The keyword phrase functions as a compound noun that identifies a specific urban legend. This legend concerns an alleged visual reference to the September 11, 2001 attacks within an animated series. The name "Rocky Rabbit" is a misnomer, likely a conflation of the character Rocky the Flying Squirrel from The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and another popular cartoon figure. The term designates a scene widely misinterpreted online as a hidden, predictive message, rather than a deliberate "Easter egg" placed by creators.
The specific scene appears in "The Stink of Fear: Chapter Five," an episode from the 2018 revival series The New Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. During the episode, a digital clock is shown displaying the time 9:11 while a skyscraper in the background is engulfed in smoke. This juxtaposition is cited by proponents of the theory as direct evidence of a hidden reference. Crucially, the series was produced and released in 2018, making it impossible for the scene to be a prediction of the 2001 event.
The most plausible interpretation is that the imagery utilizes common visual tropes for crisis and emergency. The time 9:11 is a frequent shorthand in American media for the emergency telephone number (9-1-1), used to establish a sense of danger. The burning building is a direct result of the villains' actions within the episode's plot. The perception of a meaningful connection between these elements is an example of apophenia. The legend's persistence is fueled by the false context that it originates from an older, pre-2001 cartoon, highlighting the spread of misinformation online.
