Little Johnny jokes are about a small boy who naively poses questions and makes statements that are very embarrassing to his "grownup" listeners (such as parents and teachers), and has a very straightforward way of thinking. At times he is well educated in the terminology of sex, while at others he is all too innocent. The jokes may also include a female counterpart, typically named Susie.[citation needed]
Joke characters similar to Little Johnny are known in many countries.
The Italian character version of Little Johnny is "Pierino" (Little Peter), the child star of numerous jokes full of double meanings. The character became famous in Italy between the seventies and eighties, in the period of Italian zany and erotic comedy on cinema. Four movies about Pierino were made, all starring Alvaro Vitali.[citation needed]