The Small Kelso Detail That '70s Show Fans Can't Get Enough Of
Many characters on "That '70s Show" have humorous recurring mannerisms or habits that endear them to the audience over a period of time. Because the show is a sitcom, viewers expect a certain amount of consistency and predictability from the characters, allowing them to watch episodes out of order and still be able to understand the gist of what is happening and why. Small details, such as Hyde (Danny Masterson) getting wrapped up in conspiracy theories or Fez's (Wilmer Valderrama) love for women coupled with his inability to get dates, help make the characters unique, and also offer punchlines that viewers can generally understand even if they are not up to date on all the episodes. Small quirks make for some of the best running gags on the series.
Michael Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) is one of the weirdest and most entertaining characters on the show, combining an endearing childlike ignorance with a bumbling, cheerful demeanor. He is inexperienced, goofy, and naive, but not completely stupid, and Kutcher himself told Rolling Stone how he somehow made Kelso relatable. "The key is not to play stupid," he explained. "You can feel for a naive person because it's not his fault, but you have no sympathy for a stupid person."
Thanks in no small part to this relatability, many believe Kelso might be the funniest character on "That '70s Show." Here's the one detail about this unexpectedly nuanced character that fans can't get enough of.
That '70s Show fans love this noise Kelso makes
Of course, light-hearted Kelso may not get angry as often as some "That '70s Show" characters, such as Eric's (Topher Grace) stern father, Red Forman (Kurtwood Smith). However, fans love the bizarre noise Kelso makes whenever he gets angry or offended. The noise sounds like a short, bird-like screech or scoff, and Redditor u/thinkb4youspeak described it as "the dude version of the gasp of indignation." Fans on Reddit generally found this Kelso detail to be hilarious. Even if it wasn't that funny, his angry noise becomes funnier each time he does it. The audience expects this punchline, which makes it satisfying when the joke is again followed through with. At times, things become even more hilarious when viewers learn why Kelso is so upset, to begin with.
Part of the reason Kelso's angry noise is so humorous is that it's within the realm of something he would do, but still unexpected in other ways. It almost seems more like the way Jackie (Mila Kunis) would react. Redditor u/JustSomeRandomGX pointed out that, as a matter of fact, Jackie does make this same sound when she finds out that Kelso is dating Laurie (Lisa Robin Kelly/Christina Moore). So, perhaps part of what's loveable about this quirk of Kelso's is that it shows how easily he picks up on Jackie's habits.