# Why did the chicken cross the road? TO STEAL A BICYCLE! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 13, 2010, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-chicken-cross-the-road-to-steal-a-bicycle/556991 "2010-10-13T13:36:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-chicken-cross-the-road-to-steal-a-bicycle/556991/21 "2010-10-13T22:53:01Z")
I think so. But domestic beer. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Shai\_tan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Shai\_tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shai_tan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-chicken-cross-the-road-to-steal-a-bicycle/556991/22 "2010-10-14T01:14:05Z")
I’m always surprised when people get outraged over perceived humor like this. One of the principle forms of humor is making light of taboo/uncomfortable/serious subjects. The chicken and gorillas doing ANYTHING unexpected (i.e. NOT attending a party or promoting a product) would be funny. But the fact that they were committing petty crimes is even funnier. Hell, Family Guy has a recurring sketch about someone in a chicken suit duking it out with Peter with much destruction of property. So: Funny that someone got hurt? = No. but: Funny that a giant chicken and a couple of gorillas commited the crime? = Hell, yes. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-chicken-cross-the-road-to-steal-a-bicycle/556991/23 "2010-10-14T02:02:46Z")
I’ll bet none of you noticed the bear in the background shooting hoops. ---
**Author:** ![SantaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@SantaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SantaMan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-chicken-cross-the-road-to-steal-a-bicycle/556991/24 "2010-10-14T02:49:28Z")
Wot? No reference to the Mary Tyler Moore [Chuckles episode](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTi9cUyfXgY)?!?!?!?! ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-chicken-cross-the-road-to-steal-a-bicycle/556991/25 "2010-10-14T03:46:03Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > Don’t quit your day job. > > I find nothing funny or lovely or even surreal about the situation, and I call bullshit on you finding a blow to head that is integral to a strong arm robbery to be funny. Thanks, I don’t intend to quit my day job. Nor was I kidding about how I would still find it funny if it happened to me. Not the getting robbed, or hit on the head, of course. The chicken and gorilla costumes. If you don’t find that surreal, man, you’re either not paying attention to the world around you or paying attention to the wrong things. And I’d certainly rate getting mugged by someone in a chicken suit above getting just plain old mugged, just for the humor value. Lacking in empathy? I have been the victim of similar acts in my life. I have been assaulted, and I have had my bicycle stolen too (which was my main means of transportation at the time), though not at the same time (not mugged for the bike). I was very angry both times. However, I don’t talk much about either occasion. BUT, if I had seen the guy who stole my bike riding off in a chicken suit, or if the guy who put me in a headlock and choked me almost to the point of passing out was not someone I knew who picked a fight with me but was some completely random stranger wearing a chicken suit who then just LEFT, I would be telling that story a whole lot and not just to the police. Not because I was GLAD it happened, but because it was BIZARRE, and yes that is funny. Which isn’t to say that, given the means and the opportunity, I wouldn’t have tackled Mr. Chicken Suit and kicked the Chicken Shit out of him in retaliation. But I sure as heck would be making chicken jokes the whole time. Sorry if you can’t appreciate dark humor. It’s your loss really. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-chicken-cross-the-road-to-steal-a-bicycle/556991/26 "2010-10-14T08:48:12Z")
There’s a much deeper story that you are missing here. The whole thing is a neorealist testament to the pitfalls of Communism and the tragic cycle of misfortune. You see, that chicken had previously purchased a bike which he needed to make deliveries to feed his family. But it was stolen from him, and he scoured the land high and low in search of it… ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-chicken-cross-the-road-to-steal-a-bicycle/556991/27 "2010-10-14T13:42:47Z")
Jean de La Bruyère - Life is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think. I’m a thinker, and I think the surrealism of the story is hilarious. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-chicken-cross-the-road-to-steal-a-bicycle/556991.md?page=1)