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[[quoteright:192:[[ComicStrip/{{Garfield}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/garfield_9.jpg]]]]

-> ''"Does a bear shit in the woods?"''

A rhetorical question used in place of "yes" when "yes" is the obvious answer to a given question. The standard form is "Is the sky blue?" with common variants including "Is the Pope Catholic?" or "Does a bear shit in the woods?". Bonus points if [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder someone then points out a relevant exception to the obvious statement]]. A deviant form is to mix two such questions while pretending the answer is still "yes", like "Are bears Catholic?" or "Does the Pope shit in the woods?"

Closely related to AskAStupidQuestion. The inversion is also common, with a question like "Are pigs capable of flying?" ([[CaptainObvious The answer to such questions is no.]] Both of these versions may be followed by [[CueTheFlyingPigs a surprising exception or counterexample]], but they don't have to be.)

----
!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Advertising]]
* A series of Advertising/{{Geico}} ads uses this.
-->'''[[Creator/MichaelMcGlone Spokesman]]:''' Could switching to Geico really save you 15% or more on car insurance?
** Does [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Elmer Fudd]] [[ElmuhFuddSyndwome have trouble]] [[http://youtu.be/1pBM6qhMnsw with the letter R?]]
** Did the little piggy cry "wee wee wee" all the way home?
** [[http://youtu.be/i-E0ArYhwc4 Can Charlie Daniels play a mean fiddle?]]
** Do woodchucks chuck wood?
** [[http://youtu.be/vWj6fh-IJ5Q Is a bird in the hand worth two in the bush?]]
** [[http://youtu.be/XfmVBmDKLZI Does]] [[Creator/RLeeErmey a]] former {{drill sergeant|Nasty}} make a terrible therapist?
** [[http://youtu.be/pVOlw6PIjBE Is having a snowball fight with pitching great Randy Johnson a bad idea?]]
** [[http://youtu.be/RPX2cQP8uoI Is Abe Lincoln honest?]]
** [[http://youtu.be/hPx_nMWvZd8 Does it take two to tango?]]
** [[http://youtu.be/jU3JH6jE7GY Do dogs chase cats?]]
** Is the pen mightier than the sword?
** [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Would Foghorn Leghorn]] [[http://youtu.be/QCXQWHzusb8 make a really bad book narrator?]]
** Does the buck stop here?
** Do people use smartphones to do really dumb things?
** They have done several radio commercials in this fashion as well:
*** "Is [[WithCatlikeTread sneaking out of a really boring meeting wearing tap shoes]] a bad idea?"
*** "Does a rolling stone gather no moss?" ("No moss. [[TakeOurWordForIt You'll just have to trust us on this one.]]")
*** "Do mimes make even less sense when you can't see them?"
*** "Does helium make opera sound less stuffy?"
*** "Can only dogs hear dog whistles?"
*** "If a tree falls in the woods when nobody is around, does it still make a noise?"
*** "Can you find ''anything'' on the Internet?"
*** "Is texting getting out of hand?"
** ''WebVideo/TheAnnoyingOrange'' spoof has "Are oranges annoying?"
* A Capital One commercial subverted this: the HermitGuru, when asked if the Capital One app is free, asks "Do hawks use the stars to navigate?" It turns out he doesn't actually know the answer and was hoping someone else would.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* In one ''ComicBook/ArchieComics'' story, Jughead asks Reggie if he likes money. Reggie replies, "Is there snow at the North Pole?"
* In [[Comicbook/SupermanVsTheAmazingSpiderMan the first]] ComicBook/SpiderMan–ComicBook/{{Superman}} IntercontinuityCrossover, when Superman leaves the fight against Doctor Octopus to stop a tsunami, he asks Spider-Man if he can handle things there. Spidey, snarky as ever, replies "Do [[Creator/WarnerBros Warner Brothers]] make films?" (which in a huge in-joke, had been a sister company of DC Comics for four years)
* ''ComicBook/AllStarSquadron'': In Issue #16, ComicBook/WonderWoman asks the All-Star Squadron if they know Nuclear and a squadron member asks "Does Max Schmeling know Joe Louis?".
* ''ComicBook/TheSupermanAdventures'':
** In the ''Superman vs. Lobo'' special, an alien pleads for Lobo to spare his life by promising to tell the Main Man where he'll find something valuable. The alien asks if Lobo wants a fortune and Lobo replies with "Does a black hole suck?"
** In Issue #53, the preview for the next issue ends with two questions: Think he's [Luthor's] got another plan? Think water is wet?
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* In the comic strip ''ComicStrip/NancyAndSluggo'', Nancy is inquiring whether Hugo finds her pretty. He responds with, "Does a leopard have spots?" She takes it as a yes; turns out he was doing biology homework.
* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'':
** In an early strip, Jon asks Garfield, "Did you ever think you could win a cat show?" Garfield responds, "Does a baby go goo?"
** [[http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ga/2015/ga150418.gif This]] strip had Arlene ask Garfield if he thinks she's getting fat, to which Garfield responds "Do you think I'm getting stupid?" [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] afterwards, when Arlene tells Garfield, "You answer me first", with Garfield telling her, "I did".
** In [[https://www.gocomics.com/garfield/2015/12/11 this strip]], Garfield has a "Christmas nightmare" where Santa's "naughty list" visits him. He asks if he's on it, and it says, "Does an elf eat candy canes for breakfast?"
** [[http://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1987/03/23 Jon gets these responses from Bertha and Garfield]].
--->'''Jon:''' Ready for dinner, Bertha?\\
'''Bertha:''' Is the sky blue?\\
'''Garfield:''' Do cats hate dogs?
** [[http://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1988/10/30 This strip]].
--->'''Jon:''' Hungry, Garfield?\\
'''Garfield:''' Is Odie stupid?
** [[http://www.gocomics.com/garfield/1993/01/11 Garfield's response when Jon asks if they should get a new refrigerator]] is "Do you think air will catch on as a breathing medium?".
* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' had a cartoon in which one bear asks another: "Is the Pope catholic? Does a bear... well I know you do, Angelo."
* A ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' strip has the "no" variant: When Franklin first arrives in Charlie Brown's neighbourhood, he mistakes Lucy's psychiatric booth for the lemonade stand it's a parody of. When she explains, he asks if she's a real doctor, and she replies "Was the lemonade ever any good?"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11171295/8/Sometimes-Bad-is-Good Sometimes Bad is Good]]'' Harry has a vision of Tonks and Remus' future.
-->'''Tonks:''' Tell me something, Harry. Will Teddy and my baby girl like each other?\\
'''Harry:''' Is Snape a git?
* In ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/6040678/chapters/13894378 The Angel, My Consort]]'' Tom and Lucius discuss Tom's meeting with and attraction to Harry.
-->'''Lucius:''' Hmmm... Is he beautiful?\\
'''Tom:''' Are my [[RedEyesTakeWarning eyes red]]?
* ''[[http://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-601-42/DragonKitty+A+Murderer+s+Daughter.htm A Murderer's Daughter]]'':
-->'''Draco:''' Are you training tonight?\\
'''Buffy:''' Is Quidditch the best game in the world?\\
'''Draco:''' Yeah.\\
'''Buffy:''' That's your answer.
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11567521/4/Is-Your-Great-Aunt-an-AI Is Your Great-Aunt an AI?]]'':
-->'''Dumbledore:''' So, are you willing to come to Hogwarts, Harry?\\
'''Harry:''' Does Merlin have a big staff?
* In ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/8462437/chapters/26004327 This Gonna Be Good]]'' Harriet plans to visit Neville's home in time to catch the anticipated altercation between his mother and grandmother.
-->'''Fred:''' Which you surely won't egg on.\\
'''Harriet:''' Would I do that?\\
'''George:''' Is a Malfoy's hair blond?
* ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/2549801/chapters/6046877 The Stark Truth]]'':
-->'''Harry:''' How about I go make us some lunch? Do you like turkey sandwiches?\\
'''Tony:''' Is mother's favorite color green?
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10570619/28/Changing-Times Changing Times]]'':
-->'''Tech:''' Oh, love, are you challenging me?\\
'''Faith:''' Would I do that?\\
'''Tech:''' Does a vampire dust in the sun?
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12501270/8/Soul-Scars Soul Scars]]'':
-->'''Amelia:''' About your living conditions... I don't want to pry if you don't want to talk about it. I ''have'' to conduct an investigation since it was brought to my office's attention but I can't force you to cooperate if you really don't want to. But I do have one question. Do you want to continue living there?\\
'''Harry:''' Is the Sahara desert actually a rain forest?
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5074951/4/Return-to-Prince-Manor Return to Prince Manor]]'':
-->'''Phil:''' My nose is a bit sharper than yours, Smidgen. I can smell fear and a desire for revenge coming from this student--students, actually for there was more than one.\\
'''Smidgen:''' ''Can you hunt him down?''\\
'''Phil:''' Does a bear love honey?
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6990881/2/Harry-Potter-and-the-Alternative-Tournament Harry Potter and the Alternative Tournament]]'':
-->'''Harry:''' And how is dear old Ronnikins? Still being a prat?\\
'''Neville:''' Is water still wet?\\
'''Harry:''' Hmm. Hermione?\\
'''Neville:''' Sky still blue?
