact, they were so tight that they were usually accompanied by a pixelation over the front, which is typically used for nude scenes. Though the family expresses their hatred for the shorts, Cam continues to wear them in later episodes despite them being one of his worst looks ever.
Cam's Farm Stories
Many shows feature characters talking about things that happened in their lives before the show began, and for Modern Family, the character is Cam. Cam finds every opportunity he can to remind his family that he once lived on a farm, even when his stories aren't relevant.
One notable case was when he decides to put Manny and Luke in a room to fight as he did with bulls on the farm. Part of the appeal of this running gag is the randomness of when the stories will strike and whether or not they'll end with a great piece of Cam advice.
Claire's Love Of Wine
As the matriarch of her family, it's not shocking that Claire is regularly seen walking around with a wine glass. However, her obsession with wine was quickly turned into a running gag on the show.
Whether it's in a glass or a mug, Clarie is sure to have wine nearby because "day drinking" is her only means to survive her frantic life. As her kids get older, Claire even lets them join in on her wine-drinking hobby.
Clive Bixby & Julianna
Every couple needs to spice things up when they've been married for several years, and Claire and Phil are no different. To keep things fresh in their relationship, they have invented alter egos: Clive Bixby and Julianna.
Clive Bixby and Julianna make annual appearances on Valentine's Day, which has become a tradition for the show's holiday-themed episodes. While their new identities are funny, it's the situations they find themselves in that make the gag work. The best might have been when Clive Bixby accidentally finds himself naked in the wrong hotel room.
Jay's Love For Stella
While Jay has a handful of running gags that appear throughout the 11-season run of Modern Family, the one constant is his love of Stella, his french bulldog. What makes Jay's relationship with Stella so funny is that it's clear that she is his favorite family member, coming in even before Gloria.
Jay regularly puts Stella first, dreaming about her, favoring her snoring while hating Gloria's, and he routinely says hi to Stella before anybody else. Nothing is cute or funnier than a man's love for his dog.
Manny's Level Of Maturity
While the kids in Modern Family often get a bad rap for their behavior, Manny regularly acts like an adult in the hopes of becoming the family's golden child. He usually dresses in a sophisticated manner, regularly joins his mother for coffee in the morning, and speaks like he understands life's greatest mysteries.
While this might come off as pretentious because he's so young, it's hilarious and one of the reasons Manny is one of the best characters on the show.
Phil's Double Entendres
Every show has a comedic relief character, even comedies. For Modern Family, that character is none other than Phil Dunphy. The best thing about Phil is that half the time, he doesn't even know what he's saying is funny, like his endless use of double entendres.
One of the best ones is when he's asking Gloria to "push up against him," not realizing how sexual it sounds, or when he accidentally insinuates that Claire sleeps with random men in town.
Phil's Phone Puns
One of the more underrated running gags on Modern Family is how Phil answered the phone whenever someone calls. Since it's not an in-your-face type of gag, many viewers don't even realize it's a thing, but the devoted fans do.
Some of Phil's best puns include answering the phone saying "aloe" after asking Luke for a sunburn remedy or saying "jello" when asked what his favorite hospital food is. It's a fun gag that's also interactive as everyone tries to answer Phil's question before he answers the phone.
The Broken Step
When it comes to running gags nowadays, usually they're done through witty dialogue, but Modern Family created a physical gag that has become quite iconic. Though the Dunphy house might look perfect, they actually have a broken step that has caused several accidents over the years. However, the best part of the joke is that it was improvised by Ty Burrell after he tripped going up the stairs while cameras were rolling. Fans and writers found it so funny that it became a staple in Modern Family.
The Raccoons
Superstore isn't the only show to use raccoons as a running gag; in fact, Modern Family did it first. The raccoons are a fun gag because sometimes fans are treated to the actual visual of raccoons while other times they're simply mentioned and blamed for something. The latter is the case when Jay blames a raccoon for killing Manny's turtle or when Phil blames the raccoons for Claire's loud morning routine.