Howard Stern is claiming that Jay Leno straight up stole a chicken bit that he had been doing for years.  Stern claimed that Jay had stolen bits from him in the past, but this steal was one that his crew had been doing in the past.  He proved his point by sending the Leno camp a copy of his “famous chicken skit”

Here’s a youtube clip of Stern talking about Leno.  Be advised…there’s some “stern” language used.  Get it?  Hahaha, “Stern” language?  What, no?  Fine.  Just watch the video:

Stern seems pretty mad about the whole situation, and I don’t blame him.  I thought he’d be gone after he left his show to Conan earlier this year!

Just Google “Jay Leno steals bit” and see what comes up.  We also found one where Conan O’Brien rips on Starr Jones about bein fat or something, and a mere two days later, we see Jay saying the same thing, but worded a little different.  Now here’s what I ask you, oh readers of Hollywire.  Is it stealing if a joke is taken from one comedian and used by another after it’s been introduced?  Sure we could blame Jay and say “HE STOLE IT!”  But is it really Jay who’s researching and coming up with material during his off time?  We know that there are writers behind the scene researching and finding the funny little foibles that everyday we miss, maybe they’re to blame.  Life is funny, and things are bound to overlap sometimes.  The art of “joke stealing” is something of a debate within the comedy world, as after all, this is someone’s livelihood we’re talking about here.  Carlos Mencia, Dane Cook, and others have all been accused of this “crime”.  But is it serious?  Or maybe it’s just a joke.