Pull my finger

Pull my finger is a joke or prank regarding flatulence in which a mark is asked to pull the finger of the illusionist (or person playing the joke), who simultaneously flatulates so as to suggest a causal relationship between the pulling of the finger and the subsequent expulsion of gas. References in popular culture tend to treat "pull my finger" as a meme, saying the line but not showing the result, apparently on the assumption that the result is well known. The origin of the joke is unknown, but a comparable activity is referenced in a short story in Mordecai Richler's collection, "The Street" (1969), wherein Richler writes of a character: "He settled in sullenly at the kitchen table, his smile morose, and suddenly he would call out, 'Pull my finger!' If you did he let out a tremendous burp".

References in popular culture

* This joke is featured on "The Simpsons" in the Emmy-winning episode Lisa's Wedding. Homer repeatedly attempts to force Hugh (Lisa's fiancé) to pull his finger; nevertheless, Hugh never does and the joke is never actually shown.
* In the 1999 comedy film "Mystery Men", flatulence is the superpower of the character "The Spleen". He triggers this power by asking another person to "pull my finger".
* In 2006, Dairy Queen advertised a burger whose slogan was "it will make a man out of you." The commercial featured a woman who, after eating just one bite of the burger, promptly shifts to a sitting position like the man seated beside her, then dares him, "Pull my finger."
* The 2006 movie "Children of Men" has the character Jasper (Michael Caine) repeat this joke several times, even when he is in grave danger.
* The father of JD, the main character in the medical comedy series "Scrubs", uses the line, after which he says, "I pooed a little."
* This joke is featured many times on "South Park" (most specifically, Terrance and Phillip).
* This joke is featured in "Friends" when Monica casually refers to Chandler's teaching of this trick to her nephew, Ben.
* In the "Phil of the Future" episode "Happy Nird Day", Owen asks Keely to pull his finger for her birthday, with Phil commenting that everyone knows what's going to happen next. Instead, pulling Owen's finger resulted in a large birthday banner dropping and a surprise birthday party kicking off.
* MTV's "Beavis and Butt-head" are known for using this joke, and have sold many "Pull my Finger"-themed toys, posters, and stickers
* Bill Cosby ends his stand-up routine, "", with "Do you know my father's favorite game? 'Come here and pull my finger.'"
* In the video game, The Sims Bustin' Out, this is a feature of social interaction in the game.
* This joke was occasionally used in the cult television series Mystery Science Theater 3000, including episodes and Soultaker (film).
* The song "Three Little Words" by Da Vinci's Notebook is about the singer pleading for a woman to pull his finger.
*In "Personal Best", two female runners are bonding and Chris Cahill, played by Mariel Hemingway, points to her mentor Torry Skinner. When Torry says "What?" Chris says "I'm not pointing you goof, give it a tug." When Torry pulls her finger she breaks wind. That showing of Torry pulling Chris's finger is displayed again later in the film but the flatulence is not heard the second time.
* A commercial for Canadian Club whiskey shows various pairs of men from various countries including France, Japan and Australia, speaking to each other in various languages, with one man pointing at the other. They sound like they're having serious conversation, but towards the end of the commercial, one of the Australians (the only English-speakers in the commercial) says "Look, mate... I'm not going to pull your finger," implying that all the others were also doing a "pull my finger" prank.
* On an episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond" concerning parenting classes, the character Frank Barone jokingly explains that at grandparenting class, he was going to learn "Got Your Nose" and "Pull My Finger."
* Comedian and Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham's puppet Walter told a story about having his grandson pull his finger just as an earthquake hit and said his grandson is now afraid of him.
*On an episode of Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Russell Howard asks the girls in a line-up to pull his finger.
* In Howard Hawks' 1952 film "Monkey Business", Cary Grant's character Barnaby Fulton, under the influence of a youth drug, attempts the "pull my finger" prank on his young secretary Lois, played by Marilyn Monroe.
* Matt Lucas' Roy Oates in Catterick accidentally defecates upon having his finger pulled in one episode.
* In an episode of Family Guy, Lois's sister Carol has a baby, and immediately afterward Peter tells the boy to "pull his finger".
* In an episode of Two and a Half Men, when Alan and Charlie are talking about Jake the "simpleton" kid being the "chosen one", Jake goes "Hey guys, check this out. Pull my finger. Okay." He pulls his own finger and farts.