You understand that sweeping popcorn is an important part of being a theater janitor. You love this job because of the silence and calm. But one day, you walk into the theater littered with popcorn and nuggets, and you know your shift is wrecked. After taking hours to clean, you wonder what happened. Later, you see multiple viral videos of people throwing food during “Chicken Jockey” in the Minecraft movie.
When I first saw the trailer for the Minecraft movie, I, along with many others, was filled with skepticism. The casting, the CGI and the concept were jarring. Despite my personal conviction, there was no doubt the movie would be successful because of its prominent franchise. When the movie was released on April 4, theaters were flooded with fans, but the chaos that followed was surprising. Something as random as “Chicken Jockey” caused unexpected audience behavior.
Minecraft is an extremely popular game that is enjoyed by children and adults alike. The game has been downloaded over 300 million times, so the demographic for this movie is quite vast.
The first question I asked myself upon hearing the controversy was: What even is “Chicken Jockey”? A Chicken Jockey is an extremely rare occurrence in Minecraft, where a baby zombie is riding a chicken. Its rarity makes it an Easter egg for Minecraft fans, but to me, it wasn’t that big of a deal.
Once Jack Black yells “Chicken Jockey,” the chaos that ensues is not warranted. People were screaming, cheering, chanting and throwing popcorn at each other and the screen.. Social media has played a large role in exacerbating the phenomenon.
“Chicken Jockey” videos were going viral each and every day on apps like Youtube, Tiktok and even Facebook. The louder and rowdier the crowd, the more viral they become. “Chicken jockey” has grown from a meme to a cultural moment that has sparked discourse over appropriate behavior and social media.
The reaction to the “Chicken Jockey” trend was quite divided. Some described it as harmless play. I, for one, find it disruptive and not only for the staff, but for the audience as well. Theaters have had fire alarms go off, people getting kicked out, extra security involved and signs warning the audience not to engage in such destructive behaviors.
At first, I admit I wasn’t interested in the controversy. When I saw those videos pop up on my feed, I dismissed them as just another pointless Tiktok trend. It was until I decided to look at the bigger picture of the situation that I realized the implications of this “silly” tiktok trend.
The Chicken Jockey situation represents a much bigger trend of disrespect to workers. A few months ago, there was a Tik Tok trend where people would walk into a Chipotle, demand more food and then leave in the middle of the line. This seems harmless, but it’s a waste of time and distressing for the workers, who are not in direct control of their work policies.
I do enjoy movie trends like the “Minions Rise of Gru”, where people would come to the theatre wearing suits or “Wicked” where people would dress in pink and green. I think it’s a great way to form a community regarding a movie. However, these trends caused minimal harm and could be enjoyed by both the staff and audience. The Minecraft movies chicken jockey
