Lifestyle

How the Sausage Gets Made at the Hot-Dog-Eating Contest

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Next week, thousands of spectators will arrive in Coney Island to watch the annual Fourth of July hot-dog-eating contest at Nathan’s, a perfect encapsulation of American excess, consumerism, and competition. It is also an event where it’s become difficult to separate fact from fiction: After it was announced a few weeks ago that defending champ Joey Chestnut was banned from this year’s contest, some wondered whether it was all a stunt to gin up publicity. It’s a reasonable assumption: The event is run by two brothers who handle PR for Nathan’s, and the show has a long history of gimmicks. What’s the truth? Chris Crowley recently spent some time at the Shea brothers’ Madison Avenue office to see if he could figure out whether Chestnut is being positioned for a triumphant 11th-hour arrival or if this recent beef is, in fact, real.

—Alan Sytsma, food editor, New York

How the Sausage Is Made Separating real controversy from kayfabe with the brothers behind the Nathan’s hot-dog-eating contest.

Photo: Camilo Fuentealba
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