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10915237/1/Lost-Christmas Lost Christmas]]'':
-->'''Voldemort:''' Yes, I will bond with you. Now, I need a shower, are you joining me?\\
'''Harry:''' Does Nagini torment Navira?
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3380510/1/Not-Your-Average-Discussion Not Your Average Discussion]]'':
-->'''Harry:''' Can you brew it?\\
'''Snape:''' Does a phoenix sing?
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13218646/20/Who-Is-Harry-Potter Who Is Harry Potter?]]'':
-->'''Ron:''' I bet Snape is dark.\\
'''Seamus:''' Duh, does the sun rise in the east?
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11651617/2/A-Tale-of-a-Tail A Tale of a Tail]]'':
-->'''Dominic:''' So, to sum it up: conservative, but not stuffy. Athletic wear included. Magical and muggle wardrobe for all seasons from the tips of your toes to the crown of your head. N'est ce pas?\\
'''Harry:''' Sure. Say, do your clothes come with magic?\\
'''Dominic:''' Do our clothes come with magic, he asks. Do ducks quack? Do chaps chafe? Of Course they come with magic! I would suggest growth charms, comfort charms, durability charms, and anti-theft enchantments. Those are the usual.
* ''Fanfic/TwilightGetsAPuppy, [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/510322/36/twilight-gets-a-puppy-season-6/dungeons-and-discords-and-dragons-and-daggers-and-diners-and-death-traps-and-dives-and-dice-and-part-2Season 6]]'', [[ThatCameOutWrong accidentally walked into]]:
-->“Alright lets see. So .. I try to use my drudic powers to see if there are any fish in the sea.” Starlight offered.\\
There was a moment of silence as every one stared at her.\\
“What?” Starlight blinked. “ I can't use that to see if this is a good fishing spot?”
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet'':
-->'''Mr. Arrow:''' We're about to get under way. Would you like to observe the launch, Doctor?\\
'''Doctor Doppler:''' Would I? Does an active galactic nucleus have superluminal jets?\\
''[{{beat}}]''\\
'''Doctor Doppler:''' ''[sheepishly]'' I'll follow you.
* In ''WesternAnimation/Cars2'', when Finn asks if Hugos and Trunkovs are considered [[TheAllegedCar lemons]], Mater replies "Is the Popemobile Catholic?" (We later see said Popemobile).
* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerbStarWars'': At the Death Star, one worker asks if the other wants donuts and the other asks if Darth Vader wears a funny hat.
-->"Dude!"
* ''WesternAnimation/SupermanBatmanPublicEnemies'': When Superman asks Toyman if the HumongousMecha he built is up to the job of stopping an incoming asteroid, Toyman responds, "Does ComicBook/PowerGirl [[MostCommonSuperPower have big--]]" before Batman cuts him off.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/GhostbustersII'':
-->'''Ray:''' You think there's a connection between this Vigo character and the... slime?\\
'''Egon:''' Is the atomic weight of cobalt 58.9?
* In ''Film/FreeWilly'', the owner of the park asks Jesse if he can have Willy ready to perform? He replies, "Do dogs pee on brick walls?"
* ''Film/GuestHouseParadiso'':
-->'''Eddie:''' Is the Pope a catholic?\\
'''Richie:''' Yes.\\
'''Eddie:''' Is he? I never knew that.
* In ''Film/TheFlintstones'' film, Fred answers a question (affirmatively) with, "Is the world flat?" (Yet the opening musical number has the drive-in film they're about to watch [[LogoJoke opening with a version of]] Ride/UniversalStudios' round earth.)
* ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIITheSecretOfTheOoze'':
-->'''Leo:''' You sure this will work?\\
'''Mike:''' Is, like, "Schwarzenegger" hard to spell?\\
''[{{beat}}]''\\
'''Mike:''' Yeah.
* From ''Film/TheUsualSuspects'':
-->'''Agent Kujan:''' You know a dealer named Ruby Deamer?\\
'''Verbal Kint:''' You know a religious guy named John Paul?
* In ''Film/TheBigLebowski'', the two most common American versions of this are combined by The Dude to make [[RefugeInAudacity "Does the Pope shit in the woods?"]]
* The hardware store owner in ''Film/ErnestScaredStupid'' had ''loads'' of these, using them in commercials to promote his store.
* In ''Film/TheSmurfs''...
-->'''Patrick:''' You guys drink coffee?\\
'''Papa Smurf:''' Is a smurf's butt blue?
* ''Film/LittleGiants'': When Becky asks Kevin if his daughter likes Junior, Kevin asks if [[ComicBook/ArchieComics Veronica likes Archie]].
