Rubber chickens have been a novelty comedy prop for decades, valued for the harsh squeak they make when squeezed, and short clips of that noise began circulating widely as reaction audio on social media. The extended screaming version became a staple meme sound because its length lets editors stretch a joke well past the punchline. It sits alongside clips like chicken on tree screaming within the wider scream meme tradition, where an exaggerated yell stands in for panic, disbelief or a dramatic overreaction to something minor.