“I didn't know you couldn't do that.”
Por qué es buena
A deadpan excuse that says everything about good intentions gone wrong.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
I didn't know you couldn't park there.
00:00 / 03:06
00:00 / 03:06
Eduardo's Chicken Deposition Story, Explained
The Social Network · 2010
Capítulo 17 de 23 · 3'06"
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.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 1:32–2:18
❝ Monólogo · 7 frases Eduardo's Chicken Story
46s
Eduardo's Chicken Deposition Story, explained
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.
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.
Key lines & what they mean
- “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.
Theme
- Justice — Lawyers weaponize a trivial college anecdote, showing how a lawsuit can turn any detail into evidence.
- Betrayal — Old history and private incidents are dragged into the open when friends become opposing parties.
Qué aprendes en este capítulo
Puntos de enseñanza
Repasa justo después de verMi nivel1/5
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
Puntos de lengua
Toca una tarjeta para saltar a ese momentoFrases de oro
Una gran frase en sí misma: por qué y cómo usarla“It's better to be accused of necrophilia.”
Por qué es buena
A darker charge sounds better, which is the whole joke about how absurd this one is.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
At this point I'd rather be accused of being boring.
“I'm not the expert, but being connected to torturing animals is probably bad for business.”
Por qué es buena
A disclaimer of expertise, then a verdict that the scandal will cost them.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
I'm not the expert, but that rumor is probably bad for business.
“Now I have to explain this to my father. I'm gonna have to explain this to everybody.”
Por qué es buena
The real cost of the absurd charge is endless explaining, starting with his father.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
Now I have to explain this to my boss, and then to the whole office.
I have to explain this to my parents, and then to everybody at work.
Monólogo
Un personaje sostiene la escena: practícalo entero❝ The dining-hall chicken confession
I was having dinner in the Kirkland dining hall with Mark, and I had the chicken with me, because I had to have the chicken with me at all times. This was college. - Somebody's gonna have to answer for this. - 969. And the dining hall was serving chicken for dinner, and I had to feed my chicken, so I... Well, I took little pieces of chicken and I gave it to the chicken. Someone must have seen me, because the next thing I knew I was being accused of forced cannibalism.
Each extra detail makes the rite dumber and the headline heavier.
Siguiente · 18once-in-a-generationLa escena: Sean Parker Meets Mark in Palo AltoPreguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseWhy 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.