Overused Running Gag: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

When the writers openly acknowledge that a [[Running Gag]] has run its due course, even as they are hauling it out again— [[Like a Broken Record|gain— gain— gain—]] '''[[Percussive Maintenance|*WHACK*]]'''

There we go. Anyhow, the use of a [[Running Gag]] is generally constrained over the course of one episode. But there are some jokes that the writers thought [[If It Was Funny the First Time|are just so funny that they should be used in another episode]], and another, and ''another'' and ''another''. Even if it isn't [[Once an Episode]], it's still squeezed into the series wherever they see fit— [[Running Gag|fit— fit— fit— fit—]] '''*THUMP*'''

 

 

Okay, that joke's ''really'' wearing thin. Before we continue, let's get that audio equipment fixed.

''One hour later....''

 

 

 

 

Sigh. Okay, if it does that again, that audio equipment is gonna get a dose of [[Stuff Blowing Up|C-4]].

 

'''Note: This is for [[In-Universe]] examples only. Do not use this trope to [[Complaining About Shows You Don't Like|Complain About Running Gags You Don't Like]].'''

 

== Anime and Manga ==

* Gintoki & Kagura picking their noses in ''[[Gintama]]'', sometimes more than once an episode, and there are [[Long Runner|over 230 episodes]].

 

 

 

 

* ''[[The Man Show]]'' had a "Museum of Annoying Guys", and one of them was the [[Real Life]] version of this trope. "It's the beat a [[Catch Phrase]] to death guy."

* The Rita Moreno episode (#5 of season 1) of ''[[The Muppet Show]]'' features an old-style phone backstage. When it rings, Fozzie answers it, and something comes out of the receiver related to who's calling. At the fifth call, Kermit gets fed up and asks, "Is there no end to this [[Running Gag]]?"; then Animal comes in and puts an end to it (as well as to incoming calls, unless someone thinks to call the number for the phone on the desk).

* Parodied in ''[[The State]]''. Under pressure to create more catchphrase-driven characters like ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', the writers created "Louie, the guy who says his catchphrase over and over again." The character would repeatedly ask for volunteers to present him with a substance and then loudly announce, "I wanna dip my balls in it!" while holding up two golf balls. The [[Only Sane Man]] in the sketch can't understand why the gag never gets old to any of the other characters. Ironically, the character proved popular and was brought back a few times.

* ''[[Hannah Montana]]'''s tendency towards [[Zany Scheme|zany schemes]] is noted, repeatedly, by Lilly, who eventually gets fed up at never being asked to just sit down and have breakfast but constantly being roped into Miley's schemes.

** [[Wizards of Waverly Place|Harper tends to think similarly about Alex Russo]]. Same for [[The Suite Life of Zack and Cody|Zack roping Cody into schemes]].

* ''[[The IT Crowd]]'' has Roy answer the phone almost every time with the line, "Hello IT, have you tried turning it off and on again?" However, early in the second season he interrupts his signature line with, "I'm sick of saying that. What do you want?" From that point on he never again utters that catchphrase {{spoiler|until he brings it back in the fourth}}.

* In the film ''Escape 2000'', there is a scene at the beginning where the phrase "leave the Bronx" is repeated constantly. [[Mystery Science Theater 3000|Mike and the Bots]] naturally turn this into a [[Running Gag]], with Servo even singing the phrase repeatedly along to the music at the end credits. But when the movie is over and Mike tries to make the joke again, Crow tells him that it's not funny any more.

 

 

== Web Comics ==

** Up to and including making them actually relevant to the plot. Yes, he really meant "every possible gag".

** Aaaaand yet both the hammers and the demonic duck have shown up again. But, since it's been so long (and the hammers have become plot-central in the latest arc) that they're a bit funny again.

*** It doesn't hurt that the Demonic Duck's dialog crosses into [[Better Than a Bare Bulb]] territory.

** For added strangeness, the one being criticized for [[Calling Your Attacks|calling his attacks]] is a fighter that shouts "Power Attack", while the dozens of rogues in the fight are shouting "Sneak Attack" with no commentary.

