10 Running Gags on Sitcoms That Fans Hate

Many popular sitcoms have a running gag, some multiple. It’s something that only fans know about and love pointing it out when it appears again and again. Fans might even reference the most popular running gags in their daily lives, like the oft-repeated line “We were on a break!” from Friends. Many of the running gags are ones fans look forward to, like the Slap Bet from How I Met Your Mother or Kramer (Michael Richards) bursting into Jerry’s (Jerry Seinfeld) apartment on Seinfeld at any given moment.

However, some running gags got old in viewers’ eyes. They grew tired of them and didn’t find them as funny as perhaps they were intended to be, or as they were the first few times. Some, however, stand out as ones that fans downright despise.

10 The Pineapple Incident

‘How I Met Your Mother’ (2005-2014)

As the story goes in How I Met Your Mother, in one of the legendary jokes, Ted (Josh Radnor) wakes up one morning after a night of debauchery to find a strange woman in the bed next to him and a pineapple on the nightstand. He has no recollection of what happened, who this woman is, why his ankle is sprained and his coat is partially burned, or what the pineapple signifies. The story is brought up again and again throughout the show, hanging over like a weird cold case.

The truth is finally revealed. That is everything that led up to the moment, except for the pineapple. It isn’t until the spin-off series How I Met Your Father that some semblance of an explanation is given. The Captain (Kyle MacLachlan) apparently had the pineapple at his doorstep back in 2005, and someone took it. The reveal was anti-climactic and didn’t even come until long after the show was over, making it one of the worst running gags that went nowhere.

9 The Broken Step

‘Modern Family’ (2009-2020)

One of many running gags through Modern Family, the broken step is one that didn’t really excite fans. The step in question is at the top of the staircase in the Dunphy household. Over and over, family members trip on the step as they descend from upstairs (or head up from the main level). Each time, they fret about how they need to get it fixed. But they were never seen to do so. Phil (Ty Burrell) did fix it at one point, but it turned up broken once again. It was all part of the running gag and perhaps an allusion to Phil’s lack of handyman skills as well.

Compared to other running gags on the show that went over well with fans, like Phil’s alter-ego Clive Bixby, Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) dressing as Fizbo the Clown, and Gloria (Sofia Vergara) never recognizing Claire’s (Julie Bowen) assistant Ben (Joseph Mande), the broken step pales in comparison.

8 The Broken Elevator

‘The Big Bang Theory’ (2007-2019)

Admittedly, the perpetually broken elevator in The Big Bang Theory is an important plot device. If the elevator was working, the characters would not be able to engage in some of the most crucial discussions they’ve had while walking up and down the stairs to their respective apartments. But after a while, it became a running gag from the show that just didn’t make sense. It’s a safety violation for an elevator to not be working for so long in an apartment building. Plus, the main characters seldom came across any other building residents using the stairs, despite the stairs presumably being the only way to get up. What about people who lived on higher floors?

The elevator gag is finally addressed in the penultimate episode of the series when Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) are shocked to see the doors open and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) emerge from inside. It took 16 years (in the show’s time) and 12 seasons for this to happen. It was believable for the first several seasons, but after 12, it was time to push the emergency button on this running gag.

7 Al Insulting Larger Women

‘Married… with Children’ (1987-1997)

In numerous episodes of Married… with Children, Al (Ed O’Neill) would greet customers in his shoe store with general disdain. While he might fawn over pretty young women, he would treat the larger women much differently. It was all part of Married… with Children’s charm (or purposeful lack thereof). Nonetheless, fans grew tired of hearing some of his worst insults, which he would say both to these ladies’ faces or utter under his breath.

What’s more, the women were always portrayed as mean to begin with, suggesting that they deserved to be spoken to that way. In almost every case, the woman would storm out, and Al would deliver another insult as they walked out the door. While the insults, when taken for what they were as simply gross humor, were clever, it became uncomfortable when they always pertained to weight.

6 Chandler’s Mysterious Job

‘Friends’ (1994-2004)

Chandler (the late Matthew Perry) from Friends already suffered from self-esteem issues, evidenced by his self-deprecating humor. So, it didn’t help when one of the running gags on the show was that none of his friends knew, understood, or cared to know what his job was. They knew Chandler worked in an office and obviously earned enough to pay for half the rent in the swanky New York City apartment. But everyone was always so nonchalant about it, implying they didn’t feel it necessary to know more about a big part of their friend’s life.

The joke, of course, pertains more to the fact that his job was technical, and explaining it likely would have gone over their heads anyway. But the nature of his job was also kept secret from fans, cheapening the importance of the fan-favorite character. In the end, it’s finally revealed that he worked in statistical analysis and data reconfiguration, though he later left that job to do something he loves, working as an advertising copywriter. The show does, in the end, prove that the one person who truly mattered, Monica (Courtney Cox), did eventually make an effort to remember. In fitting style, however, when she says his job title, Chandler remarks with his signature sarcasm: “I quit, and now you learn what I do?”

