A roundhouse kick—Chuck Norris's signature move—transfers rotational force through the hips and legs, delivering tremendous power. Michael Jackson survived one such kick, the fact claims, rendering him the final survivor of such an encounter. The joke then reveals the punchline: he "turned white," referencing Jackson's well-documented skin condition (vitiligo) as though the roundhouse kick somehow triggered it or revealed it. The dark humor here is precisely calibrated.

A comedian and dance historian from Chicago joked in 2007 that "the only way to explain Michael Jackson's complexion change is Chuck Norris interference," which spawned years of jokes about karate as a cosmetic procedure.

Meme boards had their fun: "Michael Jackson survived the only roundhouse kick ever landed by Chuck Norris. He survived it so well he changed color."