In Coney Island, a New Hot-Dog Champion Is Crowned
The Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot-Dog Eating Contest was won by Joey Chestnut, who dethroned Takeru Kobayashi, the six-time defending champion of the event, in a competitive chow-down spectacle that was not decided until the final seconds in Coney Island, Brooklyn. Mr. Chestnut ate 66 hot dogs in the 12-minute contest, establishing a world record. For the first time, he defeated his top rival, Mr. Kobayashi, who showed no apparent strains from his well-documented recent dental troubles. Mr. Kobayashi finished second by downing 63 hot dogs, though there was some debate at the end whether the frankfurters that were partly in and partly out of his mouth would count or not. On this Fourth of July, both men easily surpassed the previous world record of 59.5.
It’s an event as symbolic of Americana as it is of American excess. In a world in world millions go to bed hungry every night, we’re celebrating a pig (in the truest sense of the word) who can stuff 66 hot dogs down his gullet. Pardon me if I rain on everyone’s parade here, but I did indeed grow up being taught by joyless Lutherans that gluttony was in fact one of the Seven Deadly Sins. While I may not subscribe to that particular flavor of theology, I do agree that there is something horribly wrong with encouraging and even celebrating gluttony.
The symbolism alone is disturbing enough. While millions in third world countries would consider 66 hot dogs a couple of months worth of food, one American stuffed that much food into his gullet within 12 minutes. Surely, I’m not the only one who sees this dismissive hypocrisy as just about the worst foot this country has to put forward?
Yes, I realize that the amount of food used in this contest would, relatively speaking, do nothing to solve world hunger, but the “F—k you, we’re American” attitude implicit in this sort of “sporting event” sickens me. Then again, if gluttony can be made into a competitive sport, I can hardly wait to see what someone does with avarice and adultery.
“I think it represents actually, well, America ‚Äö√Ñ√Æ what New York is. It’s something you expect from a city like this.” That, on Tuesday, was from Benjamin Pronk, 19, a tourist from the Netherlands, standing behind a police barrier in City Hall Park in Manhattan and watching the official weigh-in for the Nathan’s contest, arguably the apotheosis of Americana. The young Dutchman may not be far off.
The event ‚Äö√Ñ√Æ it started in 1916, according to legend ‚Äö√Ñ√Æ brings 30,000 fans to Coney Island in Brooklyn every Independence Day for a showdown featuring the world’s finest culinary competitors. The contest combines tradition, competition, showmanship and excess; in essence, so much of what makes this city great.
I suppose the Nathan’s contest does represent what America and New York are. Outsized, overdone…and way too full of themselves, America and New York willing to engage in a glorification of what at one time was considered one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Coming soon to ESPN2: the inaugural season of the World Adultery Tour!!
