Why Are Hot Dogs The Must Eat Junk Food?

On Forever Knight,eight hundred year old vampire cop, Detective Nick Knight takes what appears to be a cure to his vampire affliction. After a steady diet of blood for eight hundred years, what's the first human food Nick eats like a hog, hot dogs.

In Superman / Batman Apocalypse, Superman as Clark Kent takes his cousin Kara from Krypton shopping for clothes and buys her hot dogs for lunch. Clark tells Kara, this is what Earth girls do, Kara. Kara replies, she thinks she will have a lot of fun as an Earth girl.

Kung Fu, The Legend Continues, Peter Cain tries to introduce his father to a hot dog. His father Qui Chang Cain replies he is a simple priest and prefers rice.

I'm sure there are more examples.

Why, do you think, hot dogs are so appealing?
 
I don't know. But, NEW JERSEY is the hot dog capital of the world.

On LI the only hot dog place was Nathans.

In Jersey every town has their own hot dog joint. Wind Mill in Long Branch is shaped like a Wind Mill. Directly across the street is Max's. There's Jony's and Rut's Huts, plus a slew of others.

The amazing thing is, they all have an individual taste. Rut's Hut which is off Rte 3 near the Meadowlands has the most incredible topping. It's a mustard relish that is delicious. If you're ever at any of the Arena's it's worth the trip afterwards.
 
In American culture hot dogs are a ubiquitous food representing both the frivolity of childhood and the mature blue collar Protestant work ethic.

Burgers and pizza are limited by commercial constraint considerations whereas dogs are not.
Sandwiches are just not... manly enough.
Spaghetti's too ethnic.
Salad? Puh-leeeze.
An apple: too health nutty, ergo highbrow which distances the action character from the broadest meat&taters general audience.

Meat + taters = dog + bun
Nothing fancy.
Nothing complicated.


Just... stick to hot dogs.
 
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Was never a fan myself (always preferred a hamburger) but it is definitely the go-to food for media to sell "american-ness". Easy to eat, recognizable and lots of variations across the country, it is an effective representation.

Grew up in Central New York (Oswego), where a coney (white hot) was just as common. Didn't realize it was a regional thing. Though I don't miss them the way I do salt potatoes and cheese curds! Oh, and thanks for the reminder, ray. Apples. CNY apples are awesome. Pittsburgh? Not so much....
 
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Why, do you think, hot dogs are so appealing?

I don't think it's the most eaten junk food.

It's a cultural thing. Jou eat it, not only becouse its delicious. Jou also eat it becouse evrytime jou eat one, you also enjoy the good feelings jou had of the Hot Dogs before that.....
Jou know, the memory of jou and joure Dad and joure first hot dog......Joure first bal game and Hot dog, Joure first date and a Hot dog. The first time you moved in joure own apartment. Jou where to lazy to buy food so jou bougt......Hot dogs.......Joure first Baby......You waited for hours, joure wife asks jou to get some food...Jou get some Hot Dogs, becouse its fast...when joure come back jou look at joure first Boy......He grows up..........and jou Buy him his first Hot Dog ...

You could make a small Hot dog Movie.

In Nederland we al eat Frikandellen....Its not the same....
 
Sausage, bread, beer. What more do you need?

It's not junk food, junk food is McD's and crap.
 
I have to say, I've never been sentimental about hot dogs. They literally bring back no memories for me.

But, a few things I've been dying to have that I just can't find anymore -

FIZZIES (real fizzies) not this fake sugar crap. You drop these little tablets into water and they turn it into a flavored pop. Very much like a tasty alka seltzer.

Wilheim's Strawberry Shortcake: They went out of business. No one made it like them.

Buzoni Toaster Pizza: Strange, but really good.

Grand Union's Almond Cookie: Last year Karen brought one home that touched on the sweetness of Grand Unions. But, not quite.

Frozen meat like lasagna/meatloaf/salsibury steak. They came in pouches that you'd drop in boiling water for 15 minutes. They were disgustingly good. I'd watch the late and late late movie and eat this crap.
 
I'm not convinced of this idea that you see more people in movies eating hot dogs than any other fast food. I see plenty of Chinese take-out, drive-thru burgers, and deli sandwiches. MDM, I think your sources are kind of cherry-picked, they're not exactly mainstream.

If I'm to join the conversation on the dog, itself, yeah that's about as American as you can get. Personally, I'm pretty loyal to Hebrew National. Gimme some shredded cheddar, diced onions and tomatoes, yellow mustard, and I'm a happy camper!
 
All-beef Vienna hot dogs are the only way to go for me. Either plain or 'with everything' (aka: chicago style.)

Word! Extra sport peppers for me. Also, slaw dogs, and chili dogs. So many.

Got a joint by me that makes and smokes their own dogs, and they have all those toppings and more.

But I agree, I don't see them in many movies. Unless someone's at a ball game, or hot dog cart in a major city.
 
Hot Dogs & Apple Pie... it's an American thing.

Here in upstate NY we have a bunch of hot dog places, Schenectady has a couple; Newest Lunch and Broadway Lunch... then there's Gusses in Troy, NY.

It's all about the meat sauce, mustard & onions here. To order a dog with the 'works' you simply say, "Sweep the floor"! Most people get them with frys and a side of brown gravy to dip them in....YUMMY!

(now I'm hungry....) :)
 
Tips for visitors to Chicago wanting hot dogs:

Get into the neighborhoods. That means you need to get north of Fullerton Ave (I'm don'tn frequent the south side but everything here should apply.) Going to a 'Chicago Hot Dog' stand downtown/navy pier or near tourist traps are not going to yield good results and should be avoided.

You're not going to be looking for a chain or franchise. You want to keep your eyes peeled for anything resembling a white shack. The smaller the better. They are everywhere, though so it won't take you long to find one. (btw, this piece of advice applies to anyone looking for good gyros, too)

Do not ask for a Chicago-style. Well, you can, but that's not the way to order. If you want Chicago-style, just say 'with everything' (like I mentioned in my previous post.) Oh, and NEVER ask for ketchup. They don't even carry it.
 
Chicago style is one of my fave dogs. Gotta be the poppy bun. Gotta be the Vienna Beef. Gotta have sport peppers, pickle, tomatoes... and some mustard. Is there also a shake of celery seed? I forget.
 
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