* ''Film/SpiceWorld:'' Geri replies to an interviewer asking if she likes boys with "Is the Pope Catholic?". An unscrupulous tabloid reporter overhears it and [[QuoteMining publishes it out of context]] to create a minor scandal that the Music/SpiceGirls are casting doubt on the Pontiff's faith.
* In ''Film/TheAirUpThere'', Jimmy asks Saleh if his brother Halawi can play basketball. Saleh replies, "Does a zebra have stripes?"
* ''Film/TroubleMan'': When T asks his pool opponent if he can afford a $500 bet, his opponent replies, "Is an elephant heavy?"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** The HoldYourHippogriffs versions are "Is the High Priest an Offlerian?" and "Does a swamp dragon explode in the woods?"
** Susan uses "Does a bear poo in the woods?" in ''Literature/ThiefOfTime'', with a footnote explaining that [[NotInFrontOfTheKid that's what teaching primary school does to you]]. Unfortunately, she asks a former Auditor, who are very LiteralMinded, and [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder the conversation gets briefly derailed]].
* Creator/GregoryBenford's ''Literature/FoundationsFear'': In "The Eternal Equations", when Marq asks if Seldon and Amaryl really have the money that he's demanding, Yugo responds with the self-evident question, "Is the Emperor fat?" (which is [[AdiposeRex true]] for this novel).
* ''[[Literature/NurseryCrime The Fourth Bear]]'' has "Do I shit in the woods?" (said by a bear, naturally).
* Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse:
** In the ''Series/DoctorWho''-''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' crossover ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoNewAdventuresAllConsumingFire All-Consuming Fire]]'', Ace says, "Does the pope wear a funny hat?" Watson, who met the pope earlier in the story, replies, "[[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder Not the last time I saw him]]."
** In the Shakespearian ScriptFic short story "The Trials of Tara" by Creator/PaulCornell, one Taran uses "Is the Archimandrite's hat not silly?" As viewers of "The Androids of Tara" will know, [[https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Archimandrite yes, it is]].
* In ''Literature/TheSavannahReidMysteries'':
** Savannah asks her friend Dirk if he wants some ice cream. He begins with "[[CurseCutShort Do bears sh-]]" and Savannah cuts him off, explaining that [[NotInFrontOfTheKid there's a minor in the house]].
** When asked if she wants to join Dirk in questioning people in the interrogation room, Savannah's response is, "Does Victoria's Secret have fancy bloomers?"
* ''Literature/{{Redwall}}''
** In ''Martin the Warrior'', Brome asks Felldoh if he'd like some cordial. Felldoh replies, "Does a fish like water?"
** In another, someone questions whether a [[BigEater Salamandastron hare]] is still hungry. His badger friend asks if night follows day.
* Marco from ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' has his own, whenever he's asked if he can do something: "Can King Kong climb?" He turns into a gorilla.
* In the first ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' book, when watching a tape, Root asks Foaly whether he can zoom in on Artemis' face. Foaly responds, "Can a dwarf steal the web from under a spider?" Root replies yes, and Foaly tells him that it was a rhetorical question.
** A RunningGag throughout the series is characters using the question, "Can a dwarf blow a hole in his pants?" for this trope.
* In ''Literature/ThisBoysLife'', Tobias Wolff uses the variants "Is a bear Catholic?" and "Does the Pope shit in the woods?"
* ''Literature/SamTheCatDetective'': When Sam asks if a fence named Cheater is still in business, his friend Tom replies “Is water still wet?”
* In ''Literature/LilyAndDunkin'', Lily asks Dre if she's going trick or treating this year. Dare says, "Does a dog sniff another dog's butt to say hello?"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/{{Friends}}'':
** In one episode, one of Ross' girlfriends (Cheryl) asks him whether he'd like to come in, and he replies, "Did ''Homo erectus'' hunt with wooden tools?"
** In another episode, Chandler is asked by a collegue whether he wants a cigarette. He responds: "Would [[BigEater Joey]] like two pizzas?" She doesn't get it, since she never met Joey.
** And in another episode Phoebe is asked if her two boyfriends know about each other.
--->'''Phoebe:''' Does a dog's lips move when he reads?
** In the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQFFyKthv_s DVD version]] of "The One With the Cheap Wedding Dress", Ross and Joey scare off the woman they're competing over by revealing each other's embarrassing secrets. Not wanting to waste the restaurant table, Ross asks Joey if he's hungry and Joey replies with "does a bear shit in the woods?"
* In ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'', J.D. answers a question with this:
-->'''J.D.:''' Do chickens wish they could fly?\\
'''Kevin Casey:''' I don't know.\\
'''J.D.:''' Oh, I like to think that they do.
* [[{{Malaproper}} Kelly]] in ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' mixes up the two most frequent examples, saying: "Is a bear Catholic?"
