What's the subtlest joke in AD?

[Frightened Inmate #2]

GOB's puppet Franklin is supposed to be Franklin Armstrong from the Peanuts comic strip. Franklin Armstrong was the only black character in the comic, and he was introduced to break social barriers. It's also ironic that his last name is Armstrong, and GOB's Franklin is a hand puppet. Oh, and Franklin Armstrong plays center field on the baseball team, and I am pretty sure GOB plays center field on the Bluth Softball team.

I think those three things were some of the most subtle jokes in the show, making Franklin as a whole the most subtle joke.

I didn't even know his last name was Armstrong. I always felt bad for him when he was given the worst chair at the Thanksgiving ping pong table.

[senorwhippy]

And it's probably been explained elsewhere, but is there significance to the whole "Check out banner, Michael!" running gag? Is it just that GOB doesn't know how to say that, just like how Buster always says "army" instead of "the army?" It just doesn't seem particularly funny, so I assume there's some subtle layer that I'm not getting...

about the second thing- Ive always wonderd about that. English is not my first language, and I always wondered why GOB says- "look at banner, micheal", buster says only "army", the banner reads: "michael love marry" and every one says- "wife of GOB". you can say that? Im saying this because those "mistake" jokes never seemed too funny to me.

this might be to do with bushisms - he said something like 'where wings take dream' which is the same sort of incorrect verbal conjugation as 'family love michael' etc. and the 'army'/'the army' and 'banner'/'the banner' thing might be to do with the way bush said 'we can have filters on internets' instead of 'the internet'.

just a thought..

[sphincter]

That forward reference from the guy sitting in the tree trying to save it. When it gets chopped down he says-

'and that's why you don't get out of the tree'

His actions end up with a tree being chopped down, the childrens actions always end up with an arm being chopped off and the catchphrase follows, this is before that joke had been introduced I believe.

[mrkent]

The S. Funke joke from Alter Egos was insanely subtle. First of all, it was a call-forward (you could only get the joke after seeing the episode entirely at least once). And even then, it was hard to pick up on. Alia played that line perfectly. I did not know there was any hidden joke (I believed her about that single/married thing), but sure enough, there was method to her madness.

S. = Single = Surely
M. = Married = Maeby

can someone please further explain the joke with the exact time/quotes?

also, on S3E04, notapussy, around the 9:50 mark, michale enters george sr's room after being told not to, but after he enters, the surrogate continues to tell him not to enter, which diverges from what george sr says. This goes with the whole theme that the surrogate will say things to keep his job.

[sherlymaebyfunke]

"also, on S3E04, notapussy, around the 9:50 mark, michale enters george sr's room after being told not to, but after he enters, the surrogate continues to tell him not to enter, which diverges from what george sr says. This goes with the whole theme that the surrogate will say things to keep his job"


i agree with this. its hilarious at Michael's wedding to Rita (which does not happen), and George Sr. fires the surrogate, he is talking to himself in the mirror because he is still repeating everything George Sr says while talking back to him.

PS. sorry, i didnt know how to quote the right way

[aki42]

s3e12
"Buster:but this is exactly what I need to prove to my love that I am a hero not a coward and I have my uniform here mother brought it for the photoshoot."
I think that was a refrence to.

[arrested nut]

I don't know if this qualifies for a subtle joke..but..I always wondered why Lucille used a tripod to attack Buster in bed in The Cabin Show (luckily it was a freebie). This weekend I saw Auto Focus for the first time-Bob Crane was killed in his bed with a tripod. If you look at the extra features they demonstrate the attack and that is when I caught the similarity. Plus Jessica's husband Ron Leibman was in the movie.

Am I nuts?

[wtfamhe]

The S. Funke joke from Alter Egos was insanely subtle. First of all, it was a call-forward (you could only get the joke after seeing the episode entirely at least once). And even then, it was hard to pick up on. Alia played that line perfectly. I did not know there was any hidden joke (I believed her about that single/married thing), but sure enough, there was method to her madness.

S. = Single = Surely
M. = Married = Maeby

can someone please further explain the joke with the exact time/quotes?

Basically, Maeby was acting as Surle Funke when she took that test, and so she gave that single/married lie to goerge michael so he wouldn't suspect that she was acting as Surly.

[Hero Squad Captain]

The S. Funke joke from Alter Egos was insanely subtle. First of all, it was a call-forward (you could only get the joke after seeing the episode entirely at least once). And even then, it was hard to pick up on. Alia played that line perfectly. I did not know there was any hidden joke (I believed her about that single/married thing), but sure enough, there was method to her madness.

S. = Single = Surely
M. = Married = Maeby

can someone please further explain the joke with the exact time/quotes?

Basically, Maeby was acting as Surle Funke when she took that test, and so she gave that single/married lie to goerge michael so he wouldn't suspect that she was acting as Surly.

What I find funniest is that when the whole show was said and done, Surely Funke was single, and Maeby was married.

[wtfamhe]

What about Tobias falling from the top of the stairs, when he was Mrs. Featherbottom and when he was in that wheel chair. Also it seems like in a lot of episodes, Tobias needs medical attention at the end.

[Hero Squad Captain]

Also it seems like in a lot of episodes, Tobias needs medical attention at the end.

Who wants to go to the hospital?

[The Brentmeister General]

Watching Amigos the other day I noticed when we flash to the Yellow Pages to see Ice's advert (the 'Put Your Problems on Ice', not 'You can't plan a party without ice' one), above Gene Parmesan's ad it reads 'Pet Grooming' (obviously coming before 'Private Investigator') - surely a nod to Lindsay's Dip-a-Pet debacle.

Also, a really obvious subtle joke I missed for surely 30-50 viewings. I always wondered why in Good Grief Michael automatically assumed George-Michael had Ann in the attic when he caught him with his grandfather's favourite foods. Of course - hard-boiled eggs, for mayoneggs! I feel like a [spoiler]bleeping[/spoiler] idiot

[LickMyLovePump]

Barry's book is one of my favourite hidden jokes.

[The Brentmeister General]

Never picked up on that one before! Tremendous. Still giving new laughs years later. Confirms what we all think about this show

[Bear]

Tobias: So you think I’m a coward?

Warden Gentiles: There’s only one man I’ve ever called a coward, and that’s Brian Doyle-Murray.

That for me is the most indecipherable joke. I know who Brian Doyle-Murray is, but I don't understand the reference. Possible explanations have been given by fans in the episode thread but I didn't find them very convincing.