The beauty of a show with classic comedy and longevity is that it can have running jokes that only get funnier as the show progresses through many seasons.
the puns that inspired an entire cookbook are never-ending.
Updated on May 27th, 2022 by Amanda Suarez: Because of the release of brand-new episodes of the show and the new Bob's Burgers movie, fans of the show have been reminded of just how many callbacks and running gags there are at the seaside restaurant.
With new and familiar shenanigans picking back up and a movie on the close horizon, viewers are getting a ton of new content for the show and enjoying even more top-tier comedy.
The Pest Control Van Is In Every Season 1 Episode
Bob's Burgers is known for having lots of small Easter eggs and jokes in the background of its episodes, and the pest control company Rats All, Folks was one of them. The show is big on puns, so obviously, the punny Porky-Pig-line-turned-slogan isn't surprising at all--and it's just one of many hilarious running puns for the van.
Fans of the show may want to revisit season 1 and see if they can spot the van's appearance in each of the episodes. Starting in season 2, there is still a van appearance in each episode, but the company changes each time to a different rat-themed pun.
The Health Inspector Has It Out For Bob
This is both a pretty entertaining running gag and a reference to the original pitched idea of the show. Die-hard fans of the series may be aware that Bob's Burgers is based on a sketch of the Belcher family opening up a burger shop selling burgers made of human flesh, a la Sweeney Todd.
Not very much is leftover from that original macabre pitch, but the pilot featured Louise lying and telling her class that their burgers were human. This prompts a very suspicious health inspector to spend a lot of time and energy investigating Bob over the course of the show. The writers also paid additional homage to the original pilot by placing a funeral home next to Bob's Burgers, fueling the wild fan theory about the Belchers on Bob's Burgers still serving human burgers.
Tina Is Obsessed With Boys
Another constant source of comedy on the show is that Tina is forever thinking that she's met her soulmate. Even if it's a random boy in detention that she's never really spoken to before, a simple moment of eye can prompt her to launch into one of Tina's best Bob's Burgers songs about the "briefest of glances" and almost topple her desk over trying to get another glance from him.
It's surprising that Tina, whose anxiety can be triggered by almost anything, is pretty bold when going after a boy. Her preoccupation with spin-the-bottle and a hayride sitting next to a boy routinely gets her into some pretty hilarious situations.
Gene Is Too Close With Linda
Gene is a Momma's Boy through and through, and the show continually reminds fans of Gene's bordering-on-too-much dependency on Linda. But one thing that the show plays on, again and again, is that Gene is a little obsessed with his mom.
Whether it's a quick joke about Gene wishing Linda was his wife and that they'll grow old together, or an entire episode dedicated to Gene following Linda to her women's entrepreneur club meetings and trying to sabotage her time there, Gene is all-in for Linda
Bob Thinks Jimmy Pesto Is Behind Everything
Jimmy Pesto is the foil character to Bob; where Bob runs a struggling business with genuinely good food and a loving family, Jimmy is running a successful business with ittedly bad food and has a broken family. The two are constantly in competition with each other, with Bob going as far as to devote time and energy to beat Jimmy's video game high score.
Any time something goes wrong, the first place Bob points a finger is Jimmy Pesto and Linda has to convince him that Jimmy isn't trying to pull any stunts. He's not entirely wrong for it, though, as Jimmy did spy on Bob to steal his Super Bowl commercial in "Easy Com-mercial, Easy Go-mercial."
Mr. Fischoeder Makes Comments About Rent
If there's one thing that the Belchers always are, it's strapped for cash. Bob's Burgers is constantly under threat of closing its doors and Mr. Fischoeder is well aware of that fact and he makes quite a few running jokes about the matter.
Anytime the odd, rich, building owner comes into with Bob or the rest of the family, he always makes a one-liner joke about them not paying rent. And, the few times that he's not there to remind them that they owe him rent, one of the Belchers--usually Bob--will nervously bring up that it's not due or has been paid already.
Louise Violently Loves Boyz 4 Now
One of the most loved fictional boy bands of all time is Bob's Burgers' Boyz 4 Now, a play on Boyz II Men. Fans may openly love this band, but Louise is slow to it that she loves something so trendy and girly--and when Louise loves something, things get violent.
A hilarious running joke with Louise is her hidden love for the band--and more specifically, Boo Boo. She quickly learns everything that she can about him and even sneaks onto their tour bus with Tina. Every time her guilty pleasure enjoyment of the band is brought up, it makes for a really funny gag.
Linda Is Afraid Of Getting Hit In The Face
Linda Belcher has some of the funniest lines and plotlines on Bob's Burgers, and fans have noticed that every time the fan-favorite mom character gets into a scuffle or something shoots or splashes near her, she raises her hands up and shouts, "Oh, my face!"
The sheer amount of times makes it a classic running gag, and the varying degree of danger her face is actually in of getting hit is also a good laugh. Even when she's about to be pushed over a rail in "Housetrap," her gut reaction is to shout "Oh, my face!"
The Family Has Musical Interludes
Bob's Burgers definitely isn't the first animated sitcom to feature songs and dances, but there's something about the show's musical numbers that is especially funny. It could be that they're almost always a little off-pitch, or that they're usually accompanied by overly dramatic fantasy sequences, or that they often featured hilarious lyrics with a drawn-out note at the end that goes on much longer than viewers would expect.
Every character on the show has had some sort of themed musical number every few episodes or so, and the credits usually feature a fun little remix of a song on the show or a brand new one. It's definitely a great running part of the series.
Tina Runs With Her Arms Straight Down
No matter what the situation is, be it gym class or trying to catch up to Jimmy Jr. on his bike, Tina Belcher has only ever run one way on the show: with her arms straight down by her sides. It's especially funny when she's running with her family or friends, and the difference between her and everyone else is stark.
Fans of the show have even made compilations on YouTube of Episodes that focus on Tina and her amazing set of quirks, are some of fans' favorites.
