Can a light bulb turn on in your mouth like Uncle Fester did in The Addams Family?

No, a light bulb can’t turn on in your mouth like Uncle Fester did in The Addams Family unless you’re electrically charged.

That, of course, would require having enough electricity running through you to electrocute you. Uncle Fester’s lit-up bulb was just a stage trick for the show.

You can, however, make a light bulb glow without screwing it into a socket. Here’s how:

Get a fluorescent light bulb—any kind will work, but the more surface area, the better the results. Put on a nice, fluffy wool sweater, or find an incredibly good-natured cat.

Quickly and forcefully rub the fluorescent bulb all over the wool sweater, or cat. The small amount of static electricity generated is enough to excite some of the gas molecules on the inside of the bulb.

Find the Fester within, and watch it glow in an eerie way.