5 All The Catchphrases

‘Full House’ (1987-1995)

From “How rude!” to “Have mercy!” to “The Hair!” “Cut. It. Out,” and “Ola, Tannerinos,” all the catchphrases from Full House started to become too much after the eight seasons of the admittedly heartwarming sitcom. Yes, many of these running jokes from Full House are beloved by fans. But chances are, even the actors have grown tired of the constant references. To this day, almost 30 years after the show ended, it’s impossible to read anything about Jodie Sweetin without someone referencing “How rude!” She even repeated the phrase to pay some fan service in the sequel series, Fuller House.

The catchphrases from Full House have become synonymous with the show and the characters. John Stamos has probably heard “Have mercy!” more times than he can count. But fans grew to dislike them after a while, especially when they started to become overused.

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4 The Untold Story With Newman

‘Seinfeld’ (1989-1998)

Fans loved the fact that Seinfeld had an arch nemesis in the building in Newman (Wayne Knight), a neighbor who always greeted him with disdain and vice versa. It was clear that a rift of some kind occurred between the two men at some point, and the running gag was that fans never got the real story as to what the grudge was about. Why did they dislike one another so much?

The presence of Newman on Seinfeld, one of the best characters on the show, was a nice way to work something else relatable into the show. Anyone who lives or has lived in an apartment has probably dealt with a neighbor they didn’t like or who didn’t like them. When bad blood happens, there’s no escape since running into the person is inevitable. All fans knew was that Newman had a reputation for scheming and gossiping, and it’s implied that he was merely jealous of Jerry’s success. But there are inconsistencies. At times, Jerry seems simply annoyed by Newman; at others, they actually work together, and then later, they come across as sworn enemies. What fans dislike about this running gag beyond the inconsistencies is that even in the finale, there was no explanation given as to its origins.

3 Alan Being Super Broke

Two And A Half Men (2003-2015)

The constant portrayal of Alan (Jon Cryer) on Two and a Half Men as a useless man began to grate on fans after so many seasons. He was constantly broke, which was crucial to the plot to explain why he had to continue living with Charlie (Charlie Sheen). This was explained in that he had to pay huge alimony to his ex, more than it should have been because Charlie got more romantically involved than ghosting the lawyer. But even in later seasons, when Judith (Marin Hinkle) is remarried and Jake (Angus T. Jones) is eventually of age and alimony will have ended, Alan still doesn’t seem to be able to get his finances together.

Fans would have liked to see the storyline of Alan being flat-broken evolve in some way, especially since he presumably had a decent job as owner of a chiropractic care clinic. When he gets divorced a second time and Kandi (April Bowlby) takes the condo, it’s clearly a plot device for the show to keep Alan in Charlie’s home. But fans didn’t like the running gag of Alan always being the butt of the joke because he couldn’t afford to live a decent life on his own. Even after Charlie’s death, Alan continued to mooch off Walden (Ashton Kutcher), who bought the beach house.

2 Scraped Knees

‘Family Guy’ (1999-)

There’s a weird running gag in Family Guy whereby Peter (Seth MacFarlane) suddenly falls and scrapes his knee for no apparent reason. It’s said to be a joke referencing Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when Charlie runs home after he finds the last Golden Ticket. The scene often even includes an instrumental version of the song “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” playing in the background while it happens.

It’s a fun Easter egg for fans who make note each time they see it happen. The scene usually involves Peter (or whomever it happens to be since other characters have been part of it, too) inhaling through his teeth and whining “Ah!” over and over and over again. It starts to become a waste of screen time in the already short episodes.

1 Dorothy Hitting Rose With A Newspaper

‘The Golden Girls’ (1985-1992)

Betty White was a national treasure and even remains as such after her death. Her character, Rose Nylund, on The Golden Girls was obviously meant to be dimwitted. She would often ramble on with stories about her childhood in St. Olaf and make ridiculous remarks during conversations. A running gag was not only Dorothy (Bea Arthur) staring at Rose in disbelief at her idiocy but also slapping Rose’s arm or back with whatever daily newspaper or magazine she was reading when she was annoyed with something she said.

While the sarcastic remarks were funny, fans didn’t like the way Dorothy basically treated Rose like a dog. She had even, at other times, fully covered Rose’s mouth to prevent her from putting her foot in it and saying something she shouldn’t. It was demeaning and demoralizing, and fans would have been fine with just the usual “Rose!” followed by a witty remark.

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