1 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: Cool Zone media. If there's one thing Americans love, it's excess, 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:12,600 Speaker 1: and the most intense example of all that is one 3 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: that I'm a bit of an authority on, not to brag. 4 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: It's the Nathan's Hot Dog eating Contest on Coney Island 5 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: on the fourth of July. I've been twice. By the 6 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:24,119 Speaker 1: time you hear this, I may have been three times, 7 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: and I regret to inform you that competitive eating is 8 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: the most interesting thing in the entire world, bar none, 9 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: and like many of the most interesting things in the 10 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:36,919 Speaker 1: entire world, bar none, there's a ton of weird baggage 11 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: stuffed into the arteries of this contest. I have written 12 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,480 Speaker 1: a literal book on the topic, but as a lover 13 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: of the extremely bas I legally must watch the Nathan 14 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:50,480 Speaker 1: Hot Dog Contest every single year, preferably in person, preferably 15 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: with questionable press credentials, and so believe me when I say, folks, 16 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: there's such a thing as too many hot dogs. The 17 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: man who can eat the most high dogs at present 18 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: is someone you may have heard of before, and someone 19 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: I have performed a two hour fan fiction piece about 20 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 1: on stage for about a year and a half. 21 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:11,960 Speaker 2: Hi, my name's Jamie Bethany Chestnut, and I was Joey 22 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 2: Chestnut's wife. What a weird accident that I had nothing 23 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 2: to do with it. I'm so grateful. No one plans 24 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 2: to investigate what did not happen. 25 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: His name is Joey Chestnut and that show was called 26 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: Missus Joseph Chesnut America USA. And this man, this king, 27 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: has eaten seventy six hot dogs in ten minutes. I 28 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: saw it, and you're going to see history. 29 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 3: Bud. 30 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 4: Wow, what a rash you were hearing unofficially seventy six 31 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 4: hot dogs and bonds for Joey Chestnut, which, if confirmed, 32 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 4: would they yet another world record? 33 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 5: And rich The crowd wanted this moment, Joey wanted this. 34 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 4: Moment, and we may just have it. 35 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: This is probably the event that most people in the 36 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: Western world associate with competitive eating at large. Not only 37 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: is it wrapped into a jingoistic and false idea of 38 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: what America is, it's also highly publicized and on TV 39 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: every year. But competitive eating actually took a long time 40 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: to catch on in America. It was Japan where the 41 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: concept of mass consumption first took off, creating celebrities and 42 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: popular televised events. Hell, it's where Major League Eating's first 43 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: great champion came from. The incredible to Karo Kobayashi, whose 44 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:45,360 Speaker 1: explosion onto the American scene in the two thousands immediately 45 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:49,639 Speaker 1: began doing laps around the nearest Western competitor. He made 46 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: the Coney Island event what it is today and has 47 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 1: inspired virtually every single professional eater who's come since, and yes, 48 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: that very much includes Joey Chestnut. Kobayashi was the eater 49 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: who showed the US that eating an excess was something 50 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: that one had to train their body to do. He 51 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,920 Speaker 1: was a slim guy, but he had this very specific 52 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: technique and preparation process, one that most eaters still use today. 53 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: There's an incredible thirty for thirty about Joey and Takaro's 54 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: rivalry in the late two thousands, one that heavily relied 55 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:25,799 Speaker 1: on Major League Eating's chairman, George Shay stoking racist sentiments 56 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: about Kobayashi. Because yes, this is a very American contest, 57 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: and if you want to know more about that, the 58 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: link to my book is in the description. Anyways, when 59 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: I first heard of this episode's main character, my mind 60 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: went directly to Joey, who I'm pretty sure I am 61 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: still legally married to today's main character, traffics in the 62 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: disciplined consumption of food that can kill you, and became 63 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: a folk hero in much the same way, but unlike 64 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 1: Joey Chestnut and to Karo Kobayashi. The only reason I'm 65 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: talking about it now is because this character, as is 66 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: often very dangerous, had a weird idea and then posted 67 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: about it on Twitter. Because the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating 68 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: Contest and Major League Eating in general has certainly benefited 69 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: from but isn't defined by the Internet. If anything, the 70 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 1: biggest media bolster of the Hot Dog Eating Contest has 71 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:21,239 Speaker 1: been ESPN, which broadcasts the contest every year and promotes 72 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:23,840 Speaker 1: it in the way that other news networks promote war, 73 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 1: and it's supported by the wave of traditional media that 74 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,600 Speaker 1: represents it. The Internet comments along, but it's never been 75 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 1: the engine of why the event endures as it does. 76 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: But as the years of worn on, more and more 77 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,799 Speaker 1: of Major League Eating's champions have emerged from the Internet 78 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 1: or made most of their money by adapting to it. 79 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,479 Speaker 1: The only eater who has ever defeated Joey Chestnut, this 80 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: guy named Matt Stoney, began as an eater on YouTube 81 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 1: and then later stepped away from Major League Eating and 82 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: found even more success by continuing to create his own 83 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: eating challenges online. One of my favorite eaters, who if 84 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 1: you haven't seen, Oh my god, his name is bad 85 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:02,279 Speaker 1: Land Booker. 86 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 4: I'm the Baddest Man, I'm the bad Lamp. 87 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: Is still a prominent figure in Major League Eating, but 88 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 1: is even more famous and very likely it makes more 89 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:14,680 Speaker 1: money doing chugging videos on YouTube. I know you've heard 90 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: of makes the pepsi and milk and getting what's called. 91 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 4: Pilk, but have you ever heard of doing. 92 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 1: It with chocolate milk. 93 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 4: Well, we are going to do it today, folks. 94 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 3: I present to you the Chocolate. 