# Sneaky jokes in TV shows - not movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 29, 2010, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732 "2010-04-29T10:12:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/21 "2010-04-29T16:07:37Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > 4:20 is the time that pot smokers like to smoke up, because it’s the police code for marijuana possession (“We’ve got a 4-20 down on 10th and Main, requesting backup.”) [Nope](http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/420.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/22 "2010-04-29T16:13:13Z")
Homer Simpson, looking for the breakfast drink of astronauts: “Get me President Clinton on the phone! He’ll know where to find some Tang!” ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/23 "2010-04-29T16:53:20Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > [Nope](http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/420.asp) Ah, thanks. (When the hell did Snopes become the pop-up capital of the world?!) ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/24 "2010-04-29T19:11:58Z")
On _Bob the Builder_, Bob was wallpapering and fell face down onto a pasted section of wallpaper. His muffled complaints as he is staggering about trying to get unstuck certainly sound like “Oh, fuckin’ 'ell!” to me. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/25 "2010-04-29T20:07:24Z")
On Redd Fox’s last show, “The Royal Family”, when he got upset he’d say “Mother father” but the way he said it sounded very close to mother f\*cker. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/26 "2010-04-29T20:26:24Z")
Watching a “Get Smart” episode the other day when Maxwell Smart is at an airport, the public address -pages “Buck Henry” who co-created the show. Some episodes of “Combat!” have Lt. Gil Hanley being scared of airplanes. Actor Rick Jason was in the Army Air Corps in World War II. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/27 "2010-04-29T20:35:16Z")
One I mentioned in a recent 30 Rock thread was Liz Lemon’s ringtone on her iPhone. It’s a only few seconds long before she answers it, but for those who know the song it was hilarious, and fits her character perfectly. It was the song [Fuck The Pain Away](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODO_s2to82g) by Peaches. (Link obviously NSFW) ---
**Author:** ![3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/47e85d/32.png) [@3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3_20_59_or_bust)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/28 "2010-04-29T21:01:08Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I can’t think of any specific examples, but Spongebob is full of jokes designed to go over the kids heads right in to the adults ears. Probably part of the reason it’s so popular is that adults are less likely to change the station if it’s slightly geared towards them. > Nothing sexual/violent/drug related, IIRC in one episode someone was screaming and one of the other characters said he was acting like Roger Dawltry, stuff like that. “Beep Beep!” “Sponge Bob! I said ‘assertive’ not ‘insertive’!” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/29 "2010-04-29T21:41:39Z")
On Newhart, Johanna wanted to go to couples counselling with Dick. Dick said that he didn’t believe in that psychology crap. Later in the episode, at the psychologist’s office, an abusive man leaves the office. He was played by Jack Riley. The psychologist says “You’ll have to forgive him. It’s taken years to undue the damage done to him by some quack in Chicago.” And of course there’s the final episode. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/30 "2010-04-29T22:32:43Z")
This is at best a tangent to the OP, for two reasons: 1) it’s a song not a TV show, and 2) I assume it’s completely unintentional on the part of the writer. So apologies up front. But where else am I going to share this? Does everyone know what the slang [finger wave](http://babel.uoregon.edu/slang/pub_search.lasso?&RecordIDNumber=16173&Process=detail01) means? Good. Now, in the song “Moonlight in Vermont”, there is a reference to “icy finger waves”. Every time I hear that, a chill runs up my spine - starting way down at the bottom. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/31 "2010-04-30T01:22:19Z")
**Newsradio:** I can’t be arsed to go look up the episode, but it went something like this: Dave and Lisa were fighting because they’d had an argument and he’d called her a bitch (“the B-word” in the episode). When things come to a head, Lisa asks Dave if he’s planning to call her the B-word again, and Dave smirks and says, “No, I think we’re just a little bit beyond that.” I still say some censor was asleep at the switch. (And I love Dave’s shit-eating grin when he says it.) ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/32 "2010-04-30T01:24:50Z")
Three words: Rocko’s Modern Life. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/33 "2010-04-30T01:56:02Z")
Yes “Laugh-In” was a hot bed of jokes. I recall in an interview with JoAnne Worley that the writers would try to think of risque things and then they’d back track into it so they could insert a joke past the censors. Like Worley said, they’d have her take some cantelopes and hold them by her chest and say “Mellons.” “The George Burns and Gracie Allen” radio show was full of these. Though it was usually done with getting in swear words via fast talking. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/34 "2010-04-30T02:24:46Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > On an episode of _Beavis and Butt-head,_ Principal McVicker shouts, “for crying out loud!” But it sounds much closer to “fuh crying” than “for crying.” I’m not sure whether this was intentional or not. Here’s the episode in question: ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Oe6TxsEAgSk/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/Oe6TxsEAgSk?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque It happens at about 8:45 or 8:50. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/35 "2010-04-30T05:04:34Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > This is at best a tangent to the OP, for two reasons: 1) it’s a song not a TV show, and 2) I assume it’s completely unintentional on the part of the writer. > > So apologies up front. But where else am I going to share this? > > Does everyone know what the slang [finger wave](http://babel.uoregon.edu/slang/pub_search.lasso?&RecordIDNumber=16173&Process=detail01) means? Good. > > Now, in the song “Moonlight in Vermont”, there is a reference to “icy finger waves”. Every time I hear that, a chill runs up my spine - starting way down at the bottom. > Roddy [hijack] My grandmother, a cosmetologist and proud member of Cosmetologists Opposed to Madatory Education (COME)\*, sometimes rants that the new girls don’t know how to do a finger wave. Now I will have and even harder time not laughing during her rant about this. _She has a large homemade sign on the back window of her car_\*: Cosmetolgists Opposed to Mandatory Education \*\*I think of it as the COMEmobile. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/36 "2010-04-30T07:21:40Z")
The final episode of _Not the Nine O’Clock News_ got a famous piece of smut [past](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLgeiRO63mE) the censors. :eek: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/37 "2010-04-30T12:06:52Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > On Newhart, Johanna wanted to go to couples counselling with Dick. Dick said that he didn’t believe in that psychology crap. > > Later in the episode, at the psychologist’s office, an abusive man leaves the office. He was played by Jack Riley. The psychologist says “You’ll have to forgive him. It’s taken years to undue the damage done to him by some quack in Chicago.” > > **And of course there’s the final episode**. You may find this weird, but Newhart isn’t known worldwide. I couldn’t even tell you if it was a comedy, drama or what. So there is no “of course”. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/38 "2010-04-30T12:23:17Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > You may find this weird, but Newhart isn’t known worldwide. I couldn’t even tell you if it was a comedy, drama or what. So there is no “of course”. I think the “of course” is because the final episode of _Newhart_ **invariably** gets mentioned in these “great TV moments” threads, so often that it’s almost a cliche to bring it up. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/39 "2010-04-30T13:01:19Z")
Jack Riley was a patient on The Bob Newhart Show (not Newhart). I had to look it up since it’s been off the air since 1978. The final episode of Newhart had his previous TV wife from The Bob Newhart Show in it. ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_D.Bergkamp)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732/40 "2010-04-30T13:03:18Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > The final episode of _Not the Nine O’Clock News_ got a famous piece of smut [past](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLgeiRO63mE) the censors. :eek: 😃 That was hilarious, thanks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sneaky-jokes-in-tv-shows-not-movies/537732.md?page=3)