History Main / LightBulbJoke

* At the beginning of the ''WesternAnimation/321Penguins'' music video for "Fair and Square", Rusty asks the Ventrilomatic, "How many mutants of Jadon-9 does it take to screw in a light bulb?" Shortly after, Rusty says that the answer is "two thirds".

** He gets another in the ''ComicBook/BadGuys'' sequel in comic form. "How many mutants does it take to change a lightbulb? Three to sit there and one to hang [around]." [[spoiler:Cue him nearly getting his head cut off because [[DudeNotFunny Yama considers making a joke about traumatised victims of a mad scientist, one of whom hanged themselves, seriously]] ''[[DudeNotFunny not cool]]''.]]

Long ago, this StockJoke involved mocking other groups, but today it is used almost exclusively for playful SelfDeprecation of the idiosyncrasies characteristic of (or associated with) one's own social group or hobby group.

** The series also does this with [[http://www.hetarchive.net/scanlations/comicdiary.php?sfn Greece.]]

* ''ComicBook/BatmanWhiteKnight'': Back when he tried to be a comedian, [[ComicBook/TheJoker Jack Napier]] had one where he asked "how many [=GCPD=] does it take to change a light bulb?". The answer is "it only takes a Batman!".

* In the FilmOfTheBook of ''Film/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy2005'', one of the questions proposed to the ultimate answer of Life, Universe, and Everything (JustForFun/FortyTwo) is that "How many vogons does it take to screw in a lightbulb?"

** [[http://www.speakeasy.org/~mamandel/Cracks-and-Shards/swordjokes.txt This]] has a bunch more Dragaeran sword-sharpening jokes written by fans. The PlanetOfHats setting really lends to them.

* In an episode of ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', Ted has been given the job of choosing the brand of lightbulbs to be used for the GNB headquarters, and worries about what will happen if the one he chooses poorly.
-->'''Ted''': Do you know how many people it takes to change fifty thousand lightbulbs?!
-->'''Barney''': Are these people Irish? Polish? Blondes? What are we dealing with here?

* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' [[http://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1993/01/17 does this in the January 17, 1993 strip]] at a dog hating club.
-->'''Garfield:''' How many dogs does it take to screw in a light bulb? One...if you screw him in real tight!

* ''Radio/APrairieHomeCompanion'' put a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDqCMxre7Vk whole string of these together.]]

*** The question is never answered in canon, though it looks like the VILE perspective is [[http://carmensandiego.info/blogs/entry/How-many-ACME-agents-does-it-take-to-screw-in-a-light-bulb- "ALL OF THEM. Because that's what it would take for them to get the bulb back from Carmen after she's stolen it."]]

* Mitch Clem of ''Webcomic/NothingNiceToSay'' [[http://www.mitchclem.com/mystupidlife/97/ went self-referential]] in his journal comic.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'': One of [=SpongeBob=]'s racist jokes in "Squirrel Jokes": "How come it takes more than one squirrel to screw in a lightbulb? Because they're SO. DARN. STUPID!"
** Presumably a ShoutOut to ''Film/RaisingArizona''.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'', where Cyborg learns Tamaranian from Starfire, they exchange a joke about "how many does it take". All the rest of the words, as well as the pun, are left untranslated, so we can only wonder.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "Rainforest Schmainforest", the president of Costa Rica attempts to amuse a restless audience with such jokes as: "How many Polaks does it take to change a light bulb? [[CannotTellAJoke Two.]]"

* '''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'s'' [[Recap/AmphibiaS2E34TheDinner The Dinner]]" has Hop Pop try to lighten the mood at an awkward dinner by telling the joke "How many toads does it take to screw in a light mushroom?" (None, they prefer darkness and the smell of blood). The humans are mortified and Grime looks like he's about to slap Hop Pop, until he forces himself to laugh and everyone joins in.

Of course this joke shows up in fiction as well, and examples here should be limited to such. It's generally acknowledged as being a StockShtick, and thus usually a sign that the character doesn't know any better jokes. It's also a good candidate for an [[OrphanedPunchline Orphaned Feed Line]].

