毒鸡汤 emerged as a cultural backlash against the flood of simplistic and often clichéd inspirational content, known as 心灵鸡汤 (xīnlíng jītāng), that dominated Chinese social media for years. Young people, facing immense pressure from work, school, and family (a phenomenon often called 内卷, nèijuǎn, or “involution”), grew tired of being told that “hard work always pays off” when their reality often proved otherwise. 毒鸡汤 became their witty response. It's a core component of what is known as 丧文化 (sàng wénhuà), or “dejected culture,” a youth subculture that embraces pessimism and apathy as a coping mechanism. By sharing these cynical jokes, they find a sense of community and validation for their struggles. A good Western cultural comparison is the “demotivational poster” trend from the 2000s or the dark, observational humor of comedians like George Carlin. Both take familiar, uplifting formats and inject them with realism and sarcasm. However, 毒鸡汤 is more than just a joke; it's a significant social commentary on the gap between the “Chinese Dream” and the daily grind for many ordinary young people. It's not about giving up, but about finding humor and relief in acknowledging life's difficulties.
毒鸡汤 is almost exclusively used in informal contexts, especially online and among friends.