HRWiki talk:Running gag

From Homestar Runner Wiki

I'm kind of lost why this is needed --Dacheatbot · Communicate 21:12, 27 May 2006 (UTC)

This is a place to organize thoughts in order to discover (or rediscover) the definition of a running gag, and what to do with topic-unifying articles that aren't. It is slowly getting started and organized; have patience. —BazookaJoe 21:15, 27 May 2006 (UTC)

I didn't know it was a problem `--Dacheatbot · Communicate 21:20, 27 May 2006 (UTC)

You'll soon see, once we separate the true gags from the non-gags. —BazookaJoe 21:22, 27 May 2006 (UTC)

That last point is mine... I'll go into more detail here...

• Inside Jokes are things that aren't funny unless you know what they're referring to. Otherwise they'll seem either inconspicious or non sequitur. Clear examples are things like $11.01, or "Thanks for breaking my moose lamp" in portrait.
• Running Gags are things that are (at least a little bit) funny per se (ie funny on their own), but get funnier each time you see them. Most of the humour comes from recognising that it's a running gag. Clear examples are things like the Floppy Disk Container or Homestar's Pants. Note that the appearances have to be strongly linked – it's a repetition of the same joke, or at least the same premise, each time.
• <Other things that we have to find a good name for> are similar things that reappear on the site, but aren't necessarily any funnier from having happened before, usually from being too loosely linked. Like the new School article – the existance of Crazy Go Nuts University doesn't make Teen Girl Squad Issue 4 any funnier, for instance. "Repeat Appearances" or "Repeated Objects" or "Repeated Things" or something similar would be my vote for the new name for this category.

Of course this isn't necessarily the best definition (that's what this project is here to decide), but it's the one I use, and I think it makes sense. --phlip ^T_C 21:34, 27 May 2006 (UTC)