Me v. Man v. Food

Last Sunday was the first perfect Spring day. Sunny, temperatures in the high 50s, and a delightful breeze. It was the perfect day to get out for a nice walk, do some yard work, or just enjoy being outside after the brutal Winter we experienced here in the Northeast.

Naturally, I spent it indoors watching the Man v. Food marathon on The Travel Channel.

For those of you who have not seen the show, it stars Adam Richman, a big, friendly “New Yawker” type of guy with an appetite that would make Galactus envious. Every episode features Adam traveling to a different American city and exploring the different “big food” options that the various restaurants in the city have to offer. Think of it as Bizarre Foods with less insects and bigger portions. Each episode culminates in Adam facing off against some local restaurant’s “food challenge”, which usually entails eating eating insane amounts of ginormous portions of bar food. Sometimes, impossibly spicy foods  are thrown in, for good measure.

One thing you can say for Adam, he is not one to back away from a challenge. Among the highlights of yesterday’s challenges:

– In Amarillo, TX, Adam had to consume a 4.5 lb. steak, a baked potato, beans, a roll and butter, a shrimp cocktail, and (I assume) for health reasons, a salad. Adam aced this challenge in record time.

– In Columbus, OH, Adam took on the “Dagwood Sandwich“, 2 1/2 lbs. of deli meat and a pound of fries. Again, no problem for Adam.

– He slurped down a huge amount of oysters in New Orleans. As someone who cannot swallow even one oyster, I was as impressed as  I was horrified.

Of course, Adam is not always victorious. In Boston, he failed  to finish the “Challenge Burger“, which was essentially 12 POUNDS(!) of food. In other episodes, he and his co-contestants can be observed purging themselves after their victories and near defeats.

So what, you may ask, is the allure of a show that features a fat guy, shoving massive amounts of unhealthy food down his pie hole? Well, for one thing, health concerns aside, they feature some really yummy looking dishes (someday I will  try a “Jucy Lucy” burger!). It could also be viewed as a tribute to the human spirit. No matter the challenge, Adam gamely steps up to table and takes it on head first. That kind of “can-do” attitude is sadly lacking in many reality shows today.

For most of us, though, it is just the pure of wonder of watching just how much one human being can consume in a sitting.

That, and waiting for the “Very Special Episode” where Adam suffers a massive coronary while trying to eat a pallet of Buffalo Wings.

I thinks they’ll save that for sweeps, though.

For another view of Man v. Food, head over to CliqueClack Food and read Guest-clacker Nicole Yate’s version….

Clacked by Bill White
on Apr 08, 2009 @ 13:00 EST5EDT