* ''Series/RedDwarf''
** At the disco in the episode "Parallel Universe":
--->'''Dog''': You want to dance? Boy, I tell you, when I hit the dance floor, I am one mean turkey! Do you dance? \\
'''Cat''': Do I dance? Does Creator/CarmenMiranda wear fruit?
** In the episode "Emohawk", when Starbug is on fire and Lister spots a planet with an ocean:
--->'''Lister:''' Can you get us there?\\
'''Cat:''' Does mouse shit roll?
* ''Series/{{Veep}}'': In the first episode of Season 4, Mike asks Sue if the President is free for a meeting with him. Sue's response is less than cordial.
-->"Can mice levitate, Mike? Can mice levitate and fire lasers out of their mouse eyes? Well then we've just asked each other equally ridiculous questions."
* In ''Series/WillAndGrace'': "Does a gay bear have anonymous sex in the woods?"
* In ''Series/TrailerParkBoys'', when Randy asks whether Bubbles' model rocket will really launch, Bubbles responds, "Does the tin man have a sheet metal cock?"
* In ''Series/AccordingToJim'', Jim uses "is the Pope Catholic" when his daughters ask if he can do a headstand. He has to explain that the Pope ''is'' Catholic, so that means yes.
* In ''Series/TheMiddleman'', comic geek Wendy Watson responds "Does ComicBook/UsagiYojimbo kick ass?"
* In ''Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'', in one episode, a teacher asks Cody if he's a bird watcher too. Cody responds with something like, "Do hummingbirds consume their own body weight in nectar every x number of hours?"
* ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley'' has a scene where Jim reveals that he's written to the Pope and asked him to make Geraldine a saint.
-->'''Geraldine:''' The only problem is the Catholic issue.\\
'''Jim:''' [[SincerityMode Is the Pope Catholic?]]\\
'''Geraldine:''' ...Yes, that's the problem. And I'm not.\\
'''Jim:''' ''You're not''?\\
'''Geraldine:''' No, Jim, none of us are!\\
'''Hugo:''' We're Church of England, Jim.\\
'''Jim:''' Since when?\\
'''Geraldine:''' Since 1534.\\
'''Jim:''' Well, you learn something new every day.
* Played with in ''Series/TheYoungOnes'' in a cutaway featuring two dim-witted policemen:
-->'''Policeman 1:''' We had a row, and I said something about the Pope.\\
'''Policeman 2:''' That's a bit stupid, you know she's Catholic.\\
'''Policeman 1:''' Yeah, I know she's Catholic; I didn't know the Pope was.
* In an episode of British cop show spoof ''Lazarus and Dingwall'', when the titular officers (played by the same actors as in the ''Young Ones'' example above) attempt to question an unco-operative film director:
-->'''Director:''' Does a bear shit in the woods?\\
'''Lazarus:''' ''[clearly uncomfortable with this question]'' Well... If he can get to them in time he does. But if those woods are more than a fifty-yard bus ride away, forget it! He'd do it ''right where he was standing!''
* From the premiere of ''Series/{{Moonlighting}},'' Addison once says "Do fish swim? Do birds fly? Do ducks duck?"
* In the ''Series/{{Atlantis}}'' episode "Song of the Sirens".
-->'''Pythagoras:''' Are you sure this is a good idea?\\
'''Jason:''' Are the gods Greek?\\
'''Pythagoras:''' [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder Well, they have a variety of complex roots...]]
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': Played with. Frank has some interesting notions on what is or isn't obviously true.
-->'''Dean:''' Think you can crack it?\\
'''Frank:''' Can a dog play poker?\\
'''Dean:''' ...I don't--\\
'''Frank:''' ''[exasperated]'' The answer is "yes."
* ''Series/TheDailyShow'' played on the familiarity of two such questions with, "Does the Pope shit in the woods?"
* ''Series/MorkAndMindy'' had two variants, probably ad-libbed by Creator/RobinWilliams:
-->Is the Pope Polish? (At the time, the Pope was St. John Paul II.)
-->Does a bear take a Readers' Digest into the woods?
* In ''Series/TheLibrarians2014'' "...And the Trial of the Triangle", Ezekiel attempts one of these. Unfortunately, he is ''very'' Australian, and nobody else is:
-->'''Eve''': Ezekiel, can you jam the x-ray long enough to get the duffel through the conveyer undetected?
-->'''Ezekiel''': Does a wombat's crumby come out cubed?
-->'''Eve''': I have ''no'' idea.
-->'''Ezekiel''': It does.
* On ''Series/IZombie'', Liv annoys the resident computer expert when he just wants to take a nap.
-->'''Liv:''' Stevedore, can you hack a dead teenager's social media account?\\
'''Steve:''' Can a thing that's known for doing a thing do that very thing?