95 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 4: Pilp Chuck and the Biggest dos ever. 96 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: And this all kind of makes sense, right, Like, if 97 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 1: there's one thing the Internet loves that isn't spewing hate 98 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 1: speech with complete anonymity, it's a performance of excess that 99 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:47,359 Speaker 1: could very possibly kill you. I used to do it 100 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 1: too when I first moved to Los Angeles and was 101 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: working as a fact checker at Playboy. Oh and for 102 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:55,479 Speaker 1: the record, I checked and all the breasts were in 103 00:05:55,520 --> 00:06:02,280 Speaker 1: fact large. I didn't online performance piece called Shrek nudes 104 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: somebody where I painted myself green and sold my own 105 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: nudes to make money for Planned parenthood. The year after, 106 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:10,919 Speaker 1: I was working at a bookstore and had sold a 107 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,240 Speaker 1: lot of David Foster Wallace to guys who were rude 108 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 1: to me, and I did this different performance art piece 109 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: that I just posted on Twitter where I ate a 110 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:21,159 Speaker 1: third of a copy of Infinite Jess. Do I stand 111 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:24,599 Speaker 1: by these actions today? Fuck you, none of your business. 112 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 1: She was having fun. All this to say, when it 113 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 1: comes to people doing weird things for attention online, I 114 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: am in no position to judge, and I would never 115 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 1: Today's main character stands bravely and with great physical discomfort 116 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:43,359 Speaker 1: at the intersection of a physical challenge and an Internet stunt. 117 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 1: From one jokey tweet, one man was lifted by the 118 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:52,479 Speaker 1: algorithm to infamy, forced to consume day after day, tempted 119 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:56,279 Speaker 1: by capitalism and politics along the way, and depending on 120 00:06:56,320 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: who you ask, united or disgraced the nest of the 121 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 1: American colonial Project for a single afternoon Philadelphia, Chicken Man, 122 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: your sixteenth minute starts now. Now, this is the first 123 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: episode of sixteenth Minute, where I have to admit, if 124 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 1: this one didn't catch you, I don't really blame you. 125 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: But even if you don't know who the Philadelphia Chicken 126 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: Man of twenty twenty two is, today's character Alexander Timinski. 127 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: The phrase chicken man is a potent one. Maybe you've 128 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: heard it before. Con Thank a lifetime supply of frozen 129 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: chicken butt your cook on. Imagine you the chicken for 130 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: a year. 131 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 5: Now. Another exciting episode in the life of the most 132 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 5: fantastic crime fighter the world has ever know, Junior. 133 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 1: Everywhere, or in an extremely specifically ric sent to me 134 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:51,680 Speaker 1: by my brother shout out ben. 135 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 6: Here when it blew up the Chicken Man and Philly 136 00:08:57,600 --> 00:08:58,320 Speaker 6: last night. 137 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:02,240 Speaker 1: Whether we like it or or not, the very concept 138 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 1: of the Chicken Man, whatever the fuck that means, surrounds us. 139 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 1: This is kind of a special episode because I wasn't 140 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:14,079 Speaker 1: really planning on making it. When I hear Philadelphia Chicken Man, 141 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:17,839 Speaker 1: I think, Eh, maybe too regional. Eh, doesn't sound like 142 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: there's much of a story. Sure, it meant a lot, 143 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: and I mean a lot to the people of Philadelphia, 144 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 1: but didn't mean anything to anyone else. But the Chicken 145 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 1: Man was calling to me out of nowhere. About a 146 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: month ago, my friend Andrew and Philly reached out to 147 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:36,319 Speaker 1: see if I could headline a comedy show on short notice. 148 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,679 Speaker 1: I could. I really really like Philadelphia. It kind of 149 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: reminds me of Boston, the kind of place where people 150 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: get angry with you for no reason and set their 151 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 1: uncle's car on fire if their sports team loses. They're 152 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:50,360 Speaker 1: very different places. But when I'm in Philly, I feel 153 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 1: like I get it. And then I remembered there was 154 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 1: a main character in Philadelphia who's been brought up to 155 00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: me a lot, and it's a fairly recent story. Come 156 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 1: with me if you will to November twenty twenty two. 157 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 1: I know, I know, we were just in October for 158 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 1: the Coffee Wife episode, but bear with me, because twenty 159 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: twenty two is a weirdly huge year for main characters. 160 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 1: Something was in the water. November twenty twenty two, gay 161 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: marriage is legalized in Japan. Everyone's having a meltdown about inflation. 162 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 1: In the US, the midterm elections are sending everyone into 163 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:30,319 Speaker 1: an absolute hailspin. And in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a man named 164 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:34,679 Speaker 1: Alexander Taminski ate a rotisserie chicken in one sitting for 165 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 1: the fortieth day in a row. It all began with 166 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: me doing math to figure out that this started on 167 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:45,960 Speaker 1: September twenty eighth, twenty twenty two, Alex and I'll let 168 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 1: him introduce himself. In just a moment, Alex ate an 169 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:53,200 Speaker 1: entire rotisserie chicken in one sitting. Prior to this, he 170 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 1: was living his life with his wife, working for money 171 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 1: as a server at the Barclay Prime Steakhouse in the 172 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 1: Ritzy Rittenhouse Square, our neighborhood, and in previous years worked 173 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:06,439 Speaker 1: as a musician. The first chicken went down easy. Our 174 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 1: boy wanted this chicken. It was a twat, maybe, he 175 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 1: tells his wife. And it's a near certainty that his 176 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,319 Speaker 1: coworkers saw him do the deed before a shift began, 177 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: but it's an act relegated to Alex's personal circle. On 178 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:21,960 Speaker 1: day two, he thinks, you know what, let's do Round two, 179 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 1: Stay three, day four, and at some point before he 180 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 1: goes public on day eleven, he decides he's going to 181 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 1: keep this thing going, and by October eighth, he takes 182 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: to his occasionally active Twitter account at alex icon Tom 183 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: display name smooth Recess. He hadn't tweeted since September twenty seventh, 184 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:44,959 Speaker 1: Retisserie Chicken Eve the. 185 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 6: Tweet I am jealous of people that can shit in 186 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 6: public bathrooms without anxiety. A tweet from the same day, 187 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 6: the ghouls have started to arrive. 188 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: It all feels eerily connected, like an omen and by 189 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: the time that Alex twet on October eighth, his life 190 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 1: has changed. He posts a picture of himself at the 191 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 1: restaurant he works at. He's a white guy in his 192 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 1: early thirties with a beard, a hoodie, and a hat, 193 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 1: sitting in front of a chicken that he's already started 194 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:16,079 Speaker 1: in on, and looking confident. He makes eye contact with 195 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 1: the camera with a near indiscernible smirk, a cloth napkin 196 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 1: bib tied in, with his fork and knife in each hand, 197 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 1: pointing upward, ready for war. The rotisserie chicken itself is 198 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:30,199 Speaker 1: already skinned, but no salt or sauce is in sight. 