Countdown to Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest!

The 4th of July is here and I’m insatiable for the return of Nathan's 2011 International Hot Dog Eating Contest, broadcasted live on ESPN. What can I say, sparklers and the Boston Pops used to captivate me too, now its one of the more bizarre feats in human history—competitive eating. Go figure.

This 4th of July juggernaut is about as American as it gets. Tons of food, gross over-consumption, and controversy—it’s got it all.  Funny, I can’t stomach watching any other form of competitive eating, but there’s just something about Nathan’s fairly disgusting throwdown—a singular sense of the absurd, perhaps—that is impossible to turn away from. Consider the ridiculousness of it all: Everyday people from all walks of life who pay taxes and join the PTA actually do this for a living, and survive. They also enjoy quirky celebrity of a sort and, as members of Major League Eating, tour their very own circuit. Only in America.

For me the fascination begins and ends with the sport’s larger-than-life personalities.  Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas and reigning champ Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, who last year downed 54 beefy links in 10 minutes to take the crown, are heroes of the sport. The nemesis role belongs to six-time Nathan’s titleholder, Takeru Kobayashi, who hoovers food with samurai-like attack and actually bested a 1,089-pound Kodiak bear in a head-to-head eating duel. Plus, the monikers are gold.

Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest has taken place every year since its inaugural chow-down in 1916, except, oddly enough, when it was cancelled to accommodate that other American pastime, protesting; first in 1941, when an objection to the war in Europe was staged, and again in 1971, when the dog days of summer halted for a stand against “free love” and civil unrest.

I’m proud to say that this year is free and clear and that I’m pulling for The Black Widow. How about you? Send me your reply on Facebook or on Twitter @ThorntonEditing!

Chess, Mates! Bobby Fischer Posthumously Resurfaces…

Good yarn alert! Word on the street is that HBO has spun another winner, folks. This time around it is the compelling new documentary Bobby Fischer Against the World, which premiers tonight at 9 p.m. EST and kicks off the network’s documentary Summer Series. Early reviews mark this one as a winner—a captivating look at a compelling and controversial character. In this case, one the most bewildering figures of the 20th century, Bobby Fischer; a brilliant chess prodigy who became a grandmaster in his teens (the youngest in history), took on Boris Spassky in 1972, and retreated into seclusion except for the rare occasions he would pop up and puzzle the world with bizarre antics and erratic behavior.

 

Director Liz Garbus has earned raves for her skilled direction—and I have no doubt she deserves every kudo. But let’s be honest, I could be behind the lens of this one and have a decent shot of making it serviceably watchable. Fischer is that interesting—and troubling.  Mad genius? Boy wonder? Tragic figure? Check it out and let me know what you think... 

Memorial Day: Don’t Forget the Fallen

 As you prepare for what I hope is a long, wonderful weekend, take time to remember those who have served and bravely made the ultimate sacrifice. In their honor, here are a few Memorial Day observances...

Great Book Alert! Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin

My entire life I was convinced that books were my passion until I realized that they were the porthole to my real passion—history. (What gave it away, I wonder…the documentary collection, the repeated readings of Shelby Foote’s Civil War trilogy, the college major?).

On the book front, I’ve been on a roll lately. Somehow—and I honestly don't know how this happened—I missed Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin when it was released last year. And shame on me. Needless to say I’ve made up for lost time and devoured the non-fiction thriller in three days. 

Author Hampton Sides (Ghost Soldiers, Blood and Thunder, Americana) is a truly proficient storyteller and at top of his game with the hold-your-breath Hellhound—a lightning-quick account of the months leading up to and the aftermath of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. All three of book’s principal characters—a human King; his assassin, the enigmatic James Earl Ray, and J. Edgar Hoover, a riddle who for years waged his own campaign to bring down the Civil Rights leader, but instead would be tasked with hunting down his killer. A riveting three-parter, Hellhound does the impossible—it humanizes King, while giving us a glimpse into the troubled Ray, who not only engineered an ingenious escape from prison (he was on the lam when he shot King), but very nearly evaded justice for one of the most notorious slayings in history. 

Sides is at his best when describing the moments following King’s killing (a brutal, sometimes beautiful rendering by the author), the night after his now prophetic Mountaintop Speech, when he said “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!” 

My one quibble (maybe) is that Hellhound is a little thin on Ray’s motives for killing King beyond racist comments and a connection to George Wallace’s presidential campaign—a shortcoming Sides compensates for with a compelling story and meticulous reporting. 


I encourage you to read all about it in the book! And please leave a comment to recommend what I should be reading…

HerStory: History is NOT Boring

In middle school—way back when history teachers moonlighted as gym teachers and history curricula consisted of dates with no relevance to 7th graders and definitions that only resurface on final Jeopardy! (a fave, by the way)—the logic that brainwashed people into believing that “history is boring” had legs. (I never drank the kool-aid, personally, but I understand how this rumor got floated.)

The launch of Herstorical Perspectives marks an enlightening separation of fact (history rocks!) from fiction (“history is boring”). As a porthole through which to examine history as it relates to all aspects of modern culture and lifestyle through a uniquely feminine lens (in short, no look backs at the Teapot Dome scandal or analysis of General Patton’s battle plans), Herstorical Perspectives will emphasize that which is most fascinating—the narratives of people, places, and turning points; the human element of the past that informs the present.

Those who recently read Stacy Schiff’s insightful Cleopatra: A Life or Laura Hillenbrand’s page-turner Unbroken know how compelling narrative history is. If you forgot (or simply never realized), Herstorical Perspectives aims to change your mind.