* ''Series/{{Beetleborgs}}'': Early in episode 2 ("Metallix Rising") of the ''Metallix'' season, Bunny Bodel has hurt her leg after she tried to stop and interview a herd of prisoners ''as they were escaping Charterville Prison'', who ignored her request and ran over her on their way out. Bodel is initially unwilling to leave and get medical treatment, resulting in this exchange:
-->'''Bunny''': Somebody's got to get this story out.
-->'''Nano Wiliams''': Well [[MetaphorIsMyMiddleName "somebody" is my middle name.]]
-->'''Bunny''': ''This'' is the story of the century. Do you think you think you can handle it?
-->'''Nano Williams''': Does a bear have hair on his backside? Give me that microphone.
-->''A resigned Bunny lets her have it and then limps off with Abby's help.''
* On ''Series/{{QI}}'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMf4OtC7SXY it was noted]] that while the head of the Catholic church [[TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard has many official titles]], "Pope" is not one of them. However, the head of the Coptic church is officially called "Pope", so the Pope is ''not'' Catholic.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* On Music/FrankZappa's ''Music/{{ThingFish}}'' during the track "The Massive Improve'lence" Thing-Fish mixes two well known questions like this into this funny line:
-->''Whoa, do the Pope shit in the woods?''
* ''Carter USM'', "Is Wrestling Fixed?"
-->''Am I un-H-A-P-P-Y? Does a newborn baby cry?\\
Did Elvis really die? Did Little Red Riding wear a hood? Did the Three Bears shit in the wood?\\
Is Humpty Dumpty fat? Does the Pope wear funny hats?\\
Is wrestling fixed?''
* A classic subversion: Thomas Dolby's song "Airhead" from the album ''Aliens Ate My Buick'' has this lyric:
-->"You ask me if I love you[=/=]Does the pope live in the woods?"
* The Music/ColePorter song "Do I Love You?"
* Music/InsaneClownPosse has this verse from "Boogie Woogie Wu":
-->''"Does the boogeyman really exist?"\\
Weeeeell, [[YourMom is your mother a bald-headed freak bitch?]]\\
Yes! You fall asleep and wake up dead\\
With a broken broom stickin' out ya forehead!''
* The Creator/RowanAtkinson - Music/KateBush song "Do Bears...?" has a chorus that is made up entirely of these, although as the song progresses it starts to include questions like "Is the Bible fiction? Is 'true love' a contradiction?"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Radio]]
* ''Radio/LuxRadioTheatre'': In a 1937 show, host Creator/CecilBDeMille interviews Creator/WaltDisney on the eve of the premiere of [[WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs his first feature-length film]], and Walt gives such a response to a question about resting on his laurels.
-->'''[=DeMille=]:''' And I suppose, after ''Snow White'' is successfully launched, you'll sit back and take it easy for a while.
-->'''Disney:''' Are ''you'' going to stop work after ''The Buccaneer''?
-->'''[=DeMille=]:''' Hah, I haven't ''begun'' to work yet.
-->'''Disney:''' Well, we won't stop either. It's just the beginning for us. We're going to make more feature-length animated productions, and try to make use of all that we've learned in the three years required to produce ''Snow White''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* In ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'', Clan colloquialisms include "quiaff" and "quineg", put at the end of rhetorical questions with obvious answers that are yes or no, respectively.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theatre]]
* From one of Rick Mayall and Adrian Edmonson's ''Series/{{Bottom}}'' stage shows:
-->'''Richie:''' Oh, Eddie. Does my breath smell? ''[breathes in Eddie's face]''\\
'''Eddie:''' ...Does the Pope shit in the woods?\\
'''Richie:''' I don't know, why?\\
'''Eddie:''' Because it smells like he's shat in your mouth.
* From ''Nunsense 2''. Sisters Regina and Hubert accidentally drink some sake and start getting tipsy.
-->'''Hubert:''' I'm starting to feel a little dizzy. How about you?\\
'''Regina:''' I feel divine. ''[takes a swig]''\\
'''Hubert:''' Are you sure?\\
'''Regina:''' Am I sure? Is the bear Catholic? Does the pope poop in the woods?
* ''Critic's Choice'' by Creator/IraLevin ends a long argument between Parker and his mother-in-law with this:
-->'''Parker:''' I do not believe that Angie slept with Dion, and I do not believe that she'll run off with him if I review her play truthfully.\\
'''Charlotte:''' ''(A long sigh)'' All right, we'll change the subject. Let's talk about--geography. Tell me, Parker, how do you ''know'' the world is flat?