199 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:33,840 Speaker 1: A glass of water, a vanilla polar seltzer, and a 200 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:38,200 Speaker 1: conspicuously gigantic carrot sit on the table before him. Most 201 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 1: chillingly of all, it is broad daylight. 202 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,720 Speaker 6: The tweet reads, I would like to invite you all 203 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,840 Speaker 6: on a journey that I am on. I am eating 204 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 6: a rotisserie chicken every day for thirty days. Today is 205 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:55,960 Speaker 6: day eleven. I will keep you all updated as I 206 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 6: get closer to my goal. Thank you. 207 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 1: At the time I'm writing this, this tweet has five 208 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:06,960 Speaker 1: hundred forty favorites and forty seven retweets. Respectable, sure, but 209 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 1: nowhere near the heights that this character in this story 210 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 1: will reach. You'll also notice that he's saying the challenge 211 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: goes for thirty days, when we citizens of the future 212 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 1: know that it actually goes for forty days. Anyways, this 213 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 1: first chicken post is supported mainly by Alex's existing followers. 214 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 1: He gets a hell yeah, he gets a do you 215 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:32,240 Speaker 1: eat a giant carrot? Every day? As well. He thanks 216 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 1: everyone for their support and posts again the next day, 217 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:38,200 Speaker 1: accompanying a picture of Alex looking at a yet to 218 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,920 Speaker 1: be tampered with rotisserie chicken gazing down in a scenic 219 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 1: public park. It's a repost of his Instagram story saying. 220 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:49,840 Speaker 6: Enjoying day twelve of eating a rotisserie chicken every day. 221 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 6: A beautiful chicken on a beautiful day in a beautiful park. 222 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 1: It keeps going from there. Alex eats chicken on the floor, 223 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 1: Alex kisses the chicken, and as time goes on he 224 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:04,680 Speaker 1: starts to look sick. Is it a performance. He'd probably 225 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 1: say no, I'd probably say yes, But no matter who's right, 226 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: it's interesting to look at. By day nineteen, he's holding 227 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:14,520 Speaker 1: his head in his hand in exhaustion. On day twenty 228 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 1: four he's standing in active discomfort. Day twenty five is 229 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:20,320 Speaker 1: the first time we see him say fuck it and 230 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: eat the damn thing straight out of the bag in 231 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 1: the grocery store. The goal changes to forty chickens, and 232 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 1: as Alex inches closer to thirty rotisserie chickens with polar 233 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:32,640 Speaker 1: Seltzer at the end of October twenty twenty two, the 234 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:36,560 Speaker 1: internet is growing interested. He hits thirty chickens on October 235 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:39,800 Speaker 1: twenty seventh, and it's a post he's sitting at the 236 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 1: same table at the restaurant he works at, Alex looking 237 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: full of sodium and triumph as he sits before an 238 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 1: uneaten rotisserie chicken with candles that announce thirty along with 239 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:55,120 Speaker 1: a little CVS centerpiece. Sixty four retweets, eight hundred and 240 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 1: thirty six favorites we're cooking. Later that day, things really 241 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 1: start to kick up. Alex posts an image to Twitter, 242 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:07,080 Speaker 1: one that will live on in temporary Internet infamy into 243 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 1: the literal day that I'm writing this. It's a simple 244 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 1: white poster with three pictures of him eating chicken in 245 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 1: distress and the following announcement in all. 246 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 6: Caps, come and watch me eat an entire rotisserie chicken. 247 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:24,800 Speaker 6: November sixth will be the fortieth consecutive day that I 248 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 6: have eaten an entire rotisserie chicken. Twelve o'clock noon, the 249 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:34,320 Speaker 6: chicken will be consumed on that abandoned pier near Walmart. 250 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 6: And most critically, this is not a party. 251 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 1: This poster is just decisive and weirdly phrased enough that 252 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:47,200 Speaker 1: it starts to do numbers online because, as I said, 253 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 1: Philadelphia is a sports town, and the combination of a 254 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 1: contentious midterm election coming up in a week and two 255 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 1: important teams still in play at the time the poster launched, 256 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: the Phillies were headed for the World Series, the Philadelphia 257 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 1: Union was set to compete in the Major League Soccer Cup. 258 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 1: Philly was up, and Alex continued in the days leading 259 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: up to what I've decided to call the event. And 260 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: here's where the story balloons from local weirdo does thing 261 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 1: near the docks to a full blown national human interest story. 262 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 1: And can I just say. Human interest pieces have got 263 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:25,000 Speaker 1: to be some of the most dreadful writing on the 264 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 1: face of the fucking planet. Every single one of these 265 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 1: stories lightly echoes the other, reducing the human it claims 266 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:35,440 Speaker 1: to be interested in with the same three or four 267 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:39,000 Speaker 1: collection of traits, no matter who's reporting it. Anyways, here's 268 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: what the New York Times said. The city had lost 269 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:44,360 Speaker 1: the World Series and the Major League Soccer Cup final 270 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: on Saturday in a span of about five hours. But 271 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,760 Speaker 1: at twelve pm on Sunday, at an abandoned pier along 272 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 1: the Delaware River, a bearded man in a white sleeveless 273 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: shirt sat at a makeshift table and stared intently at 274 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:00,560 Speaker 1: the plate as dozens gathered around. They braced for gusts 275 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: of wind in order to cheer him in the final 276 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:06,720 Speaker 1: stretch of a self imposed challenge to devour forty rotisserie 277 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 1: chickens in forty days. Maybe the man Alexander Tominsky thirty 278 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: one would like to be the one to bring them 279 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 1: redemption after a miserable weekend filled with defeat. Most of 280 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:21,280 Speaker 1: these pieces, the one in Food Network magazine, the one 281 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:24,399 Speaker 1: in Philadelphia Magazine, the one in the Philly Inquirer, and 282 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 1: on and on and on, all feature the same matters 283 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:31,880 Speaker 1: of information. Alexander Tominsky is thirty one, his day job 284 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:35,000 Speaker 1: is server at restaurant, and all of this somehow has 285 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:38,399 Speaker 1: to do with Philadelphia sports and from where I'm sitting 286 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 1: and the main character's opinion. The story is even less 287 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 1: complicated than this implies, but I'm getting ahead of myself. 288 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 1: In the ten days leading up to the event, Alex 289 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:52,679 Speaker 1: introduces cauliflower florets as a side dish to the chicken. 290 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 1: On day thirty four, He's pulling over a thousand likes 291 00:17:56,119 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 1: on every Chicken post by day thirty five, twenty two 292 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 1: thousand life by day thirty seven, and on the eve 293 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:05,719 Speaker 1: of the fortieth Rotisserie Chicken, a picture of Alex palming 294 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 1: a chicken on the pier and scowling has forty six 295 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:12,879 Speaker 1: thousand likes. And then it happened. On the morning of 296 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:17,520 Speaker 1: November sixth, twenty twenty two, at nine twenty one am, Alex. 297 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:19,600 Speaker 6: Tweeted, I hope they greased the poles. 