Is a hot-dog eating contest Kosher?
On October 25th, 2009, Brooklyn Burger Boyz will be hosting a hot-dog eating contest at their Brooklyn location:
This grand event will be held on Sunday October 25th at Brooklyn Burger Boyz, 533 Kings Highway in Brooklyn between the hours of 1 & 2PM.
The Hot Dogs will be supplied by A&H – Abeles & Heymann Franks, held to the strictest Kosher standards while our buns will be supplied by Pas Yisrael. A large percentage of our proceeds will be donated to food relate causes.
It will $10 to enter and each contestant will be given 5 minutes to see how many hot dogs he can eat in that time. The first 5 winners will receive a free Brooklyn Burger Boyz meal for 2 – $25 value, plus a $300 cash prize for whoever come in first. So come Sunday October 25 and enjoy a feast of the greatest Kosher Hot Dogs
Is this an appropriate event for a Kosher audience? I’m not sure. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have participated in a Kosher eating contest before, but something about this bothers me. Maybe it’s the “wasting” of bread? Maybe it’s the chance of a “reversal”? What’s your opinion?
[...] Original post by Steven Weinberger [...]
Considering that we’re not supposed to be gluttonous, I’d say that this event is quite inappropriate.
I don’t know if I’d consider it gluttonous. They’re not eating to eat – it’s a competition that just happens to involve eating. So they’re competing. That’s kosher, ain’t it?
I agree that these kind of events seem gluttonous and glorify overeating. On the other hand, the proceeds go to tzeduka, so that should offset some of the negative aspects.
Totally unrelated but – if you’d like to see Pop Tarts be kosher, please sign this petition:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/KosherPT/petition.html
Yeah, it’s unrelated. Please don’t try to hijack a thread.
Nadine – As long as the proceeds go to tzedaka we can get away with doing whatever we want?
Oh please. It’s only a hot dog eating contest. Lighten up.
The contest got some coverage in the NY Post.
Eating a large amount of food in a short amount of time is , by definition, gluttonous. I’m not going to touch the tzedaka-justification, but I’m leaning towards eating-to-live, rather than living-to-eat. Must be an after-effect of Yom Kippur.
Well, it’s obviously a great PR move. Good for them!
Nadine – Read Maimonide’s Hilchot Deot.
Just heard the latest update that the contest has been canceled due to the owners acknowledging the sensitivities to some. The event will be replaced by a family fun day, featuring t-shirts, prizes and coupons with purchases that day going to food related causes. Brooklyn Burger Boyz will be providing more specifics later on
Congratulations to Steve Weinberger on winning the 2010 ASBEE pickle eating contest last week.
Guilty as charged. I did mention above that I’ve been in eating contests before. The point of the thread was to open the discussion. I tend to believe that there’s a difference when bread is involved. What do you think?
Halachically, bread might make a difference.
But you are no longer an eating contest participant, now you are an eating contest winner.
On the other hand, ASBEE is now, apparently, hosting the kosher BBQ World Championship.
Thank you for noticing. :)
The name change to “Kosher BBQ World Championship”, is to differentiate the ASBEE competition from the offshoot competitions – some of which have been calling themselves the original.