Hot dog champ Joey Chestnut on ESPN’s 30 For 30: The Good, The Bad, The Hungry
TV Lists What's On Tonight
Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Tuesday, July 2. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
30 For 30: The Good, The Bad, The Hungry (ESPN, 8 p.m.): Director Nicole Lucas Haimes’ excellent 30 For 30 installment concerns one of the all-time-great rivalries in the history of televised competitions. We write not of Frazier vs. Ali, nor the Red Sox vs. the Yankees, nor the New York Knicks vs. fans of the New York Knicks. We write, of course, of Takeru Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut, two champions of the competitive eating world—most notably, of Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest, which will take place this year on July 4, once again. (For more on the saga and Haimes’ affecting documentary, pay a visit to the Washington Post.)
“It’s weird, because I lived it,” Chestnut told The A.V. Club of his experience seeing the documentary. “I’m used to only seeing things through my eyes. That sounds weird and selfish, but especially because of the competitive aspect, I wasn’t aware that Kobayashi was so emotional about things in his life. [It was jarring] to see his perspective on things, more than I ever have. Any sport is competitive, but I guess I wasn’t as nice as I could have been.
“Looking at how volatile everything is… so quickly, it can deteriorate. And that’s kind of the thing that got me. It was a great rivalry, and then things got in the way, and it ended, and I might as well just make the best of it. That’s one of the things I walked away with. You never know when things are gonna end. Make the best of them.”
Regular coverage
Wild card
Songland (NBC, 10:01 p.m.): Tonight’s Songland sees songwriters competing to have their tunes featured in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbes & Shaw, so if you’ve ever been curious about the best words to rhyme with “Jason Statham” or really enjoy puns involving The Rock, this is your moment.
40 Comments
The news has rightly placed a lot of focus on nuclear diplomacy or the lack thereof, with major developments in both Iran and North Korea. I’d argue the NK news isn’t actually as big as presented – nothing has been agreed upon, so relocating the photo op isn’t really a game-changer. Trump has pivoted to asking for a nuclear freeze instead of demanding immediate full denuclearization and is now open to a tit-for-tat gradual process whereby we lift sanctions step by step as NK (hopefully) dismantles its program over time. Most experts say this is the proper course, and because I’m not a delusional Republican substituting what I want to be true for reality, I defer to the experts. Will this change of approach actually bear fruit? It’s not impossible. I hope so. I don’t root for Trump to fail on issues like nuclear proliferation, because I am not immune to radiation. YetSpeaking of Trump failing on issues like nuclear proliferation, Iran is now exceeding the limits of nuclear enrichment placed by the JCPOA, colloquially known as ‘The Iran Deal’. For a good long while Iran has abided by the deal even though the US pulled out, because the other signatories remained in. However, the US sanctions (including threats of sanctions on companies that do business with Iran) were powerful enough that they appear to have calculated the value gained from better relations with those other nations is less than the value of an active program for developing nuclear weapons (but not so powerful as to compel them to make the concessions Trump demands for his theoretical and nebulous new deal.)That’s bad. If the Iranian nuclear program returns to its old pace, it is inevitable that a repressive regime that funds terror and pursues policies antithetical to American interests will have an atomic bomb. Actually, two countries that match that description – Saudi Arabia would likely follow suit. Thankfully the Middle East is a stable, peaceful region, so triggering a nuclear arms race probably won’t have devastating consequences for the human race or anything. Thanks, Trump!I will credit one piece of unambiguously good news. While Trump was in Korea, John Bolton was sent to Mongolia. With any luck, they’ll leave him there.
More importantly than Trump, we’re glad you’re back, V’star.
Thesis: the fact that “competitive eating” is a sport is, in one event, a distillation of all that is wrong with America.
Really? I would have thought it’s all the concentration camps were running in the desert.
Well, that’s an example of creeping American fascism, but *not* of gluttony or sheer bad taste.
I’m sorry, when did speed eating a frank and then dunking a bun in water so as to lube it enough to slide down your throat become “bad taste”?
Well when you consider that there are people starving throughout the world, I can understand how some consider it embarrassing and in “bad taste”.
I don’t know how much nutritional value a couple of hot dogs have. I guess Nathan’s could promise to send a few dogs over to South Sudan, but I don’t know how much good it’d do, and don’t think they’re the root of the issue to begin with.
The fact that you’re using the one of many food items that are eaten in excess during competitions (because its cheap) is part of what some people find so off putting by it. We see it as disposable food while countries with poverty will see a cheap source of protein. Look I get its entertainment and am not entirely against it but just understand that people from other cultures are going to see it for what it is: food waste.
The one lead us inexorably to the other, frankly.
lol 🙂
I look forward to America’s next great sport, “competitive access to potable water.”
Agree it’s not a sport, but I’m pretty sure eating contests were all the rage in Japan and other parts of Asia before it became something here.
