Community is one of the smartest sitcoms of the past 20 years, but one of its best jokes is very — and I say this with complete affection — dumb.
In the season 1 episode “Communication Studies,” Jeff (played by Joel McHale) and Michelle (Lauren Stamile) are having a conversation in the Greendale parking lot when she asks what’s the name of his blonde friend. “Bitter? Butter? Beetlejuice?” she wonders. That was the first time the Ghost With the Most was mentioned on Community, but not the last.
A season later, in the classic season 2 episode “Cooperative Calligraphy,” Britta (Gillian Jacobs) accuses Jeff of usually wearing “stripe-y turquoise Beetlejuice” underwear. That’s twice! If you can’t guess where this is going, well, then you haven’t seen season 3’s “Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps.”
Early in the episode, Annie (Alison Brie) is going through Britta’s party playlist, which includes the Beetlejuice playlist. That’s three times! And a pay off to a joke years in the making. It’s never commented on, but if you look behind Annie’s shoulder in the scene, you’ll see a person dressed up as Beetlejuice walk by the study room.
You can watch it above.
Since the release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Community‘s visual gag has resurfaced with many fews noticing it for the first time. “Wait I never noticed this but this video pointed out that Community has beetlejuice walk by in the background after the THIRD time he’s mentioned in the show, I love this tiny detail!” one person wrote on X, while another added, “I need more people watching and loving community because there is no other show more committed to setting up jokes over SEASONS, and the pay off is always great.”
Maybe Micheal Keaton can make a cameo in the Community movie (yes, it’s actually happening), or better yet, Troy and Abed can show up in the inevitable Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. ♪ Troy and Abed are in mourning ♪
