Porn 'n' Chicken was a student club based at
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
whose members met to watch
pornography
Pornography (colloquially called porn or porno) is Sexual suggestiveness, sexually suggestive material, such as a picture, video, text, or audio, intended for sexual arousal. Made for consumption by adults, pornographic depictions have evolv ...
and eat fried chicken. The group briefly gained notoriety in 2001 when they announced plans to shoot their own adult film, titled ''The StaXXX'', on campus with other students.
The film was never released or even completed. Nevertheless, a fictionalized version of the club's experiences was produced as a 2002 American
TV movie
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a terrest ...
titled ''Porn 'n Chicken'' and broadcast on
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
.
Student club
In October 2000 an article in ''
The Yale Herald'' announced the first known public discussion of the club, mentioning the project of its own adult film. The film's name had already been selected -- ''The StaXXX''. Filming commenced in January 2001, and publications including ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'',
Fox News
The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...
Boston, ''
Hustler'', ''The
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative
daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
'', ''
Brill's Content
Steven Brill (born August 22, 1950) is an American lawyer, journalist, and entrepreneur who founded monthly magazine ''The American Lawyer'' and cable channel Court TV. He is the author of the best-selling book, ''Tailspin: The People and Force ...
'', ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'', ''
Premiere
A premiere, also spelled première, (from , ) is the debut (first public presentation) of a work, i.e. play, film, dance, musical composition, or even a performer in that work.
History
Raymond F. Betts attributes the introduction of the ...
'', ''
Evening Standard
The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...
'' inquired for information on the production.
Only a trailer was ever completed, and shown before a screening at the Yale Film Society.
Film adaptation of the story
James Ponsoldt
James Ponsoldt is an American film director, actor and screenwriter. He directed the drama films '' Off the Black'' (2006) and '' Smashed'' (2012), the romantic comedy-drama ''The Spectacular Now'' (2013), and the dramas '' The End of the Tour'' ( ...
and fellow Yale alumni sold the Porn 'n Chicken stories to
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
, who filmed on the
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
campus. Directed by
Lawrence Trilling
Lawrence Trilling (born June 29, 1966) is an American television director, producer, showrunner, and writer. He has directed nearly 150 hours of television to date, and served as Producer/Executive Producer on such series as '' Felicity, Alias, ...
, ''Porn 'n Chicken'' featured fictionalized versions of group activities and premiered on Comedy Central on October 13, 2002.
Reception
It received mixed critical reception, with the ''
New York Daily News
The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...
'' called it "more boring than offensive," but ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' commenting, "Sweeter and more relevant than its fratboy title suggests, Comedy Central’s ''Porn ‘n Chicken'' is a likable fusion of, of all things, ''
Animal House
''National Lampoon's Animal House'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller (writer), Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Tom ...
,'' ''
Dead Poets Society
''Dead Poets Society'' is a 1989 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Peter Weir and written by Tom Schulman. The film, starring Robin Williams, is set in 1959 at a fictional elite boarding school called Welton Academy, and tells ...
'' and ''
Deep Throat''." while the ''
Daily Free Press'' stated, "Beyond the necessity of well spent free time, as expected, the message of ''Porn ‘n Chicken'' is largely empty. However, the two-hour escape succeeds admirably as a mental nap and an amusing tale of sticky-fingered American college students with little to revolt against besides the dullness of their existence."
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
''Porn 'n Chicken''at
''TV guide''
* {{IMDb title, 0331321, Porn 'n Chicken
2002 television films
2002 films
2002 comedy films
American television films
Culture of Yale University
Films set in 1996
Films set in Columbia University
2000s English-language films