Arrested Development: 10 Times Tobias Was Unintentionally Inappropriate

Fox’s Arrested Development, created by Mitchell Hurwitz, is widely cited as one of the smartest and cleverest TV shows ever written. While the show was canceled after only three seasons before being revived by Netflix, it is one of the most underrated TV shows in television history. The show shoots jokes, running gags and catchphrases at the viewers so fast that one may often miss them.

Tobias Funke, one of the funniest characters on the show, is the brother-in-law of Michael Bluth and is often hilariously unaware of how dirty he sounds. So, here are 10 times Tobias was unintentionally inappropriate.

10 When He Blue Himself

In the season 2 episode, “The One Where Michael Leaves,” Tobias has yet again covered himself in blue body paint to become part of the Blue Man Group. He says he has to ask for an audition and Michael asks him, “You haven’t auditioned yet?” To which Tobias answers, “Oh, no, no. I’m not in the group yet. No, I’m afraid I just blue myself.”

Michael is in complete silence, but fans had a huge laugh at the cleverly worded line. Arrested Development is infamous for creating intricate situations where characters can get away with saying such lines, which would be extremely weird out of context and are still pretty weird even with context.

9 When He Wasn’t Sure What He Wanted To Buy

In the season 3 episode, “For British Eyes Only,” Tobias is hoping to get a role in G.O.B.’s magic trick (sorry, illusion) and so he goes to a “costume” store he had visited a few times before. The drag queen at the store asks him, “Are you going to buy this time, or you just curious?” To which he replies, “I suppose I’m buy-curious.”

Clearly not aware that bi-curious has another meaning, the flashback hilariously shows how unconsciously dirty Tobias can be. And the fact that he keeps going to the store again and again clearly shows he, uh, ‘plays for the other team.’

8 When He Wanted To Be A Leather Daddy

After Maeby says she’s pro-leather (just to spite Lindsey), Tobias, to bond with his daughter, goes to a leather shop and asks the clerk if he could get something that says ‘dad likes leather.’ The clerk asks him, “Something that says ‘leather daddy’?” and Tobias ends up buying a leather fetish outfit.

Later, when he accidentally goes to a gay nightclub (when the cab driver misunderstood ‘Gothic Castle’ as ‘Gothic Arsehole’), he ends up performing in the Whips-and-Snaps Barbershop Quartet.

7 When He Had A Reading Of His Book, The Man Inside Me

Tobias writes a book titled The Man Inside Me, which struggled to find readers until the gay community supported it for reasons different than what Tobias had intended. During a public reading of the book, he reads an excerpt, “For there’s a man inside me and only when he’s finally out can I walk free of pain” — to applause from a gay audience.

The line is funny in and of itself, but add to it the flamboyant clothes of the listeners and the reaction Lindsey gives after hearing the line, the scene becomes iconic and one guaranteed to make audiences roar with laughter.

6 When Lindsey Tried To Flirt With Ice

After Lindsey tries to seduce the family bounty hunter, Ice, yet again, Maeby seems a little disgusted and asks Tobias, “She’s flirting with him right in front of you. I mean, that’s gotta bother you a little, right?” Tobias, however, says he’s surprised that Lindsey is “going after someone so similar to his own type” (implying, of course, that her ‘type’ is large, muscular men).

Tobias then says, “I suppose we all reveal our inner desires, don’t we?” To which Maeby curtly replies, “I think you just did.” Alia Shawkat’s utterly disgusted and judgemental expression, paired with the looks Tobias was giving Ice makes this scene especially memorable.

5 When He Got A Gift Basket After An Auction

After Michael receives a gift basket for raising money in a charity auction by bidding money on Sally Sitwell, he comes to learn that Tobias has received one too. When Michael asks him what he did with his gift basket, Tobias replies, “I prematurely shot my wad on what was supposed to be a dry run, if you will, so now I’m afraid I have something of a mess on my hands.”

The meaning, obviously, was that he used up all the body chocolate and hotel coupons himself, but he could have definitely phrased that better, as Michael himself says, “There are just so many poorly chosen words in that sentence.”

4 When He Prepares Ann for a Beauty Pageant (Her?)

When Tobias tries to prepare Ann for a pageant, he says Ann needs to “Google some disco songs with the word ‘hump’ in them” for the talent portion. George Michael says that this sounds a bit ‘racy’ and Tobias tells Ann they need to do it and that George Michael may be afraid of sex, but they need to win. George Michael, however, denies this and Tobias then hilariously asks him to have sex with Ann right then.

He then sternly says, “Ann, you need to decide whether you want a man or a boy. I know how I’d answer.” While he could have definitely phrased this better, what makes it even funnier is Ann’s look of determination after Tobias says this line.

3 When Michael Helped Him Spice Up His Marriage

In the episode, “Ready, Aim, Marry Me,” Tobias thinks of making Lindsey jealous by riding horseback with Michael. Michael, however, says he hates seeing Tobias like this and offers to talk to Lindsey about going on a romantic getaway with Tobias.

Tobias thanks Michael, hugs him, and graciously accepts the offer, though not before saying, “Well, Michael, you really are quite the Cupid, aren’t you? I tell you, you can zing your arrow into my buttocks any time.” An arrow in the buttocks, however, could have a different meaning, something Tobias is clearly oblivious to.

2 When He Auditioned To Be A Leading Man

In the episode, “For British Eyes Only,” while Tobias wants to be part of G.O.B.’s magic illusion, George Sr. has other plans. He thinks of using G.O.B.’s magic trick to escape before the trial, by switching himself with Tobias. Previously, however, Tobias had been having second thoughts about performing the trick, but he soon overcomes his fears.

He tells them he was scared of being a leading man and then says, “Oh, I can just taste those meaty leading man parts in my mouth.” Even more hilarious are G.O.B. and George Sr.’s disgusted and confused reactions to the line.

1 When He Mixed Two Professions

Tobias, in a stroke of genius, combined two of his professions, analyst and therapist, and called himself an analrapist. Despite being almost arrested because of his business card, he frequently gives advice to (or analrapes) the Bluth family.

He helped Buster overcome his fear of Lucille and seals and later helps Michael to find out if George Michael had OCD. He later seems to realize his mistake, however, and changes his title to “theralyst”.

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