Recently, social media users have speculated about a previously hidden, darker meaning behind this well-known joke, causing quite a stir among many.
This wave of surprise began when podcaster Kate Lister shared her revelation on Twitter, claiming to have finally understood the joke’s true intent.
She detailed how she never truly grasped the humor in “Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side,” until her recent epiphany.
Lister exclaimed: “Hang on a damn second. You’re telling me that the chicken who crossed the road was KILLED and went to ‘the other side??’ THAT’S THE JOKE? All these years I thought that little f***** was just crossing the road.”
According to this interpretation, the chicken doesn’t actually make it to the opposite side but rather meets its fate and transitions to the chicken afterlife.
This unexpected revelation sparked a myriad of reactions online, with some individuals acknowledging that their perspective had shifted, while others remained skeptical.
One commenter admitted, “I’m in my 60s and just learned this about a year ago. It may have ruined the joke for me.”
The revelation deeply affected another individual who stated: “No way! Stop it. Okay breathe… So right now I don’t know whether to be sad, cry, confused, impressed, or feel really stupid for thinking that d*** chicken was just on a mission to get to the other side of the freak’n road. Like he was just on his way home from work or something.”
Another simply noted: “Ooh. That puts a different perspective on things. This dark world is now a little darker.”
Nonetheless, some remained unconvinced by this reinterpretation. One individual argued: “No, it’s another meaning that people have imposed on the joke retrospectively, and has gained some traction on social media in recent years. The original point of it is just that it’s an anti-joke that subverts your expectations. He is just crossing the road.”
Regardless of the interpretation, let’s take a moment to honor all the chickens who never made it to the other side.