298 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,199 Speaker 1: At eleven twenty three am, he posted the tableau of 299 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:26,120 Speaker 1: where he'd be eating as promised, on that abandoned pier 300 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 1: near Walmart, and while as he said it was not 301 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 1: a party. A makeshift red carpet was held down with 302 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 1: bricks leading up to a simple table with a white tablecloth. 303 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,600 Speaker 1: The setup is as it was in the previous thirty 304 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:41,639 Speaker 1: nine days, a rotisseriy chicken, a polar seltzer, a single seat. 305 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 1: At eleven fifty three am, he posted a picture of 306 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:47,240 Speaker 1: his view from the table with a caution tape line 307 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 1: across the end of the red carpet, where a crowd 308 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 1: of hundreds of people are gathering to watch the fortieth 309 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 1: chicken be consumed. Alex enters through the I have to admit, 310 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:00,399 Speaker 1: very polite crowd and walks to the right of the 311 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:03,479 Speaker 1: red carpet. He's really big on this not being a party. 312 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:06,280 Speaker 1: There's no music playing, and he doesn't seem to be 313 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:09,359 Speaker 1: interested in interacting with the most festive thing about the 314 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:12,440 Speaker 1: space the carpet. One of the assembled members asks him 315 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:27,359 Speaker 1: where the chicken came from. The crowd continues to grow 316 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:30,640 Speaker 1: as the noon start time ekes closer and Alex keeps 317 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 1: the crowd laughing. In the meantime, the clock strikes noon. 318 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,280 Speaker 1: The whole event takes about an hour, and Alex is 319 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 1: milking it. It's an unseasonably warm day, but still pretty 320 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:09,600 Speaker 1: windy right on the pier, and the act of eating 321 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:12,960 Speaker 1: forty chickens is so intense on the body that no 322 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:15,359 Speaker 1: one is surprised when the chicken Man needs to remove 323 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,040 Speaker 1: layers until he's down to that white tank top that 324 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:22,040 Speaker 1: men wear that's nicknamed after domestic violence. It's an undershirt. 325 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 1: It's a white undershirt. We can retire the other word. 326 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:28,440 Speaker 1: And as the Chickenman gets closer, wind sing through it, 327 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: crushing the water bottle beside his trusty polar Seltzer, the 328 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 1: crowd starts to get rowdy, but to be clear, this 329 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:48,639 Speaker 1: is not a party, and when that last piece of 330 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 1: heavily processed chicken clears, Bruce Springsteen's Streets of Philadelphia begins 331 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:56,400 Speaker 1: to play, and the crowd is permitted to rush past 332 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:59,879 Speaker 1: the yellow caution tape and embrace the Chickenman. In celebration, 333 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: he gives a short speech announcing to the crowd. 334 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:06,719 Speaker 6: I'm no hero, I'm but a man. I ate the chicken. 335 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:09,439 Speaker 6: I did the best I can. I just thank you 336 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 6: all for being here and thanks for watching me consume. 337 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:16,840 Speaker 1: His final tweet on the matter has one hundred thirty 338 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 1: eight thousand likes and ninety seven hundred retweets. It's a 339 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:24,560 Speaker 1: picture of Alex, his face flushed with sodium and adrenaline, 340 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:28,399 Speaker 1: holding the empty rotisserie chicken tray above his head in celebration, 341 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:33,480 Speaker 1: shouting to the crowd of thrilled Philadelphia denizens, He's done it. 342 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 6: It's captioned forty days eating an entire rotisserie chicken hashtag chicken. 343 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:44,640 Speaker 1: When We Come Back. I walked from my friend's apartment 344 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:52,120 Speaker 1: in South Philly to go and see the Chicken Man. 345 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 1: Welcome back to sixteenth minute. I was the president of 346 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: something I called Mad Cow Club in the fourth grade, 347 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:07,879 Speaker 1: and I'll say it again, it was not my plan 348 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:10,680 Speaker 1: to interview the Chicken Man. But as I walked down 349 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,080 Speaker 1: the street to where the Chickenman lives with his wife 350 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:16,320 Speaker 1: and his dog in South Philly on that Saturday, four twenty, 351 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:19,119 Speaker 1: to be exact, I couldn't help but think it was 352 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:21,439 Speaker 1: meant to be. I'd been having a hard week and 353 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 1: it would turn into a few hard weeks, but Philly 354 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,160 Speaker 1: was kind of my last stop to really enjoy myself 355 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:28,080 Speaker 1: with my friends, and I wanted to make the most 356 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:30,639 Speaker 1: of the day. The Chicken Man had replied to my 357 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:33,439 Speaker 1: DM on Twitter within a few days and said he 358 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:36,720 Speaker 1: was usually available Saturday afternoons. Just let him know where 359 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:38,879 Speaker 1: we should meet. I thought about asking him if I 360 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,600 Speaker 1: should bring chicken, but then remember a dah fuck. When 361 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:43,679 Speaker 1: I was writing about hot dogs, the last thing I 362 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,720 Speaker 1: wanted to do was eat a hot dog with a stranger, 363 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:49,440 Speaker 1: so instead I asked him if he wanted Dunkin Donuts. 364 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:51,679 Speaker 1: He didn't, and when I got to his house he 365 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:54,640 Speaker 1: answered the door and a homemade Philly's hat. I had 366 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 1: a lovely time. Here's my talk with the Chicken Man. 367 00:22:57,400 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 1: And just so you know, this interview has been edited 368 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:03,320 Speaker 1: for time and clarity. Okay, first, if you could just 369 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: introduce yourself. 370 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:06,960 Speaker 4: Sure, my name is Alexander Timinski. 371 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:11,240 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for welcoming me into your lovely home. 372 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, my humble abode. 373 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:15,159 Speaker 1: Yes, I mean I feel like people say that in 374 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 1: Philly and then you're like, this is the nicest place 375 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:18,560 Speaker 1: I've ever. 376 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:20,680 Speaker 4: Seen in my life in comparison to New York City. 377 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:23,359 Speaker 1: I would say, well, I guess I'll just how are you, 378 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:25,680 Speaker 1: How are things? How's life? 379 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:28,400 Speaker 4: Things are good? You know, everyone has their ups and downs, 380 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 4: but for the most part, I've been feeling pretty optimistic 381 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:33,400 Speaker 4: when I wake up every day. 382 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:35,720 Speaker 1: So it's been I guess it's been what a year 383 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 1: and a half now since. 384 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:40,400 Speaker 4: It's just about it was a November of I think 385 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 4: twenty twenty. 386 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 1: Two since the incident. The incident, so I guess for context, 387 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:51,399 Speaker 1: I've done. I was trying to figure out how I 388 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 1: was going to write it out in the show. It's 389 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:57,879 Speaker 1: like I've done protracted almost performance already internet stuff before, 390 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:01,520 Speaker 1: but I've never completed it, and I feel like it's 391 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:03,800 Speaker 1: I mean, on my end, it was almost certainly because 392 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 1: I was too ambitious and I was like, I'm going 393 00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:09,480 Speaker 1: to eat a whole copy of Infinite Jest was the goal? 394 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:13,840 Speaker 1: Like that would kill you. You can't do that. 395 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:16,720 Speaker 4: It wouldn't be easy, but maybe your body would acclimate 396 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:18,119 Speaker 4: After chapter. 397 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:21,520 Speaker 1: Three, Yeah, then it really picks up and you're like, no, 398 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:24,359 Speaker 1: I see, I still kind of like I don't really 399 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:27,840 Speaker 1: I didn't read it. But you completed a challenge that 400 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:32,880 Speaker 1: you sent for yourself. How did you get there? What 401 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:35,199 Speaker 1: was where did the idea come from? Sure? 402 00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:39,679 Speaker 4: So I guess I just ate a whole chicken and 403 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:45,639 Speaker 4: it felt really good. I'm a very impulsive person, so 404 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:49,240 Speaker 4: I'll get like micro ob sessions about certain things, and 405 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:56,080 Speaker 4: sometimes it's outlandish, but yeah, I just felt this strong 406 00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:02,359 Speaker 4: urge to just keep going and there really wasn't any 407 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 4: reason to it at all. 408 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:08,520 Speaker 1: What are what are other examples of micro obsessions of yours? 409 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:14,399 Speaker 4: I got really obsessed with cracking bull whips for a while. Whoa, yeah, 410 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 4: right now getting my ass kicked by thirteen year olds 411 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:21,240 Speaker 4: on chests online chests. 412 00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:22,440 Speaker 1: Okay, Okay. 413 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:26,639 Speaker 4: I was doing this one really strange thing where I 414 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 4: was cutting traffic cones with copper wire in my basement 415 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:37,400 Speaker 4: to an end, uh the very end. 416 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:41,280 Speaker 1: Okay. What was it for? Though? 417 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:44,560 Speaker 4: It just felt really relaxing to do. Really Yeah, Like 418 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:48,439 Speaker 4: I'd come home from work and you would start, you know, 419 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:51,160 Speaker 4: rubbing the wire against the cone, and then you'd see 420 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:53,520 Speaker 4: like smoke coming up off it, and then once you 421 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 4: got a nice ring, it felt and then you could 422 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:59,479 Speaker 4: also see on the ground all these rings of the cone, 423 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:02,960 Speaker 4: and you kind of felt this, I don't know, like, oh, 424 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:06,000 Speaker 4: you're being productive. You can see the evidence of your 425 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 4: hard work. 426 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:10,040 Speaker 1: I feel like that applies to the chicken challenge too. 427 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:12,680 Speaker 1: I'm very satisfied by that kind of activity too, where 428 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:16,480 Speaker 1: you can actually physically see this is what I have done. 429 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:19,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, absolutely, what would you do with. 430 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 1: The chunks of traffic home? Once there? 431 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:24,760 Speaker 4: I think it's Yeah, it's still down in the basement, 432 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 4: like kind of tucked away in a corner. There's just 433 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:30,639 Speaker 4: a nest of copper wire and you know, pieces of 434 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:34,640 Speaker 4: traffic home. Yeah. So sometimes I'll forget that it's down there, 435 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:36,680 Speaker 4: and then I'll see it and I'm like, oh, yeah, 436 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:41,080 Speaker 4: I remember that really strange obsession that I had that 437 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:45,960 Speaker 4: I really didn't tell munch people about because it would 438 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:48,000 Speaker 4: probably seem a little bit alarming. 439 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:50,800 Speaker 1: That's good. I mean most people just like play the 440 00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:55,359 Speaker 1: drums or something. Yeah, but you're innovating. So you've always 441 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:59,320 Speaker 1: sort of had this kind of hyperfixation personality since you 442 00:26:59,359 --> 00:27:01,760 Speaker 1: were you were really young. Where did you Where did 443 00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:05,320 Speaker 1: you grow up? It get back to the beginning, Chicken Man. 444 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 4: Yes, So I grew up in Rhode Island, and I 445 00:27:10,359 --> 00:27:15,040 Speaker 4: was always a pretty strange kid. And the thing is, 446 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:18,520 Speaker 4: I didn't realize how strange I was, but people would 447 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:21,520 Speaker 4: make sure to tell me how strange I was. Not 448 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:24,439 Speaker 4: in a bad way, but yeah, just my brain has 449 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:29,120 Speaker 4: always seemed to navigate the world a little bit differently, 450 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:30,359 Speaker 4: if that makes any sense. 451 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:30,800 Speaker 5: Yeah. 452 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:37,160 Speaker 4: I used to like bring wild dogs into school. Yeah, 453 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:39,879 Speaker 4: I was doing this thing where and there was like 454 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:44,159 Speaker 4: stray dogs for some reason near my school, and I 455 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:47,119 Speaker 4: would bring them in and bring them into class and. 456 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 1: Big dogs, small dogs. 457 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 4: Well, there was one dog I bring in twice. Okay, 458 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:53,879 Speaker 4: so I guess I've only done it three times. 459 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 1: Three times feels like a habit. 460 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:58,399 Speaker 4: Yeah, and I feel like I did it also to just, 461 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 4: you know, get to rise out of some of the 462 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:04,440 Speaker 4: other students. That makes any sense, it does. 463 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:06,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, No, I when I was a kid, I mean 464 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:09,920 Speaker 1: I did. I kept a lot of it to myself. 465 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:12,359 Speaker 1: That was more of a copper wire in the basement 466 00:28:12,440 --> 00:28:15,719 Speaker 1: kind of thing. Okay, so you grew up in Rhode Island. 467 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:19,399 Speaker 1: How do you end up in Philadelphia. 468 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 4: I used to play music, and I played in Philly 469 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:25,359 Speaker 4: a few times. 470 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 1: And what kind of music? 471 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:32,600 Speaker 4: More like kind of like avant garde sound stuff, Okay, 472 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 4: sometimes performative as well. Like I would basically just buy 473 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 4: different electronics and then pour water on it. Whoa, yes, 474 00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 4: and then the water would react to or the electronics 475 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:56,120 Speaker 4: would react to the water. It felt really pure, like 476 00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:00,960 Speaker 4: this is the exact sounds that need to be made 477 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:05,440 Speaker 4: because the water is like kind of the one in control, right, 478 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:08,000 Speaker 4: and I could only use them once, so I'd have 479 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:10,560 Speaker 4: to spend a lot of money on this stuff. And 480 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 4: then I'm kind of upset about it now because I 481 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:16,960 Speaker 4: use a lot of tape machines. Yeah, and the inflation 482 00:29:17,400 --> 00:29:22,440 Speaker 4: on those machines are astronomical. I'd probably be pretty rich 483 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:25,680 Speaker 4: if I so, I guess I'm a bit of a masochist. Yeah, 484 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:26,520 Speaker 4: I think about it. 485 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:29,000 Speaker 1: I mean, that is really interesting that. I mean, I 486 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:32,040 Speaker 1: guess that means you can perform live rarely? Is that? 487 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:36,480 Speaker 4: Uh yeah, occasionally? And I'd like to backtrack. I meant 488 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:40,560 Speaker 4: my wife in Providence or to be Yeah, she lived 489 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:44,320 Speaker 4: in Philly, so oh okay, that's what sealed the deal. 490 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 1: Nice. 491 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:47,720 Speaker 4: Well, I do have to say that Philadelphia is the 492 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:49,040 Speaker 4: best city in the entire world. 493 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:50,640 Speaker 1: I agree with you. 494 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:53,240 Speaker 4: Yeah, there's an air of honesty that I just crave, 495 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 4: and everyone is just so real and everyone's kind of 496 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 4: like going through the sh and like we all realize 497 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:04,280 Speaker 4: it and it's like almost like we're all on the 498 00:30:04,320 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 4: same team, but a team that also hates each other. 499 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 1: When did you get to Philly? 500 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:11,600 Speaker 4: I think it was about nine years ago. Now, Okay, 501 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:14,680 Speaker 4: it was crazy. When I first moved here, it seemed 502 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:21,400 Speaker 4: like the locals like somehow new, like like people would 503 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:24,920 Speaker 4: yell out at the window of their car, a lot 504 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:30,120 Speaker 4: of heckling for no reason. Yeah, and then once maybe 505 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 4: a certain time passes, are you like this weird like 506 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:37,800 Speaker 4: spiritual energy of Philly like floods your brain and your blood, 507 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 4: Then they know that you're here now. So yeah, I'm 508 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:45,200 Speaker 4: definitely acclimated because no one yells at me anymore. 509 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:48,480 Speaker 1: I'm coming back around to the chicken and promise. I 510 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 1: am interested to hear that you were an artist, because 511 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:53,360 Speaker 1: in all of the articles, it's so funny, like reading 512 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:57,960 Speaker 1: through and you're only identified as as a server in 513 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:00,440 Speaker 1: all of these articles. Was that intentional? Was that just 514 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 1: sort of how it. 515 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:04,239 Speaker 4: Went or yeah, I mean that's pretty much it. I 516 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:07,480 Speaker 4: had no intention of being like, oh, I'm creating this 517 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 4: art piece. I think I was just doing this thing. 518 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 4: I mean maybe my inner artistic self kind of had 519 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:20,239 Speaker 4: some sort of influence, but I didn't set out to 520 00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:23,959 Speaker 4: do it as a sense of for art. And for 521 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:26,080 Speaker 4: that reason, I didn't want to say, oh, I'm an artist. 522 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:28,920 Speaker 4: I didn't never tell anyone I'm an artist. I'm just 523 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:33,960 Speaker 4: I think I'm just a weird guy navigating a weird world. Yeah, 524 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:36,080 Speaker 4: that's all I am right now as a server, which 525 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:37,120 Speaker 4: I'm flyind to say. 526 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:40,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I don't know. To me, it feels 527 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:44,080 Speaker 1: like an art piece. And this was sort of a 528 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:47,200 Speaker 1: continuous thing throughout the coverage of it. There's like this 529 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:50,400 Speaker 1: purity to it, because I think so many of the 530 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:53,720 Speaker 1: stories that I've covered or found online, there is this 531 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:59,000 Speaker 1: it starts as a pure thing and then becomes something 532 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:03,360 Speaker 1: that is eventual we monetized or like continued or merchandise 533 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:05,720 Speaker 1: or whatever it is, and sometimes like whatever, I'm not 534 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:09,480 Speaker 1: passing judgment, but that seems to be the general tendency. 535 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:14,040 Speaker 1: So when you started it was for fun, what made 536 00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:17,520 Speaker 1: you decide to continue? Why? Forty Well? 537 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:23,360 Speaker 4: Very christ like, Yeah, well it it became something that 538 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:27,680 Speaker 4: like I enjoyed, I really enjoyed eating it, and then 539 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:32,080 Speaker 4: slowly it turned into something that was really challenging. And 540 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:36,280 Speaker 4: I liked the idea of like feeling the pain and 541 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:39,239 Speaker 4: to like push through it and to like kind of 542 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 4: focus on this transition of something that's so tasty, so 543 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 4: good into something that's barely tolerable. Yeah, just to push 544 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:51,360 Speaker 4: through felt good. I was gonna go to thirty, and 545 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 4: then thirty just didn't feel right, and then so forty 546 00:32:56,520 --> 00:32:59,000 Speaker 4: seemed like the right number, and a lot of people 547 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 4: going back to the monetization thing, offered me a lot 548 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:05,200 Speaker 4: of money to like it, sponsor the next event, to 549 00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:07,920 Speaker 4: do this and that, but it had to be finished 550 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:11,640 Speaker 4: at forty because it just felt like that was It 551 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:14,719 Speaker 4: felt like the end of the book or something like. 552 00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:17,880 Speaker 4: As much as people offered me, it would destroy the 553 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:20,240 Speaker 4: whole purpose of it, because I didn't do it to 554 00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:22,160 Speaker 4: make money. I don't want to turn it into something 555 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:25,880 Speaker 4: that's for money. I did it for myself and it 556 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:28,280 Speaker 4: ended up being something that made a lot of people happy, 557 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:32,600 Speaker 4: which that in itself was rewarding enough. 558 00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:35,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, and that was something as I was 559 00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 1: reading through these pieces that it seems like people who 560 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:43,160 Speaker 1: as people who came to kind of this grand finale, 561 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:46,160 Speaker 1: really valued and appreciate it. Was the fact that it 562 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:49,400 Speaker 1: hadn't turned into a graven thing, even though and I 563 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:51,760 Speaker 1: don't know if they would have known that you had 564 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:55,600 Speaker 1: those opportunities. When did that? When did the project like 565 00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:59,160 Speaker 1: start picking up and changed from like this is something 566 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:02,040 Speaker 1: that your friends and maybe Philly knows about to something bigger. 567 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 4: Sure. So the whole like kind of midway through I 568 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:11,799 Speaker 4: was my brain was like cycling all these ideas and 569 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:15,640 Speaker 4: then I would focus back on the chicken thing because 570 00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:19,040 Speaker 4: it almost had a sense of routine and stability. It 571 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:23,680 Speaker 4: became so I was like, maybe I'll like eat it 572 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:27,479 Speaker 4: on the pier, the last one, and because it would 573 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:29,120 Speaker 4: be so much fun if like I was the only 574 00:34:29,160 --> 00:34:32,719 Speaker 4: one there, yeah, and if there were people there that 575 00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:33,560 Speaker 4: would be cool too. 576 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:37,640 Speaker 1: Alone It's like a Norman Rockwell painting kind of Yeah. 577 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:40,520 Speaker 4: So there was one day I had to go to 578 00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:43,400 Speaker 4: work in like two hours and I was like, Okay, 579 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:47,200 Speaker 4: I'm just going to do this. I made a poster 580 00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:51,960 Speaker 4: on Photoshop within like ten minutes and I printed out 581 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:56,720 Speaker 4: like fifteen posters. And I can be kind of shy 582 00:34:57,239 --> 00:35:01,000 Speaker 4: at points, even online. I don't really posts very often. 