Pondering - Rubber Chicken

So everyone knows/has seen a rubber chicken before... and deep down we know its supposed to be funny... but why? Where does the humor come from, and when did the rubber chicken first appear as something comedic... that was what I was wondering today.




This question was actually hard to find an answer to, seems like it is unknown for sure... However, one of the best bets is it was first used by the famous clown Joseph Grimaldi. He is even enshrined in the clown Hall of Fame (yes it exist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin of all places) He is consider by many to be the greatest pantomime clown (clown who performs in musical theatre) of all time with his most famous work being "Harlequin and the Mother Goosel; or the Golden Egg" and is credited for introducing the modern clown. His specialty was physical comedy and audience interaction (which is where I guess the use of a rubber chicken could come in handy). Anyway apparently in Grimaldi's day (the early 1800's) making fun of rich people for being gluttons was something to do, so he would often stuff his pockets full of fake food as part of his comedy routine... hence the first appearance of a rubber chicken.



Another answer to the first appearance of the rubber chicken is printed on the rubber chickens produced by the major comic prop company Archie McPhee (if your board google their website they have some interesting stuff to say the least), which states the at the rubber chicken was first used by the French during the French Revolution, who hung the rubber chickens on their muskets for good luck.



I think I'll go with the Grimaldi story as it seems like it seems more logical to me... I couldn't find any reason for why a rubber chicken would bring good luck for the soldiers. Anyway there is one thing we know for sure... rubber chickens are funny... we don't know why... and maybe they are funny just because we know they are supposed to be... but they are a classic piece of comedy history no matter what the origin.





Bonus Fact:



On the first Sunday of February every year a memorial service is held for Grimaldi in England in which clowns from all of the world come to dressed in their clown suits to pay tribute to him.