Tuesday, March 10, 2009

THE SPORT OF EATING......

Those of you who have been reading my blog know I don't have a soapbox. I don't often feel the need to proclaim or protest. But, I found a soapbox recently and today I will use it. You and I need to change something. We need to stop this. We need to eliminate the great American pasttime of The Eating Contest. These take place all across our country, from street festivals to county fairs and to the mecca of them all, Coney Island Park. We start out early by taking school children and lining them up at a long table, their hands obediently clasped behind them. At the sound of the whistle, they go face down into foil pie tins full of custard and whipped cream. It is not cute. It is not funny. They look like piglets at the trough. The child who can eat the most in the fastest time gets that trophy. And here begins another generation of Fat Americans. Gluttony is rewarded.

Clear that mess off the table and have a better competition. Give each child a big box of popsicle sticks, some paper clips and some glue. Watch them use math and science, physics and a large amount of creativity and let them build. The child who creates the tallest Piece of Artwork wins that trophy. How proud he or she would be! A trophy worthy of the center space on the mantle. The adults who participate in these Eating Contests train for them. They eat large amounts of food, stretching their stomachs for competition day. Then, with both fists, they stuff hotdogs, or dill pickles, or wings or giant turkey legs into their mouths until they can't eat any more. They eat so much they get sick, but do make it back to the table to get that trophy. How proud they must be? A result of this Disgusting Practice is yet another negative image of the Ugly American. People around the world who hate us for any number of reasons can add gluttony to our sins. The millions of hungry people will, sooner or later, see this display of arrogance and disrespect for food; that commodity they need so badly. We must stop this. Here's your trophy.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen!
Suze

Anonymous said...

I totally agree that food is used for all the wrong reasons! Gross big time. But what is wrong with the person that watches these events? It is a two way street...without the viewer there would be no event. Dee

Anonymous said...

Which is why I wrote the piece, to get people to think about why they watch, if they do. I want people who organize these events to think about it, and those who watch to turn their backs. I myself change the channel immediately! Why do people watch "wrestling"?

Vanessa Vaile said...

Always found them sad, never entertaining. Although there are festivals in other places those in attendance eat hearty - larger than usual servings , I can't think of any place else that glorifies and gives awards to gluttony. Yet there is an "International (not national) Federation of Competitive Eating"... actually two organizations and, according to Wikipedia, eating contests were popular in Japan in the 90s but now frowned upon and not unknown in the UK (though theirs lean to more bizarre menus)

Anonymous said...

Ever notice how at restaurants they always serve enough for two people and charge more, even though we only want one serving?
That's why America has such a high obesity rate compared to other countries.