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'', CJ has a tendancy to reply to Cesar Vialpando with, [[MixedMetaphor "Does the Pope shit in the woods?"]] whenever Cesar asks him if he was interested in making money by car racing. Confusion ensues.
-->'''Cesar:''' Why you keep asking me that, homes? I told you, I dunno. Where his Holiness does his business, ''is'' his business.
* The answer to "Is the Pope Catholic?" occasionally gets subverted in ''VideoGame/EuropaUniversalis''' {{After Action Report}}s. HilarityEnsues.
* From ''VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland'', when Guybrush Threepwood asks Moose about his ichor drinking habit.
-->'''Guybrush:''' You actually like this stuff?\\
'''Moose:''' Do walrus whiskers tickle you when they kiss ya?\\
'''Guybrush:''' Boy, do they.
* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsOnline'', when you ask Faraniel if her clan will kill anyone who "trespasses":
-->'''Faraniel:''' Does a fuzzy newt-goat have seven toes? Don't look at me like that! It's a perfectly appropriate analogy.
* In ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'', when you ask if [[CoolOldGuy Nakmor]] [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Drack]] has any combat advice or stories to tell:
-->'''Drack:''' Does a [[AlienAnimals pyjak]] scratch its butt?
* In ''Farmington Tales 2: Winter Crop'' Kaylee asks Harry if he knows anything about farming.
-->'''Harry:''' Is the sky blue? Is a red-eyed tree frog hard to catch?
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'': In a rare negative example comes this exchange from the WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail "part-time job":
-->'''Strong Bad:''' Uhh... say, Bubs. I'm gonna need now off. Is that cool?\\
'''Bubs:''' Is [[ButtMonkey Strong Sad]] cool?
* [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation Yahtzee]] has a little fun with this sometimes.
--> '''''E.T.''''' '''review:''' Well, you tell me: Do modern game companies ever overspend on overhyped games that disappoint the buying public? And how's the bear-shitting-in-the-woods index these days?[[note]] '''Bear:''' Output's up [[/note]]
--> '''''[=BioShock=] Infinite''''' '''review:''' Comparisons to VideoGame/BioShock are as inevitable as a bear shitting on a Catholic, or however that phrase goes...
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* Discussed in [[http://exterminatusnow.comicgenesis.com/d/20071013.html this]] ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow'' strip.
* Leo in ''Webcomic/{{Shortpacked}}'' had a thing of mixing sincere reasonableness with occasional reminders that "Oh, yeah, the guy's also a Protestant Fundamentalist, it's easy to forget when he's not actually talking about that." On one occasion the reminder was that his version of this was "Is the Pope the Antichrist?"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** A newly smart Homer uses "Is the capital of North Dakota, Bismarck?" in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS12E9HOMR HOMЯ]]". The entire family turned blankly to Lisa, who told them yes, it was.
** In the episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS19E7HusbandsAndKnives Husbands and Knives]]", in which Bart is so impressed that Springfield's new comic book store owner (voiced by Creator/JackBlack) actually cared about his opinion that he asked if the guy was serious; he answers, "Does ComicBook/{{Galactus}} [[PlanetEater eat planets?]]"
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', the favored variant is, "Is the Space-Pope [[ReptilianConspiracy reptilian]]?"[[note]]He is, incidentally.[[/note]]
* ''WesternAnimation/ClassOf3000'' had an episode that used this as a running gag. One memorable instance involves Madison asking Sunny a question, only to have Sunny respond with "Is my shoe closet visible from space?" (Which it is.)
* On ''WesternAnimation/AngelaAnaconda'', Angela asks Nicky if he's serious about them being cast in the Abatti's Pizza commercial. He replies, "Hey, is the Pope Italian?" Gina, of course, corrects him (then-Pope John Paul II was Polish[[note]]in fact, there hasn't been an Italian Pope since 1978, when John Paul I died one month into his Popedom[[/note]]).
* In ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'':
** Stan's grandpa uses the "Does the pope crap in the woods?" variant.
** And Cartman's version: "Is the Pope Catholic? And making the world safe for [[PedophilePriest pedophiles]]?"
* In ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'':
-->'''Candace:''' Rubber ducks? Are you serious?\\
'''Captain Kidd:''' Does a penguin fly?\\
'''Candace:''' No.\\
''[{{beat}}]''\\
'''Captain Kidd:''' I'm tired of this conversation.
** In "Happy New Year" Linda answers Lawrence's question with, "Do one legged ducks swim in circles?"
** The song at the end of "Wizard Of Odd" ends with a bear behind a tree saying, "Yes, yes I do".
* ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'': One episode has a RunningGag where Sonic answers questions with "Is grass green? Is water wet? Do bears hibernate?". In one instance, Sonic was cut off just before the word "hibernate", implying he was going to say "do bears shit in the woods" instead.
