Little Johnny jokes are about a fictional small boy named Little Johnny who naïvely poses questions and makes statements that are very embarrassing to adults, such as parents and teachers.
In 2011, an Australian animated comedy film was released entitled Little Johnny: The Movie with actress Genevieve Morris in the voiceover role of Little Johnny.
Around the world
Joke characters similar to Little Johnny are known in many countries.
Greece: Τοτός (Totós). His girl counterpart is Annoula, or Little Anne.[citation needed]
Italy: Pierino[it] (diminutive of Peter): The character became famous in Italy between the 1970s and 1980s. Multiple films about Pierino were made, all starring Alvaro Vitali, including:
Netherlands, Flanders: Jantje, a stereotype of the average little Dutch boy, a diminutive of Jan
Spanish-speaking: Jaimito[es] (diminutive of Jaime), Pepito: (diminutive of Pepe), and Benito. Jokes about these little travieso (mischievous) kids are part of the culture in Spanish-speaking countries, and they are a useful tool for language and culture acquisition. Many of these jokes have to do with school for with family. Many of them are of question-answer type, where the boy interprets the question is a way different from teacher's or parent's intention. Others are puns or plain silly.
At school:
"Pepito, please name five animals that give milk." – "Five cows, señorita."
"Pepito, what do you think an ideal school should be?" – "Closed, maestra, closed."
At home:
"What will you be when you grow up, Pepito?" – mama asks. – "Much bigger."
Sri Lanka: Amdan (Emden)
Poland: In Poland, the naughty boy is Jasiu (mały Jasio, little Jan, also maly Jasiu). He is culturally close to Russian Vovochka, however in addition to traditional school and home environments, there is a layer of Jasiu jokes related to the Catholic Church.
In 2006, TVR network conducted a vote to determine whom the general public considers the 100 Greatest Romanians of all time. Bulă was voted to be the 59th greatest Romanian.
↑Humour d'expression française. Actes du colloque international de Association française pour le développement des recherches sur le comique, le rire et l'humour, Université de Paris VIII (Paris, 27-30 juin 1988), Vincennes, Z'éditions, 1990 ISBN2-87720-054-X, p. 28
↑Bernard Lefort, "Le personnage de Toto dans les histoires racontées par les enfants", In Cahiers de la recherche de Corium-CRIH, 1995, no. 3: Féminin/masculin, humour et différence sexuelle, sous la direction de Vincent Martin.
↑Friedrich Klein (ed.), Kommt klein Fritzchen zur Schule ... die klassischen Jungs-Witze, Eichborn, Frankfurt am Main 2001, ISBN3-8218-2229-5
↑Ursula Haase, Witzchen von Klein-Fritzchen, Falken-Verlag Sicker, Wiesbaden 1967.