'''A''' One screws in the lightbulb, while nine others mark the ways he was similar to other [[UnEntendre lightbulb screwers]].

* ''Webcomic/{{Xkcd}}'' [[http://xkcd.com/841/ #841]]: How many audiophiles does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

* ''Machinima/SmashTasm'': "How many blondes does it take to screw in a light bulb? One, because gender stereotypes based on hair color are totally unfair and sexist." It's actually [[ItMakesSenseInContext funnier in context.]]

* The second movement of Music/PDQBach's choral cantata "Knock, Knock":

* ''Webcomic/{{XKCD}}'' [[http://xkcd.com/841/ #841]]: How many audiophiles does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

** One from ''[[Literature/JediAcademyTrilogy I, Jedi]]'' (Said by [[SelfDeprecation Corran Horn]]):
---> How many Corellians does it take to change a glowpanel?
---> None, it's easier to cheat at Sabacc in the dark.

* From "Unlikely Things To Hear In A Sci-Fi Movie" segment of ''Series/MockTheWeek''
-->'''Creator/EdByrne:''' How many [[Franchise/StarTrek Klingons]] does it take to screw in a lightbulb? - 10. One to change it and the other 9 to chastise him for performing such a menial task when he's a member of a [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy proud warrior race]].

* In the FilmOfTheBook of ''Film/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', one of the questions proposed to the ultimate answer of Life, Universe, and Everything (JustForFun/FortyTwo) is that "How many vogons does it take to screw in a lightbulb?"

* From Creator/LarryNiven's Literature/KnownSpace stories:

** Vlad also pulls one about [[strike:humans]] Easterners that probably counts as the FantasticRacism form of NWordPrivileges:

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''WebComic/DominicDeegan'' has Donovan crack one off to the orc shaman Thuen Gor: "How many Callanians does it take to install a lamp post? One - he sticks it in the ground [[ItsAllAboutMe and waits for the world to revolve around him]]."
* ''WebComic/IrregularWebcomic'' gives us the formulaic [[http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/1087.html lightbulb joke]].
* Mitch Clem of ''WebComic/NothingNiceToSay'' [[http://www.mitchclem.com/mystupidlife/97/ went self-referential]] in his journal comic.
* ''WebComic/CyanideAndHappiness'' has [[http://www.explosm.net/comics/1416/ its own]] variation.
* ''WebComic/{{XKCD}}'' [[http://xkcd.com/841/ #841]]: How many audiophiles does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

* ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan'': Spider-Man makes such a joke in "The Sinister Six".

* In one episode of WesternAnimation/TeenTitans, where Cyborg learns Tamaranian from Starfire, they exchange a joke about "how many does it take". All the rest of the words, as well as the pun, are left untranslated, so we can only wonder.

->''"Ten-- one to screw in the light bulb and nine to [[TropeName act in a manner stereotypical of their ethnicity]]."''

* ''WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons'': While trying to do a stand-up show, Eric asks how many dwarves are needed to change a light bulb. The answer is none because the dwarves can't reach the light bulb.

* In ''Film/TheAirUpThere'', the Wanabi are the subject of many jokes by the rest of Kenya, including a cow joke.
-->'''Q''': How many Wanabi does it take to milk a cow?\\

'''Q''': How many Wanabi does it take to milk a cow?\\

* In ''Earthgirl'' by Janet Edwards, lightbulb jokes are a bit of a rediscovered fad among archaeologists ever since one dug up a book of them in an old city.

* ''Machinima/SmashTasm'': "How many blondes does it take to screw in a light bulb? One, because gender stereotypes based on hair color are totally unfair and sexist." Ot's actuallt[[ItMakesSenseInContext funnier in context.]]

* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'':

* ''FanFic/InfightingInsanityAndSocialIneptitude'': Courtesy of Russel- How many [members] of [team] Yarrow does it take to screw in a lightbulb? All four. They can't touch anything without surrounding it first (for context- this is in the Vytal tournament, and the team in question had ganged up on [[CatGirl Blake]]).

* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' [[http://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1993/01/17 does this too]] at a dog hating club.

** Another strip also has this exchange: