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Post by junkdna on Jul 7, 2008 9:32:01 GMT 8
Staring into the wiener abyss, the pair found the pluck to continue, devouring the beef and buns with renewed gusto, before Chestnut finally prevailed to chants of "USA!"While I really don't care who won or lost, I must say, I am extremely disappointed in the rude behavior of the audience (fellow Americans of mine, I'm assuming). It doesn't matter where the participants are from. That said, I don't think it was a conscientious thought in their heads that they might be insulting the other players, however I know that if I was in a eating contest in Japan, I wouldn't be happy if the audience started yelling: "Nippon" *clapclapclap* "Nippon". mdn.mainichi.jp/national/news/20080705p2a00m0na001000c.html
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yopparaisaru
Englipedia Fana
I drink copious amounts of fire and piss excellence
Posts: 312
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Post by yopparaisaru on Jul 7, 2008 10:55:50 GMT 8
Yea but you know it would have. (The Nippon part) I don't think its bad at all, and if I was in the stands I'd prolly be chanting USA too. I mean, if you think about the Nathan's hotdog eating competition is an American tradition (albeit a not very well known one). But just the same, its a time, July 4th when nationalism is usually at a high point in the states in a contest against other countries at a sport that has for the last few years been dominated by the japanese. Too the fat Americans out there thats got to be pretty galling. That this skinny japanese guy can out eat these huge Americans.
But aside from all that, in the end its no different then shouting USA and waving an American flag at the Olympics when America is competing. And you know there's gonna be 70 other countries doing the exact same thing. Its not meant to be insulting to the other players, its meant to route on your team, or in this case your player.
To continue my awfully disjointed rant (which is over soon) the japanese nationalistic side of this is shown during the sumo tourneys. While the fans may not scream Nippon! Nippon! they passive-aggressively cheer for their team while actually insulting the foreigners in their midst. I went to a sumo tournament once, and while the crowds weren't screaming their country"s name, every time a foreign sumo left the ring, the next japanese fighter would throw extra handfulls, or heaping amounts of "purifying" salt on the ring naturally to the cheers of the japanese fans.
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Post by Otaku on Jul 7, 2008 11:00:22 GMT 8
I bet the Japanese contestant was from my school and was starving from not eating all the crappy lunches...
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Post by junkdna on Jul 8, 2008 9:30:06 GMT 8
Hmmm, I don't know that I would compare a hot dog contest to the Olympics personally. But my point is, don't you find it a matter of embarassment? I do. Frankly, I don't care if other spectators are poor 'sportsmen' (so to speak), I would think a little hot dog contest would have more spirit-of-the-contest spectators. And what would have happened if the American had lost after the 'USA!' cheering? Would they have perhaps 'boo'd the Japanese guy? That would have been outright wrong. Yea but you know it would have. (The Nippon part) I don't think its bad at all, and if I was in the stands I'd prolly be chanting USA too. I mean, if you think about the Nathan's hotdog eating competition is an American tradition (albeit a not very well known one). But just the same, its a time, July 4th when nationalism is usually at a high point in the states in a contest against other countries at a sport that has for the last few years been dominated by the japanese. Too the fat Americans out there thats got to be pretty galling. That this skinny japanese guy can out eat these huge Americans. But aside from all that, in the end its no different then shouting USA and waving an American flag at the Olympics when America is competing. And you know there's gonna be 70 other countries doing the exact same thing. Its not meant to be insulting to the other players, its meant to route on your team, or in this case your player. To continue my awfully disjointed rant (which is over soon) the japanese nationalistic side of this is shown during the sumo tourneys. While the fans may not scream Nippon! Nippon! they passive-aggressively cheer for their team while actually insulting the foreigners in their midst. I went to a sumo tournament once, and while the crowds weren't screaming their country"s name, every time a foreign sumo left the ring, the next japanese fighter would throw extra handfulls, or heaping amounts of "purifying" salt on the ring naturally to the cheers of the japanese fans.
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yopparaisaru
Englipedia Fana
I drink copious amounts of fire and piss excellence
Posts: 312
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Post by yopparaisaru on Jul 8, 2008 10:03:36 GMT 8
I don't think it was such a big deal. I mean it was just a group of people cheering for their country in what became a contest between the USA and Japan. You'll notice in the article it says that the fans didn't start cheering USA until it was down to the overtime 5 hotdogs. When it was clearly a contest between America's Joey Chestnut and Japan's Takeru Kobayashi. And as I said on my last post, you can't forget that the contest was held on July 4th. If there's ever a time to be rooting for your country its on your country's birthday. (popularly celebrated anyway if not the actual day...) Also if Kobayashi had won I don't think there would have been any booing, afterall he was a favorite for 6 years straight, a favorite among the competitors and the crowd alike. If there was booing, then yes that would have been wrong. But in the end it was like you said a Hot dog eating contest, does anyone honestly care enough to boo the loser of an eating contest?!? Also in a bit of a seperate topic about Kobayashi, he competed against a freakin kodiak bear in a hot dog eating contest! jp.youtube.com/watch?v=HgqbCq_sxmo
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