Annie Hall Eggs Joke?

[SeanOhio]

I watched Annie Hall last night. It was hysterical. Sadly, though, I don't quite understand the last joke in the film:

ALVY: I thought of that old joke, y'know, the, this, this guy goes to a psychiatrist and says, "Doc, uh, my brother's crazy. He thinks he's a chicken." And, uh, the doctor says, "Well, why don't you turn him in?" And the guy says, "I would, but I need the eggs." Well, I guess that's pretty much how I feel about relationships. Y'know, they're totally irrational and crazy and absurd and, but, uh, I guess we keep going through it because, uh, most of us need the eggs.

Does this mean that even though people may not like certain things, we still need them anyway? I laughed at the joke, but I couldn't get it in context to the film.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Ironic humor. There are people close to us who repulse us in a

seminal way, we know we should cut them out of our lives for our own sanity, but we can't because these people are indispensable to us at the same time they are driving us crazy.

Not so much a joke as a sardonic reality check.

[gmoney]

2. We'll put up with the most dysfunctional BS

...because we want the irrational benefits.

You'll put up with all kinds of crap in a relationship because it's better than being alone and at least you (may) get to have sex on a regular basis.