# Can anyone explain this Robot Chicken Joke? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 11, 2016, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-this-robot-chicken-joke/751946 "2016-04-11T23:07:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-this-robot-chicken-joke/751946/1 "2016-04-11T23:07:14Z")
This week’s Robot Chicken had a segment where they showed crabs jumping rope both single and double dutch style and then it said “Think about it.” Usually these are puns or plays on words but for the life of me this one has me stumped. Anyone have any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-this-robot-chicken-joke/751946/2 "2016-04-11T23:18:08Z")
I have no answer, but here are GIFs of the “joke” in question: ![](https://media0.giphy.com/media/3oGRFH0T7pIEpYdTNe/giphy.gif) [![](https://i.imgur.com/xlVle9S.png) ](https://i.imgur.com/xlVle9S.png) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-this-robot-chicken-joke/751946/3 "2016-04-11T23:21:13Z")
Is there any chance this is an anti-joke, where the punchline is that they make you dig for a punchline that isn’t there? Raven, writing desk, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-this-robot-chicken-joke/751946/4 "2016-04-11T23:34:51Z")
Evidently the “crab” is a [jump rope skill](https://www.jumprm.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8_10_19&products_id=139) (that link is the best reference I can find to it). And I have no idea why that would be a joke. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-this-robot-chicken-joke/751946/5 "2016-04-11T23:46:43Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Evidently the “crab” is a [jump rope skill](https://www.jumprm.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8_10_19&products_id=139) (that link is the best reference I can find to it). And I have no idea why that would be a joke. Because it’s crabs doing the crab? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-this-robot-chicken-joke/751946/6 "2016-04-11T23:47:09Z")
I was going to guess something about Dutch Harbor, the town where all the crab fisherman head out on **Deadliest Catch**. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-this-robot-chicken-joke/751946/7 "2016-04-12T00:16:35Z")
It’s gotta have something to do with crabs walking sideways, but beats me. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-this-robot-chicken-joke/751946/8 "2016-04-12T00:23:42Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Because it’s crabs doing the crab? 😕 That was my guess. You don’t think about crabs actually jumping, yet we named a jump rope technique after them. Not very funny, mind you. It’s like a dad joke being made into a sketch. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-this-robot-chicken-joke/751946/9 "2016-04-12T13:33:01Z")
Requires even more esoteric knowledge than the [“who’s on first”](https://youtu.be/gNIdqvMUhrE) gag. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-this-robot-chicken-joke/751946/10 "2016-04-12T13:59:17Z")
Silly me. I thought this must be some sort of reference to Crab Lice jumping. Crab Lice – especially genital crab lice – can’t really jump, but that has been known to be the subject of latrine graffiti. > [@](#): > > “ITS NO GOOD STANDING ON THE SEAT, > THE CRABS IN HERE CAN JUMP 6 FEET.” > MENS ROOM EUSTON STATION LONDON > **[Bathroom Scrawlings](http://singintomymouth.com/bathroom.html)** > > Christa Wessel ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-this-robot-chicken-joke/751946/11 "2016-04-12T14:27:35Z")
My favourite RC crab joke remains the Dr. Seuss parody that included a passage about Itchy McGee, a frequent customer at low-rent brothels. _He had caught whore diseases. He had picked at whore scabs. He had even picked up a case of whore crabs._ At that moment, the character lifted a crate filled with actual crabs, all of whom were wearing garish make-up.