“A Minecraft Movie” has become synonymous with one phrase uttered by Jack Black: “chicken jockey.” The moment has made rounds around the globe and has become the starring moment of the movie. But has it begun to impact theater etiquette?
The trend arose from a moment in the film when Jack Black’s character, Steve, yells, “Chicken Jockey.” The phrase directly references one of the rare hostile creatures in “Minecraft,” a baby zombie atop a chicken.
The scene merely incited crowd cheers at first, but it has slowly evolved into an all-out celebration, including throwing popcorn, standing on chairs and yelling. In one case, audience members even brought a live chicken into the theater.
Social media is fostering the trend’s growth, as evidenced by the stream of videos being posted on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
Andrew Pueschel, associate professor of marketing, has been teaching etiquette at Ohio University for over 30 years. He discussed the fluctuating etiquette of movie theaters, in which every film has a unique set of expectations.
“Etiquette is a set of agreed-upon actions in a certain situation that is acceptable and that will make everyone feel comfortable in that situation,” Pueschel said. “So, for instance, there's an etiquette for church that might be different than an etiquette on Court Street on a Friday night.”
In movie theaters, the expected etiquette is to sit quietly, reacting only to the movie’s most pivotal moments. Frequent moviegoers hesitate to open a bag of chips in fear of disrupting other audience members.
So, why has this trend gained such prominence across the globe? According to Pueschel, it all comes down to excitement and social expectations.
“We know self-regulation, how we act in certain social settings, we know that, and we've been trained to do that as a society,” Pueschel said. “Sometimes we get into situations where the fun of something or the excitement makes us act differently, against the norm. And there's other influences, like peer pressure.”
#ChickenJockey has over 53,000 posts on TikTok and is growing every day. Millions of users have seen these videos, and the trend is fairly simple to recreate. On top of that, “Minecraft” has over 200 million monthly players and is over 16 years old. If you’ve heard of the game, you’ve likely heard of the movie.
The accessibility of the trend is likely increasing the rate at which audiences are participating.
“Everyone reacts to it. They see it on social media. They want to recreate it, whether it's viral, whether it's a trend, it's a challenge, or whatever it is,” Pueschel said. “But just like any of the other social media trends or challenges, we need to be responsible.”
It’s important to remember that everyone paid the same amount of money to be there and is not expecting to be bombarded with popcorn or hear yelling at the screen. To be proactive against unwanted behavior, Pueschel discussed “interactive movie going experiences,” where audiences are encouraged to participate in a controlled environment.
One example is “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975), which evolved into a cult classic that encourages audience participation. Pueschel also mentioned sing-along showings, such as “Wicked” (2024) and “Encanto” (2021).
“You knew when you bought that ticket that there were going to be people singing,” Pueschel said.
In a similar concept, some movie theaters, including Regal Cinemas, are choosing to create “chicken jockey screenings” to mitigate the unsanctioned behavior.
“There are theaters that are doing ‘chicken jockey’ versions, where it's okay to yell out, it's okay to say things, but I think it's really important that there's clear communication on the expectations of what is acceptable and what is not,” Pueschel said.
The screenings intend to encourage the fanaticism behind the movie, without ruining the experience for unsuspecting audience members. By finding this balance, etiquette may be maintained within the theaters.
“At the end of the day, we have to respect each other. We have to show respect for the movie theater and for the movie theater goers,” Pueschel said. “I hope everyone has a great time at the movies. And if chicken jockey is your thing, that's wonderful, but just note that we have to respect the different people that are there.”