* At least one running gag in ''[[Bob and George]]'' (specifically, [http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/000419 Wily getting overheard] [http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/000516 by someone standing just behind him]) got this treatment. As early as the [http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/000617 third iteration], it was acknowledged as an Overused Running Gag, and supposedly retired. And then it was [http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/010617 brought out of retirement]. And [http://bobandgeorge.com/archives/index.php?date=010804 averted], [http://bobandgeorge.com/archives/index.php?date=020106 inverted], [http://bobandgeorge.com/archives/index.php?date=020612 inverted again], [http://bobandgeorge.com/archives/index.php?date=020914 parodied] ([http://bobandgeorge.com/archives/index.php?date=020916 to the breaking point]), [http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/031127c double subverted], [http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/040612 lampshaded], and...[http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/060930 well], [http://www.bobandgeorge.com/archives/070712 you get the idea].

* ''[[Nerf Now]]'''s fans are starting to get fed up with photo notes claiming "Mine!" or "Spy here".

* ''[[Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff]]'' does this on purpose to go with the [[Stylistic Suck]], outside the universe the fans reference SBAHJ endlessly and inside the [[Homestuck]] universe, where characters reference SBAHJ all too often.

 

 

== Web Original ==

** On his commentary for the ''[[Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' review Doug spent some time discussing the need to alter running gags frequently and drop them before the audience gets sick of them. He also mentioned that people have asked to drop every running gag except "OF COURSE!".

** In conventions, at least one person will bring up a "Bat Credit Card". Eventually he went on record saying he's ''really'' tired of that (mostly because the raging does a number on his voice) but he still does it because it makes the people laugh.

** Like Critic's Sonic episode, [[Phelous]]'s "Dawn of the Living Dead" episode has him declaring he'll never end his "I'VE GOT A SHOTGUN!" gag and that he's sick of it after using it again seconds later.

'''Children''': Yaaay! }}

* The [[MS Paint Adventures]] series ''[[Problem Sleuth]]'' featured Demonhead Mobster Kingpin, a [[Marathon Boss]] who kept revealing new [[One-Winged Angel]] modes and regenerating lost health. The contributors [[Arc Fatigue|were getting sick of the guy]], [http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=4&p=001743 and Andrew Hussie knew it].

** The series is riddled with running gags, some of which are overused for comedic effect. Most notoriously, the "Retrieve arms from x" command has been done about ''12 times'' in ''[[Problem Sleuth]]'' and ''[[Homestuck]]''. ''So far''.

* "And that was the X time I died" used by [[Unskippable]] when some catastrophe seemingly killed the main character was eventually acknowledged with the words: "No, wait, I take it back. Semenoske got nuked, this guy's going to be fine."

* Richard of ''[[Looking for Group]]'' doesn't seem willing to acknowledge the "Fork of Truth" has had its day and needs to be retired. In the Fork's most recent appearance, the other cast members completely ignored his rant about it, except for Sooba.

* [[Wrestlecrap]]'s induction of a wrestler named Man Mountain Rock featured a picture of said wrestler shrugging with the caption "Yeah, I don't know either dude." After using this picture in 6 straight updates, writer RD Reynolds threatened to end its use. Fan demand brought him into an additional 6 updates and possibly counting.

 

* ''[[Drawn Together]]'' is yet another example of the "regurgitate the same jokes over and over, then acknowledge how they've stopped being funny and continue using the jokes over and over again" tactic.

* Find a [[Running Gag]] ''not'' [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]], [[Inverted Trope|inverted]], or [[Subverted Trope|subverted]] on [[Phineas and Ferb]].

** The two vaudeville players Vern and Johnny, who appeared so often to fill the time before commercial breaks that Stewie ''killed them'' to assure the audience that they would never appear again. (They ''[[Refuge in Audacity|still]]'' came back... as ghosts).

** In the last season or so, Cleveland would get knocked out of his house on a regular basis. It was even used twice after Cleveland left for ''[[The Cleveland Show]]''. Cleveland eventually lampshades it, saying "I fell out of that house way too many times than could possibly be funny." In fact, that's how Cleveland's first wife died.

* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'', the clip where Homer falls down the Springfield Gorge (from the episode "Bart the Daredevil") was referenced several times. In the episode "The Blunder Years", when Homer flashes back to it, Lisa interrupts him, saying "Everyone's sick of that memory."

 

 

== TV Tropes ==

** Now Older Than Dirt itself has become way overused and misused, being frequently applied to pages that are nowhere near old enough to count (currently the cutoff is 800 BCE; previously it was 500 BCE). Doesn't help that despite being an index, it's often treated as a trope.

* [[Or So I Heard]] was completely reworked too.

* Any trope that is listed on [[Pothole Magnet]] tends to become this.

 

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{{reflist}}

[[Category:Comedy Tropes]]