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| {{Short description|Prop used in stand-up comedy}} | |||
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| {{Refimprove |date = August 2011}} | |||
| ] holding a rubber chicken in sweatpants (as in the ] "looser than a rubber chicken in sweatpants").]] | |||
| A '''rubber chicken''' is a popular ] and ] comedy prop, sometimes used by ] to hit people with. They are also sometimes used by ] in place of clubs. The origins of the rubber chicken are obscure. | |||
| ] | |||
| ⚫ | One account attributes |
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| A '''rubber chicken''' is a ] used in ]. The phrase is also used as a description for food served at speeches, conventions, and other large meetings, and as a metaphor for speechmaking.{{cn|date=April 2011}} | |||
| ==Description== | |||
| Another account, which is printed on the tag of rubber chickens manufactured by ], claims that the use of the rubber chicken originated during the ] with soldiers hanging the chicken from their ] for luck. | |||
| ] | |||
| A ] chicken is an imitation plucked fowl made in a ] injection mold. Modern day rubber chickens usually have some sort of squeaking device similar to one found in a ], allowing the chicken to squeak or scream when squeezed. | |||
| == Origins == | |||
| == Rubber chickens in the news == | |||
| The origin of the rubber chicken is obscure, but it is possibly based on the use of inflated ]s attached to sticks and used as props or mock weapons by ]s in the days before the development of ] and latex. Chicken corpses were readily available; therefore jesters could employ them as variations of ].<ref> | |||
| {{Cite web | |||
| | title= Farm Pop: Why the Rubber Chicken? | |||
| | publisher= Modern Farmer | |||
| | date= 2013-12-04 | |||
| | url= http://modernfarmer.com/2013/12/farm-pop-rubber-chicken/ | |||
| | access-date=2016-07-15 | |||
| | language= en-US | |||
| }} | |||
| </ref> | |||
| ⚫ | One account attributes the first use of a prop chicken to John Holmberg, the Swedish ] clown of the early 1900s.{{cn|date=October 2021}} Similarly, British performer ] would perform with his pockets full of fake food to mock the gluttony reportedly prevalent among the upper classes at the time.<ref>, ''Flight of the Floppy Fowl'', ABCNews.com, 2000.</ref> However, this predates the ]. | ||
| *At the staging of Ionesco's <i>The Killing Game</i>, critic Gerhard Stadelmaier was sworn at and had a rubber chicken thrown at him by actor Thomas Lawinky, who later offered his resignation.<ref>, ''Fake bird' row hits German play'', February 23, 2006.</ref> | |||
| A claim that the symbol originated during the ], with soldiers hanging a chicken from their ]s for luck, is printed on the tag of rubber chickens manufactured by ].{{citation required|date=February 2018}} | |||
| *During the fifth end break (curling's version of halftime and/or a seventh inning stretch) at the 2006 Winter Olympics in ], ], a man ran across the ice wearing nothing but an online gambling ad and a strategically placed rubber chicken. Chief referee Keith Wendorf tackled the man, and an umpire covered him with a coat before he was led out of the arena by the Italian polizia. The rubber chicken was not hurt.<ref>, ''Is it cold in here, or is it just me?'', NBCOlympics.com, February 24, 2006.</ref> | |||
| ==Food and speechmaking== | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| The term "rubber chicken" is used disparagingly to describe the food served at political or corporate events, weddings, and other gatherings where there are a large number of guests who require serving in a short timeframe. Often, pre-cooked chicken is held at serving temperature for some time and then dressed with a sauce as it is served. Consequently, the meat may be tough or "rubbery". Someone who "travels the 'rubber chicken circuit'" is said to do so by attending or making speeches at many such gatherings, often as part of ].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rZk6DwAAQBAJ&q=rubber+chicken+circuit&pg=PA228|title=The Oxford Dictionary of American Political Slang|last=Barrett|first=Grant|date=2006-06-08|publisher=OUP USA|isbn=978-0-19-530447-3|language=en}}</ref> | |||
| *] | |||
| == References == | |||
| <references/> | |||
| ⚫ | <references /><!-- ==External links== --> | ||
| ] | |||
| ⚫ | <!-- ==External links== --> | ||
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Latest revision as of 18:47, 10 July 2024
Prop used in stand-up comedy | This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Rubber chicken" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
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A rubber chicken is a prop used in comedy. The phrase is also used as a description for food served at speeches, conventions, and other large meetings, and as a metaphor for speechmaking.
Description
A rubber chicken is an imitation plucked fowl made in a latex injection mold. Modern day rubber chickens usually have some sort of squeaking device similar to one found in a rubber duck, allowing the chicken to squeak or scream when squeezed.
Origins
The origin of the rubber chicken is obscure, but it is possibly based on the use of inflated pig bladders attached to sticks and used as props or mock weapons by jesters in the days before the development of plastic and latex. Chicken corpses were readily available; therefore jesters could employ them as variations of slapsticks.
One account attributes the first use of a prop chicken to John Holmberg, the Swedish blackface clown of the early 1900s. Similarly, British performer Joseph Grimaldi would perform with his pockets full of fake food to mock the gluttony reportedly prevalent among the upper classes at the time. However, this predates the vulcanization of rubber.
A claim that the symbol originated during the French Revolution, with soldiers hanging a chicken from their muskets for luck, is printed on the tag of rubber chickens manufactured by Archie McPhee.
Food and speechmaking
The term "rubber chicken" is used disparagingly to describe the food served at political or corporate events, weddings, and other gatherings where there are a large number of guests who require serving in a short timeframe. Often, pre-cooked chicken is held at serving temperature for some time and then dressed with a sauce as it is served. Consequently, the meat may be tough or "rubbery". Someone who "travels the 'rubber chicken circuit'" is said to do so by attending or making speeches at many such gatherings, often as part of political campaigning.
References
- "Farm Pop: Why the Rubber Chicken?". Modern Farmer. 2013-12-04. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
- Buck Wolf, Flight of the Floppy Fowl, ABCNews.com, 2000.
- Barrett, Grant (2006-06-08). The Oxford Dictionary of American Political Slang. OUP USA. ISBN 978-0-19-530447-3.