The Unforgettable Dean Pelton: A Look Back at Community's Most Quotable Character

The Memorable Quotes

Community is best remembered for its diverse cast, but Jim Rash's performance as Dean Craig Pelton, especially his funniest lines of dialogue, makes him one of the show's best and most quotable characters. Rash's involvement with Community led to his portrayal of Dean Pelton becoming one of the most memorable roles of his career. The character was a major part of Community from its pilot, and its later seasons saw Rash bumped up to series regular status. As a whole, Dean Pelton was incredibly well-developed and funny, which is why the character is remembered so favorably.

Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) frowns in his office

Dean Pelton often made up his own little songs, but his mutterings to himself while in his office were a great example of why the character was so funny. Singing to the theme of 'Come On Eileen' by Dexys Midnight Runners, the dean was able to amuse himself with his creation. Considering the events of the rest of this episode, it could be considered that the dean's delusions, often distracting himself at moments like this, were the cause of Chang's (Ken Jeong) power trip.

Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) sits in his office in Community

Community's 'Payday Apology Rap' saw not only another one of Dean Pelton's best outfits, but also saw him spiral into a concerning, but hilarious, emotional state. What started as a simple report of the gang's delayed salary payment turned into a commentary on racism and capitalism in America, leaving the dean shocked by the end. Although this wasn't the dean's first rap, it was easily his best.

Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) in a Payday candy bar costume rapping in Community

The Iconic Moments

The school's mascot, the Greendale Human Being, was a creation of Dean Pelton's. While it's a little creepy, he felt passionate that he had been as inclusive as possible with its design while hoping that Jeff (Joel McHale) could convince Troy (Donald Glover) to join the football team. This quote comes from this conversation and is a great example of Dean Pelton's attempts to be a good guy. Unfortunately, his execution wasn't quite up to par.

Craig (Jim Rash) holding the Greendale flag in Community

The dean's dedication to his job was a prominent feature of the character, as seen in the episode 'Biology 101.' Excited about starting a new school year, the dean was fired up and ready to make it the best yet, forever still hoping that Greendale could be the same standard as an Ivy League university. Dean Pelton's enthusiasm for his job was one of the reasons why he was such a great character, something that never faltered, even when the Greendale board tried to intervene.

Dean Pelton sits behind his desk in his office in Community

Dean Pelton's commitment to being as accepting as possible to students was one of the reasons why he was such a brilliant character on Community. While this quote came from a very dean-lite episode, it proves how open-minded the character is. A fan of jokes and pranks, the dean's priority of making sure that everyone could be involved was what made him such a brilliant character.

Jim Rash as Dean Pelton in Community

The Colorful Personality

The dean's sexuality never received an official label in Community, but he was quick to show that it wasn't a necessity. Much like the recurring jokes about his fetish, Dean Pelton's sexuality provided some of the show's funniest moments. Even when the Greendale board wanted to use his identity for the sake of appearing diverse, he was quick to put his foot down and make a point that his sexuality is more complex than assumed. Although this could be considered one of the saddest things about Dean Pelton, he was determined to show that it didn't make any difference to his role at Greendale.

Dean Pelton's half male half female outfit in Community

In another moment that saw him in an emotional state, his panic over his choice of outfit provided one of Dean Pelton's funniest moments. His split into a half-male, half-female look not only showed how unfazed he was by other people's opinions, but also showed how creative and forward-thinking the character was as a whole. What was also great about him, as seen in this quote, was that he did sometimes have some self-awareness about his behavior.

Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) smiles at a rack of clothes in Community

Dean Pelton's hysterical obsession with Jeff was a core part of Community and something that was frequently referenced throughout the show. In a hilarious exchange with his favorite student, the dean was sure that Jeff was lying to him. Of course, he could have just told Jeff this outright, but that wouldn't have been true for the dean, who always needed to find a way to imply his feelings for the man. However, it would be interesting to find out exactly what he meant by 'on dry land,' but it could be presumed that the dean had an ongoing nautical-themed fantasy.

Joel McHale as Jeff and Jim Rash as Dean Pelton look concerned on Community.