10 Funniest Episodes Of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

3. Frank Reynolds' Little Beauties (Season 7 - Episode 3)

If episodes such as 'The Gang Misses The Boat' and 'The Gang Tries Desperately To Win An Award' are masterpieces of self-aware comedy, 'Frank Reynolds' Little Beauties' is a gleefully offensive, straightforwardly hilarious romp. The premise alone is enough to provoke an uncomfortable grimace; the gang's decision to host a child beauty pageant can only result in catastrophe. So many set-pieces of the episode are laugh-out-loud hilarious, especially Frank's desperation to avoid being seen as a "diddler", which involves him blurting out "which of these talented entertainers, who I am not attracted to at all, will be the winner?". The episode absolutely tears the concept of children's beauty pageants to shreds, summed up neatly in Charlie's patriotic proclamation that "we are free to show off how sexy our kids are". It's one of the most offensive episodes in the entire series, but manages to stay firmly on the right side of ridiculous. The best example of this is probably the gang's homoerotic techno remix of Yankee Doodle Dandy, in which the focus isn't so much on the little boy's accompanying dance, but the idea that Charlie, Dennis and Mac could possibly have come up with such a preposterous idea. The actual kids are never really the target of ridicule; instead, the episode laughs at the gang, the parents, and the whole notion of kids' beauty pageants.