I'm going to enter this into the record.The Social Network · 2010 — Chapter 17 of 23 · 3'06" · B2
Eduardo's Chicken Deposition Story, Explained: stir the pot
A deposition digs up a college scandal: Eduardo was accused of animal cruelty for carrying a chicken during his club initiation and feeding it chicken at dinner — "forced cannibalism." He insists he meant no harm, then jokes that being accused of necrophilia would have been better.
What happens
During a deposition, the lawyer surprises Eduardo with an old Crimson article accusing him of animal cruelty. He explains: for his club initiation he had to keep a chicken with him for a week, and at dinner he fed it pieces of chicken. Somehow that became forced cannibalism. Mark is questioned about cheating in the same session.
Listen for
prankstir the potthe next thing I knewFor all I know
00:00 / 03:06Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
Phrase of the scene
stir the pot
Deliberately provoke discussion or trouble
Eduardo 承认自己开匿名页发画作，every once in a while 就 hop on and stir the pot，好让讨论热起来。
He dropped one question just to stir the pot.
Also in this scene
- prank
A trick played for fun
- the next thing I knew
Before I realized what was happening
- For all I know
As far as I know, and I may be wrong
- necrophilia
A dark joke that ranks two accusations
Everything marked in this scene
37 notes across 62 lines
Mr. Saverin, have you ever done anything that might be considered legitimate grounds for termination?relative clause: Passive plus might keeps the standard vague on purpose.
Mr. Saverin, have you ever done anything that might be considered legitimate grounds for termination?You never did anything to embarrass the company or even seriously jeopardize it?You never did anything to embarrass the company or even seriously jeopardize it?You were accused of animal cruelty.Come on, man. This is bullshit. This is another club playing a prank.stress
Come on, man. This is bullshit. This is another club playing a prank.Come on, man. This is bullshit. This is another club playing a prank.Come on, man. This is bullshit. This is another club playing a prank.I'd been accepted, and as part of my initiation I had to,for one week, carry with me at all times and take care of a chicken.for one week, carry with me at all times and take care of a chicken.They identify you as one of the founders of Facebook.I'm not the expert, but being connected to torturing animals is probably bad for business.I'm not the expert, but being connected to torturing animals is probably bad for business.No, and settle down, please. I have here an article from The Crimson...flap
No, and settle down, please. I have here an article from The Crimson...I was having dinner in the Kirkland dining hall with Mark, and I had the chicken with me,- Somebody's gonna have to answer for this. - 969.Before I realized what was happening
Someone must have seen me, because the next thing I knew I was being accused of forced cannibalism.Someone must have seen me, because the next thing I knew I was being accused of forced cannibalism.past deduction with must have: Must have marks a confident guess about the past.
Someone must have seen me, because the next thing I knew I was being accused of forced cannibalism.This was all resolved.As far as I know, and I may be wrong
For all I know, it was the Winklevosses.liaison
For all I know, it was the Winklevosses.All right, let's just forget about it.obligation with have to: Have to frames the explanation as an obligation, not a choice.
Now I have to explain this to my father. I'm gonna have to explain this to everybody.I'm supposed to write about these four paintings.Yeah. I opened it under an alias.Deliberately provoke discussion or trouble
Every once in a while, I hop on and stir the pot to get a good debate going.get + object + -ing: Get plus object plus -ing means to start something moving.
Every once in a while, I hop on and stir the pot to get a good debate going.liaison
Every once in a while, I hop on and stir the pot to get a good debate going.Mr. Zuckerberg was cheating on his final exam?- I'd rather not answer that, Gretchen. - And why not?Our litigators are capable of finding a Crimson article.In fact, when we raised the subject with him, he defended you.Eduardo's Chicken Deposition Story, explained
What's really going on
The scene uses an absurd anecdote to expose something real: in these depositions, any old detail can be turned into a weapon. Eduardo's story — a club ritual, a chicken, a few pieces of meat — is comically harmless, and the charge against him has been blown into "forced cannibalism." His line, "I didn't know you couldn't do that," is funny because it admits exactly how innocent the whole episode was, and it also shows how far the lawyers will reach to damage a witness. The humor cuts both ways: the accusation is ridiculous, and so is the fact that it is being read into the record at all. Meanwhile, a small slip pulls Mark into the same trap.
Theme
JusticeLawyers weaponize a trivial college anecdote, showing how a lawsuit can turn any detail into evidence.
BetrayalOld history and private incidents are dragged into the open when friends become opposing parties.
Listen for
- bullshit — stress
- settle down — flap
- For all I know — liaison
- hop on — liaison
I didn't know you couldn't do that.The innocent core of the story: he broke no rule he knew of, which is what makes the charge so absurd.
It's better to be accused of necrophilia.A dark joke that measures the ridiculousness of the accusation by comparing it to something far worse.
I'm not the expert, but being connected to torturing animals is probably bad for business.The practical worry underneath the comedy: the story matters because it can hurt the company.
Now I have to explain this to my father. I'm gonna have to explain this to everybody.The real cost, spoken plainly: an old joke is about to be retold in front of everyone who matters.
Questions about this scene
Why was Eduardo accused of animal cruelty?
During his club initiation he had to carry a chicken for a week, and one night at dinner he fed it pieces of chicken. Someone reported it, and the story became an accusation of forced cannibalism.
Did Eduardo actually torture the chicken?
No. He fed it chicken from the dining hall, which he thought was harmless. The scene plays the charge as absurd and shows how a joke can be turned into evidence in a lawsuit.
What does the lawyer get out of bringing up the chicken story?
It embarrasses Eduardo and makes him look bad, which serves Mark's side in the case. The scene shows how far the lawyers will dig, since the accusation has nothing to do with the ownership dispute.
What happens to Mark in this scene?
He is asked about cheating on a final exam and refuses to answer, which is taken as an admission. Then it emerges that Eduardo defended him when the animal-cruelty story came up, making Mark's silence look worse.
The Social Network · 23 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 18once-in-a-generationSean Parker Meets Mark in Palo Alto
Chapter 1speak in codeErica Dumps Mark at the Bar
Chapter 2take my mind offMark Builds Facemash
Chapter 3an awful lot ofMark Crashes Harvard's Network
Chapter 4make an example out ofZuckerberg Faces the Ad Board
Chapter 5a no-brainerWinklevoss Twins Pitch Their Site
Chapter 6in a stampedeMark Pitches the Facebook Idea
Chapter 7off the recordEduardo's Deposition Turns on Emails
Chapter 8bounce aroundFacebook Launches Relationship Status
Chapter 9give someone the fingerThe Winklevosses Debate Suing Mark
Chapter 10Facebook meEduardo Recalls Facebook's Launch
Chapter 11monetizeMark and Eduardo Argue About Money
Chapter 12the minimum amountMark Answers with Minimum Attention
Chapter 13written in inkErica Confronts Mark Over the Internet
Chapter 14the shoe's on the other footSean Parker Wakes Up at Stanford
Chapter 15make that callThe Winklevosses Meet President Summers
Chapter 16a dog in this fightSean Parker Wins Over Mark
Watching · Chapter 17stir the potEduardo's Chicken Deposition Story
Chapter 18once-in-a-generationSean Parker Meets Mark in Palo Alto
Chapter 19at our disposalThe Winklevosses Decide to Sue Mark
Chapter 20get left behindEduardo Confronts Mark Over Sean
Chapter 21let bygones be bygonesEduardo Freezes the Company Account
Chapter 22in all honestyEduardo Signs Away His Shares
Chapter 23lawyer upMark Dismantles Eduardo at FacebookChapter 17 of 23 · about 20 min to go