* In ''WesternAnimation/Sealab2021'', two executives from Grizzlebees combine the two most common variants in a very uncommon way
-->'''Dan:''' Can you drive this thing?\\
'''Don:''' Does a bear shit in the Pope's hat?\\
''[{{beat}}]''\\
'''Dan:''' Umm, yes?
* From the ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero'' episode "The Synthoid Conspiracy (Part 1)"
-->'''Scarlet:''' Shipwreck, those Cobra Morays are too close to our ships. Can you sink one for me?\\
'''Shipwreck:''' Does ComicStrip/{{Popeye}} like spinach?
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLooneyTunesShow'', after Lola skims a driving test guidebook, Bugs asks if she's really ready for the test. She answers, "[[TheDitz Does a red light mean 'go'?]]"
* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'':
-->'''Max:''' Do you think there's a connection?\\
'''Terry:''' Is [[Franchise/StarWars Jar-Jar]] [[TakeThat lame?]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Chowder}}'':
-->'''Chowder:''' You know a lot about women, right?\\
'''Mung Daal:''' Is a frozen forbinplam purple?\\
'''Chowder:''' ...\\
'''Mung Daal:''' Yes. Yes, I do.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'' episode "[[SuperheroEpisode Power Squid and Spaghetti Beezy]]", Jimmy attempts to use "Do penguins love meatballs?" as this several times, but every time the person he's talking to has no idea what he means. [[spoiler:[[ChekhovsGun It turns out they do]], by the way.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'', when asked if she's ready to fight alongside the X-Men, Jubilee answered, "Does a mall babe eat chili fries?"
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'' when Lincoln tries to act like an adult, Clyde teaches him the dinner table joke "Does [[UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte Napoleon]] have a Napoleon complex?". Neither of them get it.
* ''WesternAnimation/ShimmerAndShine'': In one episode, Shimmer responds to a question by asking if [[ItMakesSenseInContext a dragon can dance the hula]]. By her own admission, [[SubvertedTrope even she doesn't know]].
* In ''Westernanimation/Phantom2040'', when they have to fly a scramjet to Antarctica, Professor Archer asks Sparks if he's ever flown one before; Sparks answers "Does a neutrino have mass?" (At the time the episode was made, it was believed that neutrinos were massless).
* This exchange happens in the ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' episode "[[Recap/RickAndMortyS2E5GetSchwifty Get Schwifty]]". [[spoiler:As it turns out, the president can fly a Blackhawk, but poorly.]]
-->'''Morty:''' Can you fly a Blackhawk?\\
'''President:''' Can the pope's dick fit through a doughnut?\\
'''Morty:''' I'm, uh... not sure?\\
'''President:''' Precisely!
* ''WesternAnimation/PopeyeAndSon'': When Junior asks if Poopdeck Pappy would like to tell his classmates about past Popeyes, Pappy asks if an octopus has eight legs.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' gives us "Does a [[MixAndMatchCritters platypus-bear]] poop in the--" from Prince Wu, before he gets cut off.
* ''WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst'': In "The Great Pretender", Sofia asks Clover to be her animal helper and learns, to her surprise, that her other animal friends also want the position.
-->'''Robin:''' Does a bee make honey?\\
'''Mia:''' Does a duck quack?
* Zig-zag: WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw is asked if he can take on an assignment, to which he replies (in typical Quick Draw syntax) "Does a swim fish?"
* ''WesternAnimation/GlitchTechs'': Miko asks Five "Do salamanders love seaweed?" His confused reaction only serves to make her feel more isolated. When she meets fellow weirdo Ripley and asks the same question, she gets the response "Only when it's raining!" which seems to be the answer she wanted. Later, Five tells her he did some research and salamanders are herbivores, so they actually ''don't'' like seaweed.
* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyBravo'': "A Johnny Bravo Christmas" has Johnny ask a man if he can fly him and Suzy to the North Pole. The man replies "Do birds go poo on cars?"
* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2021'': When Duncan asks if Teela's had any luck with her tracking spell to locate the villains, she asks back, "Do tigers lay eggs?" Duncan then ponders on the question, since he didn't know tigers could [[TalkingAnimal talk]] before meeting Cringer, but Teela curtly tells him, [[BluntYes "Tigers don't lay eggs."]]
* ''WesternAnimation/SevenLittleMonsters'': In the episode "The Nose Knows", Three tries to help Two hide his nose when Two starts feeling bad about how huge and long his nose is. After the first attempt at covering up Two's nose by camouflaging it to look like a tree branch, Two asks his brother if he's sure this will work and Three answers "Do crocodiles have teeth?"
[[/folder]]
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->''[[NoMeansYes No]].''
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