583 00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it. 584 00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 4: Was really hard for me to even put up the 585 00:35:05,239 --> 00:35:09,440 Speaker 4: posters because like I didn't want to concern anyone or 586 00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:13,520 Speaker 4: I just I don't know people would be surprised to 587 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:16,080 Speaker 4: hear it. But I'm a very shy person. And so 588 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:19,880 Speaker 4: I put all the posters up and it was really 589 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:22,520 Speaker 4: exciting at the end of it because I went all 590 00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:25,759 Speaker 4: the way down near like Cheese Steak Avenue and as 591 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:30,920 Speaker 4: I was walking back home, each poster at each pole 592 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:35,719 Speaker 4: there was like six people like looking at it. And 593 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:40,520 Speaker 4: so it's really I don't think this whole thing was 594 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:45,440 Speaker 4: like spiritual in any sense, but it had this weird 595 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:50,120 Speaker 4: power that I don't know. I think myself and other 596 00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:55,359 Speaker 4: people really felt it, and it felt good to share. 597 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:57,880 Speaker 4: And it also felt really good that growing up and 598 00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:01,400 Speaker 4: being afraid of exposing some of the weird side of 599 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:05,359 Speaker 4: me was accepted. Yeah, not only by people with like 600 00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:09,840 Speaker 4: a creative mind, but every sector chapter of seemed like 601 00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:15,239 Speaker 4: it was widely accepted, which has really helped me feel 602 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:17,719 Speaker 4: good about who I am and the fact that I 603 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:22,400 Speaker 4: can be exactly who I am and if you do that, 604 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:24,759 Speaker 4: people will definitely cherish and accept it. 605 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:27,600 Speaker 1: We'll be right back with more of my interview with 606 00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:43,239 Speaker 1: the Chicken Man. Welcome back to sixteenth minute. I know 607 00:36:43,280 --> 00:36:45,839 Speaker 1: what the Chicken Man's home address is. Here's the rest 608 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:47,680 Speaker 1: of our interview. I mean, I have a lot of 609 00:36:47,719 --> 00:36:52,160 Speaker 1: questions about sort of that last day, but leading up 610 00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:55,480 Speaker 1: to it, just pragmatically did you get the chicken from 611 00:36:55,560 --> 00:36:57,399 Speaker 1: the same place every time? Did you mix it up? 612 00:36:57,640 --> 00:36:59,719 Speaker 4: I mixed it up. Getting back to the fact that 613 00:36:59,760 --> 00:37:02,279 Speaker 4: I have come to realize them a bit of a 614 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:06,680 Speaker 4: masochist is I would always try to choose the like 615 00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:11,520 Speaker 4: the worst chicken, what qualifies as the word like super 616 00:37:11,640 --> 00:37:12,759 Speaker 4: dry and unseasoned. 617 00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:13,680 Speaker 1: Okay. 618 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:17,560 Speaker 4: So there is one place, Rittenhouse Market, which is right 619 00:37:17,640 --> 00:37:20,720 Speaker 4: next to where I work, and I got to say, 620 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:25,040 Speaker 4: the staff there are so nice and it was really 621 00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:27,680 Speaker 4: fun to see how confused and concerned they were at 622 00:37:27,719 --> 00:37:30,960 Speaker 4: the start, and then towards the end, before you know 623 00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:33,760 Speaker 4: this even took off, they started to get kind of excited, 624 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:38,040 Speaker 4: which was fun. But they had the blandest chicken. So 625 00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:40,440 Speaker 4: I would get that a lot. But it all depend 626 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:42,719 Speaker 4: depended on like what was available and. 627 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:43,400 Speaker 5: Where I was. 628 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:48,399 Speaker 1: Okay, so you were personally hand picking there rotissery chicken 629 00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:48,839 Speaker 1: every day. 630 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:52,239 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, so most of them come in bags. Those 631 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:54,000 Speaker 4: are the ones I prefer because you can kind of 632 00:37:55,080 --> 00:37:57,080 Speaker 4: touch it and feel it. The ones that are firmer 633 00:37:57,160 --> 00:38:00,360 Speaker 4: were the ones that I would choose because you know, 634 00:38:00,480 --> 00:38:01,840 Speaker 4: the firmer ones were the dryest. 635 00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:05,439 Speaker 1: Right. How does your relationship to eating the chicken, whether 636 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:08,600 Speaker 1: it's duration approach, whatever, how does it change over time? 637 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:11,640 Speaker 4: So to start, it was really quick, I could probably 638 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:14,520 Speaker 4: do it in fifteen minutes, no problem. And then when 639 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:17,680 Speaker 4: I started, I would use a fork and knife, which 640 00:38:17,719 --> 00:38:20,120 Speaker 4: is kind of weird. As the days passed, it just 641 00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:24,840 Speaker 4: became more barbaric, use the hands, and then it would 642 00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:32,359 Speaker 4: slowly take longer by the end, and people think that 643 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:36,400 Speaker 4: I'm like exaggerating, but it would really take about like 644 00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:39,960 Speaker 4: sometimes two hours, and so my technique would kind of change. 645 00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:41,719 Speaker 4: Like I wouldn't be able to eat it before work 646 00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:46,040 Speaker 4: because you know I had, or i'd go in super 647 00:38:46,080 --> 00:38:49,840 Speaker 4: early and just before the staff got there and enjoy it. 648 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:51,919 Speaker 4: The hostesses would be there and they'd be like, oh 649 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:56,960 Speaker 4: my god, Alex. There was definitely a clear transition from 650 00:38:57,280 --> 00:39:00,120 Speaker 4: day one to take day forty, which also made it 651 00:39:00,239 --> 00:39:00,960 Speaker 4: interesting for me. 652 00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:04,800 Speaker 1: There ended up being like a water component at some point. 653 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:10,719 Speaker 4: Yeah, so when it gets dry, it's almost like like 654 00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:13,600 Speaker 4: dust or like like it's hard to explain. 655 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:15,839 Speaker 1: So it's like it would take longer because your mouth 656 00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:18,000 Speaker 1: is just drying out with every single bite. 657 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:18,879 Speaker 4: From the salt too. 658 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:19,399 Speaker 1: Yeah. 659 00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:24,840 Speaker 4: Yeah, so I would use like sparkling water. Okay, that 660 00:39:24,920 --> 00:39:27,600 Speaker 4: seemed to help and kind of swish it around in 661 00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:31,440 Speaker 4: my mouth and it would create this almost like paste. 662 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:34,439 Speaker 4: And then I realized that if I put like a 663 00:39:34,520 --> 00:39:37,920 Speaker 4: little bit of lime or lemon, that acid would make 664 00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:38,960 Speaker 4: it a bit easier as well. 665 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:42,399 Speaker 1: Okay, all the hot dog competitors will, you know, dip 666 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:46,520 Speaker 1: the buns in water and like have this wild technique 667 00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:50,120 Speaker 1: that does sort of enable them to almost kill themselves 668 00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:51,040 Speaker 1: on TV everywhere? 669 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:53,040 Speaker 4: Are they required to drink the water? 670 00:39:53,680 --> 00:39:55,320 Speaker 1: No, No, that's good. Yeah. 671 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:59,480 Speaker 4: There was one time that there was no chicken, so 672 00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:04,160 Speaker 4: I had to result to like a garlic seasoned Wow. 673 00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:05,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, brutal. 674 00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:05,719 Speaker 4: I know. 675 00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:07,520 Speaker 1: Thank you for your honestly. 