SIRI AGRELL
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail Published on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008 12:00AM EDT Last updated on Friday, Mar. 13, 2009 10:16AM EDT
Not long ago, you had to go to Coney Island if you wanted to be entertained by the unbelievable gluttony of total strangers.
But the popularity of Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest seems to have sparked a stuff-your-face revolution in popular entertainment.
The Food Network is reportedly launching a new reality series called Eat the Clock, loosely modelled on The Amazing Race, in which teams will hightail it to various eateries and try to out-cram each other.
The network home of Mario Batali and Bobby Flay is just the latest to recognize the widespread interest in gut-busting competitions. A cable channel called G4, usually dedicated to video-game news, launched a show called Hurl! earlier this year, in which contestants stuff themselves before being made to do belly-flops and other stomach-churning activities.
Spike TV and ESPN regularly air Major League Eating events, including the Coney Island hot dog eating contest, which is credited with bringing widespread attention to the wide-mouthed sport.
Video-game giant Nintendo also got in the competitive gluttony industry earlier this year by launching Major League Eating: The Game for its Wii system.
Players can adopt the role of real-life power eaters Joey Chestnut, Juliet Lee or Takeru Kobayashi and "simulate a variety of eating techniques including the cram, toss, and typewriter," according to the game's website.
But don't worry, there is also a virtual character named Dan the Paramedic.
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