Top 10 Hilarious The Fairly OddParents Running Gags

A wand is a Fairy Godparent’s most important tool... too bad Cosmo and Wanda can’t always keep track of theirs. Now and again, they end up losing their wands at the most inconvenient times. It could be from an unexpected accident, or from their own doing – and by ‘theirs’, we, of course, mean Cosmo’s. Regardless of the cause, the pair are left powerless, and Timmy is forced to rely on his wits to get out of a jam – at least until the pair can find their missing wands. It may seem like a cheap method, but it helps raise the stakes in these magical misadventures.

Meet Doug Dimmadome, owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome. This multi-faceted business tycoon has more running gags tied to him than we can count - from his collection of towering hats to his “Dimma-” verbal tic. But arguably his funniest and most notable running gag is his back-and-forth conversations with everyone else. He could be introducing himself or announcing his next evil plan, and someone will repeat his statement as a question, just to confirm they didn’t mishear him. In the end, Doug happily confirms what he said and repeats it a second time. The delivery between the two conversationalists ensures that the gag never gets stale –mostly thanks to Doug Dimmadome himself.

Suffice it to say, running gags are “The Fairly OddParents’” specialty – every episode has at least one or two. Before the action officially starts, even the opening intro has its own running gag. At the tail end of the intro, right after Vicky mutters “Yeah right,” her head is magically poofed into a random object. She could turn into someone or something from the episode, she could poof into a member of the show’s staff, or she could swap heads with someone else on the screen. Nothing is off limits for the show’s take on the legendary “Simpsons” couch gag, but it’s guaranteed to get folks excited for the actual fun to begin.

Dark Laser is one of the most sinister forces in the galaxy. However, there’s one thing he loves even more than conquering the universe – Flipsie, the Flipping Dog. Whenever he gets a chance, even when he’s intimidating his foes, Laser can’t resist taking time to worship and gush over his toy companion. He gets unbridled joy from Flipsie’s tricks and even treats the plastic dog as his most trusted advisor – seeking its opinion on important decisions. These two are inseparable, and honestly, who can resist cracking up at watching the big bad space warlord melt like butter over a robotic dog toy?

While Mrs. Turner isn’t the best mother, how is she as a cook? Arguably… she’s even worse at that. Her “pink flamingo casseroles” turn flat and grey, her cabbage casseroles could be registered as lethal weapons, and her meatloaf takes on a life of its own and tries to fight back. While her food is unsightly, a later episode reveals that her disgusting-looking meals can actually taste amazing – showing that you can’t judge a disaster-role by its cover. Even when her food does taste as bad as it looks, you have to respect her for trying... at least it’s nowhere near as bad as her gardening.

Picture this – you're Timmy Turner and you just made a huge, life-changing wish. Things are going swell, but then you say those five fateful words - “What could possibly go wrong?” Right on cue, everything takes a downward spiral and you’re scrambling to fix the mess. Much like in the “Bubsy” franchise, “What could possibly go wrong?” has practically become Timmy’s catchphrase. His wishes backfiring is inevitable, and yet he can’t resist tempting fate by asking aloud. Usually, Timmy doesn’t even have to say the exact phrase for things to go wrong, but it occurs so often that it’s usually expected that someone say it first –it's common courtesy, after all.

We know Timmy’s parents can be irresponsible dimwits, but there’s one thing we still don’t know – what are their real first names? They’re mostly referred to as “Mom and Dad,” “Mr. and Mrs. Turner,” or simply “Timmy’s parents,” but we’re never on a first-name-basis with them. The mystery ended up becoming a running gag throughout the show. Whenever it feels like we’re finally going to hear their true names, something conveniently censors the big reveal, making it equal parts funny and frustrating. The closest we have to an actual answer is their codenames when they were the Poltergeeks, but it just isn’t the same.

Cosmo and Wanda have given Timmy a lot of useful and fun stuff along the way, but some of his wishes are harder to hide than others. Whenever anyone asks where he got a certain thing, his go-to response is, “Uh… Internet?” It doesn’t matter if it’s something as simple as new clothes, or as impossible as heat vision. Whatever it is, Timmy likely got it on the internet. It’s not too hard to believe, you can buy almost anything online nowadays, and the way everyone just shrugs and accepts it makes the gag even funnier. However, Timmy should still be careful – the excuse won’t work forever.

Sheldon Dinkleberg is undeniably the nicest neighbor anyone could ask for. But in Mr. Turner's eyes, he’s evil incarnate - and he’s not shy in letting us know. He could quietly mutter Dinkleberg’s name, loudly curse said name for all to hear, or randomly blame him when something goes wrong. He’ll go out of his way to spite his cheerful neighbor, and it usually ends as well as expected. The gag has become so iconic that it’s become a meme with fans, and our sides are guaranteed to ache from laughing every time it pops up. So always remember, if something is going wrong in your life… you can always blame Dinkleberg.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Juandissimo Magnifico's Shirt
Juandissimo Has an Endless Supply of Shirts When He Rips His Current One

Naggy Wanda
Wanda's Sensibleness Comes off as Naggy Most of the Time

Cosmo the Disaster
Cosmo Is a Flying Disaster, but That’s Part of His Charm

Super Toilet
Cosmo’s Fright Is Our Delight

Crocker's Ear
Someone Has to Keep Pointing out Crocker’s Weird Ear Placement

Denzel Crocker has two major obsessions – giving children F’s, and of course, “Fairy Godparents!” Crocker can't resist spasming whenever the subject comes up as he screams loudly about fairies. What really sells the gag is how he’s animated during these spasms – his body contorting into any shape and size imaginable, and occasionally getting injured in the process. Honestly, Crocker is the only one who can pull this gag off. If anyone else tried to pull it off, it just wouldn’t be the same. Crocker won’t give up until he finally captures a fairy, but until then, he’ll keep us in stitches with his animated freakouts.

What was your favorite Fairly Odd recurring joke? Let us know in the comments.