So why DID the chicken cross the road? People are shocked to discover darker meaning behind old joke
- The joke first seen in 1847, in New York magazine Knickerbocker has a much darker meaning
It’s one of the oldest jokes out there, but do you really know the darker meaning behind the punchline?
Most of us will have probably uttered the famous line ‘why did the chicken cross the road?’
And many will have more than likely run up to somebody saying ‘to get to the other side’ – with childhood-like glee.
The joke first popped up in the New York magazine, Knickerbocker in 1847 and has been a staple of most playgrounds ever since.
But while we were giggling, did we really understand what the punchline meant?
The classic schoolyard joke about a chicken (as pictured in the stock image) was thought to be an anti joke, but Twitter users have come to a darker conclusion
Some users tweeted their shock as they found out that the ‘other side’ doesn’t mean the other side of the road, but the metaphorical ‘other side’ as in death
The general hunch was that the punchline was meant to be ironic – an anti-joke. The chicken crossed the road because he needed to get to the other side. Simply just that.
But we can’t maintain innocence forever, especially in with the dawn of the Internet and according to Twitter, the joke has a much darker meaning.
The chicken crossed the road to get to the ‘other side’. The ‘other side’ in question being the metaphorical one – death.
Many were left stunned and one commented: ‘I can’t believe this is how I find out what the ‘Why did the chicken cross the road’ joke actually means.’
Many tweeted how they were stunned it took them this long to find out what the seemingly innocent childhood joke actually meant
Not everyone is on the same wavelength, as some on the platform believe the joke is simply an anti joke, and this ‘new’ punchline is the result of over-analysing
Another said: ‘Is it bad I just now realized the punchline ‘to get to the other side’ in the joke why does the chicken cross the road? ‘Actually means the other side as in the after life?!?! #SuicidalChicken’
But not everyone is in agreement. Some feel, much like an English teacher that over analyses Curly’s wife’s lipstick in Of Mice and Men, we are looking to deeply into the joke.
One user chimed in: ‘No it’s not it’s actually an anti joke which means it’s a joke without a punchline so it literally means all the chicken did was cross the road. That’s it. ‘
While other want to remain in denial about the punchline and are opting for a more positive ending: ‘I refuse to believe this. He just wanted to explore his surroundings!!!!’
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