Many jokes are told about penniless musicians. One popular joke is:

Q: What’s the difference between a musician and a pizza?
A. A pizza can feed a family of four.

The joke has been cited in print since at least 1997 and is of unknown authorship. “What’s the difference between a writer and a park bench?"/"A park bench can support a family” is a similar type of riddle.


Google Groups: bit.listserv.bgrass-l
New Banjo Joke!
Maz...@aol.com
7/25/97
Please forgive the cross-posting. This is one of the best I’ve heard in a LONG time!
Q: What’s the difference between a banjo player and a large pizza?

A: The pizza can feed a family of four!

Google Groups: rec.music.makers.percussion
Music jokes
Chris
11/8/97
(...)
Here’s a few musician jokes. (If you’ve heard them before, I apologize)
The Director of a Jazz ensemble I play with told us this one recently:

Q: What is the difference between a Jazz Musician and a pizza?
A: A pizza can feed a family of four! (Ouch!)

26 January 1998, New York (NY) Times, “Swinging From Style To Style” by Peter Walrous, pg. E9, col. 1:
Mr. (Jay—ed.) Collins started the set with a joke: “What’s the difference between a large pizza and a jazz musician?” The answer: “A large pizza can feed a family of four.”

Google Groups: rec.music.makers.guitar.jazz
Musician Jokes
Stephen G. Carl
5/8/98
Vinyltap wrote:

> >What’s the difference between a musician and a pizza?
>
> On a pizza the crust is on the bottom.
> That’s my best guess...
The pizza can feed a family of four.

Google Groups: alt.music.yngwie
Here we go....
Hilton
4/11/99
More jokes from the peanut gallery....

What’s the difference between a large pizza and a musician?

A large pizza can feed a family of four!

Google Books
Guide to College Majors
By Princeton Review (Firm)
New York, NY: Random House
2006
Pg. 507:
Q: What’s the difference between a musician and a pizza pie? A: The pizza can feed a family of four.

Twitter
Tom Beardshaw
‏@tombeardshaw
The difference between an investment banker and a large pizza? Large pizza can feed a family of four. Credit Crunch jokes: http://is.gd/41Zi
3:31 AM - 14 Oct 08

Twitter
David Jackmanson
‏@djackmanson
Q: What’s the difference between a 14” pizza and a musician? A: A 14” pizza can feed a family of four. Via http://shenweb.blogspot.com/
7:16 AM - 13 Nov 08

Twitter
paul steele
‏@paul_steele
What’s the difference between a pizza and a drummer? .......... A pizza can feed a family of four (via @Wendywitwoo)
3:14 PM - 4 Jul 09

Google Books
The 2,548 Wittiest Things Anybody Ever Said
By Robert Byrne
New York, NY: Touchstone
2012
Pg. ?:
906
The difference between a teacher and a pizza is that the pizza can feed a family of four. —Mark Russell