Lawrence Rubin, psychologist and counseling professor, is co-author with psychiatrist Mike Brody of Messages: Self Help Through Popular Culture. See full bio
I remember exactly where I was when I first witnessed a professional eating competition. I was channel surfing during a rare quiet moment at home, when I landed on a re-run of the ‘Krystal Hamburger Square Off', a gorge-fest sponsored by the International Federation of Competitive Eaters (IFOCE). A slim Japanese man by the name of Takeru Kobayashi inhaled what seemed like a tablefull of Krystal burgers in minutes. I couldn't decide if I was disgusted or enthralled. However, my appetite both intellectual and prurient had been whetted.
In the spirit of psychology, I sought answers. Turning first to the psychology literature, I found virtually nothing. Sure, there was a vast body of writing on bulimia, exhibitionism, self-destructiveness and oral masochism. A dead end.
Perhaps sociology could offer answers as to why these so-called ‘gurgitators' would inhale everything from hot dogs to mayonnaise under the pressure of time and before live screaming audiences...of thousands. I found an article in the Iowa Journal of Cultural Studies by Vivian Nun Halloran entitled "Biting Reality: Extreme Eating and the Fascination with the Gustatory Abject" (2004, issue 4, pp. 24-42). She believed that people are drawn to these eating spectacles in order to purge themselves of the forbidden desire to consume taboo foods (in mass quantities). Made good sense to me!
My hunger to understand led me into cultural anthropology and the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE), where I queried into the popularity of pie eating competitions at local, county, and state fairs. It seemed that this phenomenon was not nearly as popular as it used to be, when fairs were more closely anchored to their agricultural roots, rather than the high-tech carnivals that they have become. Nevertheless, this research helped me to understand that professional competitive eating may very well be the vestige of millennia-old agricultural rites and rituals.
And then, the call came in from New York, the center of the world of professional competitive eating. I was asked to referee the upcoming ‘Twister Soft Pretzel Competition in Miami. My children jumped at the idea; however, my wife felt morally bound to decline the invitation. I had arrived at the Mecca, for there before me on the dais were the Horsemen (and women) of the Esophagus. My heroes-Tim Janus, aka ‘Eater X', Sonya Thomas, aka "The Black Widow', and none other than soon-to-be world champion speed eater Joey Chestnut. Even more fascinating and stomach-turning than the competition (which lasted all of 10 minutes) was the audience's reaction to share in the un-eaten leftovers. They stormed the stage, stuffing pretzels in their mouths and pockets. Mass bulimia?! A primitive group oral orgy?! Fifteen thousand inadequate anonymous souls seeking fifteen minutes of fame?
To this day, my questions remain unanswered, and I have come to ask even more. Is this sport or spectacle, or both? Is it a stage for vicarious satisfaction of unacceptable needs, orality gone wild in a society that values speed, records, and self-debasement, or just plain old fun? I have attempted to express my understanding in a chapter entitled "Beyond Bread and Circuses: Professional Competitive Eating" in my volume "Food for Thought: Essays on Eating and Culture' .
Next time you find yourself at home with a quiet moment, search YouTube for a professional eating competition, and you decide. Here is a cool clip featuring Takeru Kobayashi.
