Community, created byDan Harmon, is an NBC sitcom starringJoel McHaleas Jeff Winger, a lazy student who starts up a study group at a community college. The show is known for its smart writing and high joke density. Fans of this show don’t just watch casually, they are always looking forthe subtle background jokes that are packed into every episode. For example, in the Season 2 episode “The Psychology of Letting Go,” Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi) has a subplot that is entirely in the background. Viewers who pay attention will notice that throughout the episode Abed can be seen in the background assisting a young couple and eventually helping to deliver a baby. This isn’t fully acknowledged until much later in the season, when Shirley Bennett (Yvette Nicole Brown) goes into labor and Abed mentions his previous experience.
WithBeetlejuice Beetlejuicenow in theaters, it’s a good time to remember one ofCommunity’s most elaborate background gags. The trickster demon Beetlejuice, played byMichael Keaton, is not only hilarious in his movies,he also inspired this incredibleCommunityjoke. Despite the joke being a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it background gag, it took three seasons to execute.
‘Community’ Took 3 Seasons To Make a ‘Beetlejuice’ Joke
In Tim Burton’sBeetlejuice, the titular character is summoned when someone says his name three times.Communityplayed on this brilliantly and subtly. Thegroundwork for the joke is laid in two separate episodesin the first two seasons. In theCommunitySeason 1episode “Communication Studies,” Jeff’s love interest Michelle Slater (Lauren Stamile) is talking to him about the study group. Slater has a strained relationship with Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs) because of the romantic tension that she has with Jeff. So, she makes fun of Britta’s name by asking Jeff, “What’s the blonde’s name? Bitter? Butter? Beetlejuice?” Later, in the Season 2 episode “Cooperative Calligraphy,” Britta comments on Jeff’s underwear by calling them “stripey turquoise Beetlejuice numbers,” a reference to Beetlejuice’s iconic striped suit.
The punchline for the gag comes in theCommunitySeason 3 Halloween episodetitled “Horror Fiction in Spooky Steps.” Annie Edison (Alison Brie) complains that Britta’s Halloween party playlist is just theBeetlejuicesoundtrack and NPR podcasts. Just as Annie makes this complaint, someone dressed as Beetlejuice walks by behind her. The moment makes perfect sense and doesn’t call attention to itself. It’s not surprising a Halloween party playlist might include theBeetlejuicesoundtrack or that someone would be wearing a Beetlejuice costume on Halloween. So, the moment doesn’t feel odd to a casual viewer. But, viewers who’ve been paying a lot of attention to the show are rewarded with a big laugh when they realize that Beetlejuice appeared just when his name was said for the third time. The fact thatthe joke was set up in Season 1 then paid off in Season 3, with 38 episodes in between, shows real patience and attention to detail on the part of the writers.
4 Things You Need To Know About That Long-Delayed ‘Community’ Movie
The ‘Beetlejuice’ Gag Is Not the Only Elaborate ‘Community’ Joke
TheBeetlejuicejoke onCommunityis much easier to catch on streaming. When someone is binge-watching the show, episodes from previous seasons are fresher in their mind. But, some particularly on-the-ball viewers did notice it even when new episodes were airing weekly and there were months long hiatuses in between seasons. OneYouTube videothat clips together the full joke is dated August 07, 2025, about a month after “Horror Fiction in Spooky Steps” aired. It’s incredible that not only were the writers putting so much effort into gags, butCommunity’sfans were taking notice.
Communityis full of Easter eggsand elaborate jokes. There’soneCommunityjoke that’s even more elaborate than the Beetlejuice gag. This joke requires viewers to watch a completely different show to see the punchline. In the Season 2 episode “Critical Film Studies,” Abed tells Jeff that he was once an extra onCougar Town,but he pooped his pants during the filming. This pays off in theCougar TownSeason 2 episode “Something Good Coming.” There’s a scene with Danny Pudi in the background, in character as Abed. He does a poor job of being an extra, and he does eventually run off in a panic as though he’s pooped his pants.
Communityis a show thatrewards multiple viewings. The best scenes not only pack lots of jokes into the dialogue, but also have great background gags. The variety of clever jokes makesCommunityworth revising over and over.
Every season ofCommunityis available to stream in the U.S. on Peacock.
A suspended lawyer is forced to enroll in a community college with an eccentric staff and student body.
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