And yet it’s still preferable to the “wholesome” sports like football that encourage brain damage.
July 4th, Coney Island, Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. it’s what makes America Beautiful. These athletes and the hard work and dedication they bring to the sport of competitive eating is commendable. GOD BLESS Joey Chestnut and GOD BLESS AMERICA.
Is it a rivalry if one guy appears and just continually beats your ass year after year without you ever having a receptive arc?If so, my cat has this great rivalry with dead mice.
As a tennis fan I dread when Serena and Sharapova play each other because ESPN starts tripping over its own dick talking about how great a rivalry it is. Their head to head is 19-3 in favor of Serena. Sharapova hasn’t beat her since 2004. That’s not a rivalry it’s a bloodbath. It infuriates me.
Serena-Sharapova is a rivalry in the same way that Globetrotters-Generals is, and it’s infuriating to me also.
I assume you’re talking about how Kobayashi was crushed in this eating competition:
Looking forward to the hot dog documentary. As a Brit recently moved to New York my education on the subject has been rapid. 10 days ago I visited Coney Island for the first time and saw Joey’s name on the Nathan’s honours board, including his world record. Two days ago I saw him throw out the first pitch at the Mets, while eating a hot dog (him, not me). A squad of fans dressed as hot dogs spent the game trying to get a chant of “Let’s go hot dogs!” going. After the game I shared a subway carriage with one of these hot dogs.The fact that this documentary is on ESPN has sent me over the edge. This truly is the land of the free and the home of the brave.
* vomits *—yes, i guess i could get on board th—
* vomits again *
This is why we fought a revolution, to worship people who eat lots of hot dogs.Although in our defense, at least we don’t traditionally eat baked beans with breakfast. Nasty!
Baked beans have always struck me as an unnecessary item on a full English breakfast. Well below black pudding and HP brown sauce in the priority list.
Black pudding is also something I can’t quite bring myself to eat. My family visited GB (England) for the first time last year BTW, had a wonderful time (baked beans notwithstanding). Skipped London and hit Portsmouth, Bovington, and Bath. Wife and I are going back next summer.
I’m assuming there are family reasons for that eccentric trio of tourist destinations. You need to venture further north next time, where the people are friendlier and the beer is cheaper (two facts that may be connected).
No family reasons. We’re not big city people so London didn’t hold much attraction. We were coming over via ferry from France, so Portsmouth was a natural destination with the added bonus of having an amazing naval museum. I have a serious thing for tanks, so the Bovington tank museum was the next stop. We spent most of our time in Bath because I read that it was a common holiday destination for people w/in England, so we figured it must be nice, and it really was lovely (we also wanted to see the Roman baths). My wife and I are seriously considering buying an apartment there.Will take your advice regarding northern England into consideration for our next visit! Any particular location you would recommend?
I’m from Liverpool, so my recommendation is Liverpool. Lots of maritime stuff (including a great Maritime Museum) and you may also like the Western Approaches museum, which was an underground bunker from where the Atlantic convoys of WW2 were planned and directed.Oh, and there was a popular beat combo from the 60s that have inspired a few local attractions.
Thanks for the advice on Liverpool. Also, I love The Monkees (ha ha)!
So…
As much as I find the “sport” of competitive eating to be weirdly fascinating, I unfortunately also find the sight of those guys pounding down wet hot dogs to be nausea-inducing. Also, I like Nathan’s hot dogs and would hate to have them ruined for me. Reluctant pass.
First of all, Nathan’s hot dogs are the best. Second of all, this seems right up my alley (weird “sport,” colorful characters competing to be the best at something absolutely trivial), but just looking at still in the video is making me nauseous.
one of those men is in it to win, the other to eat hotdogs. It’s clear as day
I can eat 50 eggs…
no one can eat 50 eggs…
I can eat 50…
why’d you have to say 50? why not something like 35?…
Eating lots of hot dogs is not a sport. I usually don’t get drawn into the stupid “a sport/not a sport” debates, but I just cannot help myself here. Eating hot dogs is not a sport.
Eating competitions are disgusting. Not sure why anyone thinks it makes sense to train their stomachs to consume as much food as possible in ten minutes while other people have little to nothing to eat. Especially since there are actual medical consequences of doing this to your body.I also don’t understand why sponsors / broadcasters of the event get almost no flack for supporting this or offering prize money to the “winners.” Just gross all-around.
I remember seeing one of the contests one year. After a lot of swimming in the pool and just as much beer, you don’t really care what’s on TV. An American won (don’t know if it was the guy in this doc) against an Asian guy (again I can’t remember who). I know that announcers are supposed to hype whatever gig they’re at to the moon, but having a guy on ESPN make the claim that that moment was the greatest accomplishment in American sports both angered and depressed me.
Just watched the hot dog thing. I think I can safely say I wasn’t expecting a bear to be involved.