For most, “chicken jockey” seems like a random pair of words, almost poetic in how nonsensical they sound together. But the phrase is creating absolute pandemonium at showings of “A Minecraft Movie,” turning the film into a viral phenomenon in addition to a box office smash.
Essentially, the movie, based on the popular video game, has quickly become something akin to a new generation’s “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” In videos posted on social media, the mayhem begins when one star, Jack Black, exuberantly proclaims, “Chicken jockey!” to announce the appearance of that creature from the video game. Young audience members go nuts, jumping up and down, screaming, even throwing popcorn at the screen in some cases.
Warner Bros. sees the reaction as “a testament to the game’s loyal fan base,” as the marketing executive vice president Dana Nussbaum put it in a statement. The film’s director, Jared Hess, approves of the trend.
“It’s way too funny,” he said in a phone interview. “It’s been a total blast. I’m just laughing my brains out every time someone sends me a new video.”
But why exactly is this happening? Let’s unpack it as best we can.
What is a chicken jockey?
It’s a baby zombie that rides a chicken. (Don’t worry. Nothing about this makes any logical sense. Just go with it.) Encountering a chicken jockey during gameplay is pretty rare, but Hess was intent on filling the movie with his favorite characters from the vast Minecraft universe.
“It’s not something you see all the time, but I think it’s adorable, and ridiculous and can murder you, and that’s something that makes it special,” Hess said.
In the film, Jason Momoa’s Garrett Garrison has to battle the chicken jockey on the way to finding the orb that can take him back to the real world. He’s accompanied by Steve (Black), a man who lives inside the game. Garrett first scoffs when his sparring partner, an innocent-looking chicken, enters the wrestling ring. But then a crate descends from a ceiling and drops the zombie on the chicken’s back. The zombie smiles cutely before turning vicious. Cue Black’s full-throated pronouncement, “Chicken jockey!”
Hess and Black thought it would be funny if Steve announced everything that happens to him, stating the obvious with extreme intensity. Hess argued that Black’s execution is one reason the “Chicken jockey!” meme took off.
“Jack says it with such passion,” he said. “Everything that comes out of his mouth in the film is spoken with such authority and seriousness, like this is the most important thing anybody has ever heard in their life. I think people just love the craziness of it.”
How did “Chicken jockey!” become a meme?
The fixation started even before the movie’s April 4 release, according to the website Know Your Meme. As soon as the first clip of the moment debuted in a trailer in February, social media users jumped on it, isolating Black’s audio and remixing it. With “Chicken jockey!” already a catchphrase before the movie even hit theaters, fans were primed to transform the online meme into an in-person one. (As for the videos, no one these days really seems to have any qualms about taking out their phones during movies.)
It’s also not the only moment that has become a cue for audience participation. Others include when Black says “flint and steel” and “I am Steve.” (Steve is the default skin a Minecraft game player can use.) The enthusiasm for these utterances seems to stem partly from the fact that they are overt references to the Minecraft game and partly from Black’s commitment to the bit. At the same time, perhaps overthinking it is not the point: “Chicken jockey!” is just something that sounds very funny.
How are theaters reacting to rowdy crowds?
Some cinemas are cautioning patrons to behave. One theater in New Jersey said it would not allow unaccompanied minors to attend the movie, which is rated PG (parental guidance suggested). In answer to an emailed question, the Township Theatre, in Washington Township, NJ., said that minors “can attend with a parent or responsible adult who sits in the theater with them.” And according to the BBC, an outpost of the Cineworld chain in Britain put up a sign warning that “any form of antisocial behaviour” like shouting would not be tolerated, adding, “Anyone who is found to be acting in this manner will be removed from the screening and not entitled to a refund.” And in at least one instance, the police were called to an American theater.
But there’s also money to be made in the madness. Cineworld announced that it had “created special Chicken Jockey 4DX screenings at Cineworld cinemas nationwide.”
What do moviegoers say?
Ollie Jenks, a 22-year-old who posted a video of a raucous showing in Idaho Falls, Idaho, told me that Minecraft’s status as a generational touchstone probably contributed to the mood in the theater where she saw it. Some teenage boys, she said, were the loudest in the house.
“I’m sure it was probably a lot of excitement around the fact that something that is so popular, that is so near and dear to them, is represented in media,” she said. “But I also think our generation and the younger generation just has a talent for picking up on the most niche things and turning them into memes.” (See, for instance, the GentleMinions trend that emerged in 2022, when moviegoers at “Minions: The Rise of Gru” wore suits to the theater.)
Matthew Vietzke, 22, saw “A Minecraft Movie” at an AMC outside of Nashville and recorded the reaction at the theater. He said that he didn’t really understand the fervor for “Chicken jockey!” but that the experience was worthwhile. “It was nice to feel a part of something,” he said.
Some moviegoers have crossed a line, Andy Carrera, 19, of Sacramento, said, and “I don’t think that’s OK.” But he added that the idea of “kids and people going out socializing and having that theater experience — I think that’s something that we haven’t seen as much as of recent times.”
In the end, where does the director stand?
Hess was heartened by the reaction, calling it “a true party,” and saying, “Just the fact that people are making memories at the movies — that’s what it’s all about. That’s why we do it. I never could have anticipated this level of passion and fun and craziness that’s happening.”
As for the popcorn throwing? He’s not bothered. “No one’s going to get hurt from popcorn,” he said. “Look, when I go to the movies with my kids, it’s like a popcorn massacre that happens and they’re not throwing anything, but it ends up on the ground, regardless.”
Content Source: www.nytimes.com