A rubber chicken is a popular sight gag and slapstick comedy prop, sometimes used by comics to hit people with. They are also sometimes used by jugglers in place of clubs. The origins of the rubber chicken are obscure.
One account attributes its creation to Joseph Grimaldi, the legendary white-faced clown of the early 1800s. At that time, gluttony was fashionable and considered a sign of affluence, and Grimaldi would perform with his pockets full of fake food in order to make fun of the upper classes[1].
Another account, which is printed on the tag of rubber chickens manufactured by Archie McPhee, claims that the use of the rubber chicken originated during the French Revolution with soldiers hanging the chicken from their muskets for luck.
Rubber chickens in the news
- At the staging of Ionesco's The Killing Game, critic Gerhard Stadelmaier was sworn at and had a rubber chicken thrown at him by actor Thomas Lawinky, who later offered his resignation[2].
- During the fifth end break (curling's version of halftime and/or a seventh inning stretch) at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, 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. [3]
Rubber Chickens Improv Comedy
The rubber chicken also lends it's name to the University of Delaware Improv Comedy Group, the Rubber Chickens.