676 00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:09,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, I don't think I've mentioned that yet. 677 00:40:09,719 --> 00:40:12,040 Speaker 1: But can I. I mean, I'm just curious because I 678 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:16,560 Speaker 1: feel like every you know, description of a corporate offer 679 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:19,319 Speaker 1: feels a little cursed. Do you remember sort of the 680 00:40:19,440 --> 00:40:22,239 Speaker 1: nature of how people were approaching you. What kind of 681 00:40:22,239 --> 00:40:24,720 Speaker 1: stuff were you being offered? Yeah? 682 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:31,800 Speaker 4: Like every angle, when someone gets a lot of attention, 683 00:40:31,960 --> 00:40:35,359 Speaker 4: I think people want to like latch onto it. Like 684 00:40:35,400 --> 00:40:38,360 Speaker 4: there was there was an election day. Yeah, it was 685 00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:44,040 Speaker 4: the following day, and there was different politicians trying to 686 00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:46,960 Speaker 4: get in touch with me. Really or their staff at 687 00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:50,480 Speaker 4: the very least. So they were calling like the restaurant 688 00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:52,680 Speaker 4: I work at, and like trying to get my phone 689 00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:57,440 Speaker 4: number somehow. I have no idea how someone got my 690 00:40:57,520 --> 00:40:59,799 Speaker 4: number and was texting me and it was like, can 691 00:40:59,840 --> 00:41:02,799 Speaker 4: you please come down and do what you did? And 692 00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:06,560 Speaker 4: you did chicken for democracy? Like come on if like 693 00:41:06,960 --> 00:41:10,640 Speaker 4: at least it like asked me like for an endorsement 694 00:41:11,719 --> 00:41:14,960 Speaker 4: or something. But I wanted to leave politics out of 695 00:41:15,160 --> 00:41:21,400 Speaker 4: all of this because it's for for everyone, really, different 696 00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:27,479 Speaker 4: grocery stores, different sponsorship offers. People were asking to make 697 00:41:27,640 --> 00:41:32,160 Speaker 4: the poster a what's that crypto thing where they take 698 00:41:32,480 --> 00:41:37,680 Speaker 4: pictures or like posters. Yeah, someone offered me, and who 699 00:41:37,680 --> 00:41:39,520 Speaker 4: knows if this is true or not, but they seemed 700 00:41:39,560 --> 00:41:44,040 Speaker 4: like a like a legit source one hundred thousand dollars 701 00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:48,240 Speaker 4: to make it an NFT. And then also I would 702 00:41:48,239 --> 00:41:51,840 Speaker 4: get like a percentage from each sale of the NFT. Okay, 703 00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:56,439 Speaker 4: but that seems so stupid, so I passed that up. Yeah, 704 00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:59,279 Speaker 4: I don't want to like go into it too much, 705 00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:02,359 Speaker 4: but I was offered a lot of money. People were 706 00:42:02,360 --> 00:42:05,319 Speaker 4: trying to send me their like clothing brands to like 707 00:42:06,600 --> 00:42:10,000 Speaker 4: for free, but clearly they wanted me to like post about. 708 00:42:09,760 --> 00:42:12,799 Speaker 1: It, wear it while eating chicken. 709 00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:18,359 Speaker 4: Something like that. Yeah. Yeah, pretty much every stupid thing 710 00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:19,000 Speaker 4: you could think of. 711 00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:22,319 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's funny because I think about like that and 712 00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:24,759 Speaker 1: not to like generalize where I live too much, but 713 00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:28,960 Speaker 1: I think about like this happening to anyone in LA 714 00:42:29,200 --> 00:42:32,280 Speaker 1: and how quickly they're like, yep, great, let's do it. 715 00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:35,040 Speaker 1: It feels very philly to be like. 716 00:42:35,080 --> 00:42:40,160 Speaker 4: No, fuck that, Yeah, exactly, fuck that. And there's there's 717 00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:42,480 Speaker 4: I mean, I'm in a lot of credit card debt sadly, 718 00:42:42,600 --> 00:42:46,600 Speaker 4: but there's times from like oh man, maybe I should 719 00:42:46,600 --> 00:42:48,399 Speaker 4: have done one or two of those things, and then 720 00:42:48,400 --> 00:42:52,439 Speaker 4: I snapped back to reality and like, no, I would 721 00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:56,200 Speaker 4: have I wouldn't change anything. I mean, I could have 722 00:42:56,360 --> 00:42:58,480 Speaker 4: used this easily. I could have gone to fifty. I 723 00:42:58,520 --> 00:43:00,920 Speaker 4: could have gone to sixty. Yeah, I could have gone 724 00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:04,640 Speaker 4: to three hundred and sixty. But I wasn't looking to 725 00:43:04,719 --> 00:43:09,280 Speaker 4: chase and get more out of it. When it ended, 726 00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:11,520 Speaker 4: that was it was complete. 727 00:43:11,560 --> 00:43:14,080 Speaker 1: And I think it's interesting to hear that people wanted 728 00:43:14,080 --> 00:43:17,000 Speaker 1: to extend it too, because that makes me, I don't know, 729 00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:20,080 Speaker 1: I'm like hot dog killed, but like the that reminds 730 00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:22,680 Speaker 1: me a lot of that sort of world too, where 731 00:43:22,719 --> 00:43:27,279 Speaker 1: it's like it's just like a push to hurt yourself. 732 00:43:27,680 --> 00:43:29,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, a lot of people were into it for that reason, 733 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:31,759 Speaker 4: which is fine. You know a lot of people were 734 00:43:31,760 --> 00:43:34,280 Speaker 4: into it for their own reason. 735 00:43:34,600 --> 00:43:34,799 Speaker 1: Yeah. 736 00:43:34,920 --> 00:43:38,320 Speaker 4: I think I made a post like after the fortieth 737 00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:42,040 Speaker 4: I was like, I'm done eating chicken, you sickos. 738 00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:45,920 Speaker 1: How did you feel at the end of the forty days? 739 00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:52,560 Speaker 4: Physically, my body was super severely affected. Like a lot 740 00:43:52,560 --> 00:43:55,640 Speaker 4: of those chickens are pumped with hormones and then they 741 00:43:55,640 --> 00:43:58,880 Speaker 4: actually take like saline baths. That's what makes them like 742 00:43:58,960 --> 00:44:02,600 Speaker 4: really salty and tape. Okay, So my stomach was just 743 00:44:02,880 --> 00:44:07,600 Speaker 4: so twisted that I had zero appetite. I would get 744 00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:12,120 Speaker 4: like cramps, my joints would hurt, which is weird. And 745 00:44:12,160 --> 00:44:15,240 Speaker 4: then you know, with not having an appetite, it would 746 00:44:15,239 --> 00:44:18,720 Speaker 4: make me really fatigued. And it took like a week 747 00:44:19,040 --> 00:44:22,920 Speaker 4: after I finished for my body to reacclimate to you know, 748 00:44:23,719 --> 00:44:24,600 Speaker 4: my regular self. 749 00:44:25,120 --> 00:44:27,480 Speaker 1: Have you returned to rotaserie chicken at all? 750 00:44:27,560 --> 00:44:34,799 Speaker 4: Sinse I ate one piece not to be rude for 751 00:44:34,840 --> 00:44:37,400 Speaker 4: this one interview. They surprised me with it, and it 752 00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:40,840 Speaker 4: was on that pier. Yeah, and I took one bite 753 00:44:40,880 --> 00:44:43,520 Speaker 4: and it was a great reminder of why I'll never 754 00:44:43,560 --> 00:44:46,959 Speaker 4: eat another rotisserie chicken, probably for the rest of my life. 755 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:50,680 Speaker 1: I mean, that's that seems probably for the best. I mean, 756 00:44:50,719 --> 00:44:53,920 Speaker 1: I want to go through the final day. So you 757 00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:55,960 Speaker 1: hang up the signs at what point? Do you how 758 00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:58,040 Speaker 1: far it advanced? Do you hang up the signs for 759 00:44:58,480 --> 00:44:59,080 Speaker 1: the final day? 760 00:44:59,200 --> 00:44:59,279 Speaker 3: Do you? 761 00:44:59,520 --> 00:45:02,400 Speaker 4: I can't member. I think it was five days, maybe seven, 762 00:45:02,840 --> 00:45:03,640 Speaker 4: and so. 763 00:45:04,040 --> 00:45:07,719 Speaker 1: Going into that day, do you remember, like what did 764 00:45:07,760 --> 00:45:09,799 Speaker 1: you have any expectations of how the day was going 765 00:45:09,880 --> 00:45:12,520 Speaker 1: to go? You made note that it was not a party. 766 00:45:12,880 --> 00:45:15,719 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, yeah, I mean it was just like I'm 767 00:45:15,800 --> 00:45:20,200 Speaker 4: there to like go to war, you know what I mean. 768 00:45:20,960 --> 00:45:25,640 Speaker 4: I didn't want people like drinking beers and like bringing 769 00:45:25,680 --> 00:45:28,960 Speaker 4: their hu hulul loops or is that? How do you says? 770 00:45:29,440 --> 00:45:33,320 Speaker 4: I just associate that with like large gatherings for some reason. 771 00:45:33,480 --> 00:45:36,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, I feel like it's almost like Coachella just turning 772 00:45:36,040 --> 00:45:37,560 Speaker 1: into red tasty chicken Coachella. 773 00:45:37,719 --> 00:45:42,239 Speaker 4: Yeah, that's I did not want that. It just it 774 00:45:42,360 --> 00:45:46,520 Speaker 4: was more of like a stand and wash, but. 775 00:45:46,600 --> 00:45:48,280 Speaker 1: It seemed like people did that anyways. 776 00:45:48,480 --> 00:45:53,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, there was a few people that drank beer. Well, 777 00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:57,680 Speaker 4: there was some laughter, but the cool thing is there 778 00:45:57,800 --> 00:46:03,359 Speaker 4: was less laughter more or like excitement. As I am shy. 779 00:46:03,560 --> 00:46:08,440 Speaker 4: I normally am comfortable and like performing in front of 780 00:46:08,480 --> 00:46:11,680 Speaker 4: a lot of people, But it's different when people are 781 00:46:11,760 --> 00:46:14,960 Speaker 4: watching you eat. Yeah, it's a very vulnerable thing. And 782 00:46:15,040 --> 00:46:18,799 Speaker 4: then like imagine if like I got like stage fright 783 00:46:18,960 --> 00:46:21,600 Speaker 4: and couldn't eat the chicken, how different all of this 784 00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:24,520 Speaker 4: would have been. Right, I would have turned around and 785 00:46:24,680 --> 00:46:29,560 Speaker 4: probably jumped in the water, and which be it would 786 00:46:29,600 --> 00:46:30,120 Speaker 4: have been cool. 787 00:46:30,200 --> 00:46:35,520 Speaker 1: But and then your your wife was at the event too. Yeah, 788 00:46:35,680 --> 00:46:39,719 Speaker 1: so I'm curious. I mean, as this is gaining momentum 789 00:46:39,840 --> 00:46:42,960 Speaker 1: throughout the month plus that's going on, what do they 790 00:46:43,000 --> 00:46:46,040 Speaker 1: say when they realize they're doing this or they're like, oh, yeah, 791 00:46:46,120 --> 00:46:47,839 Speaker 1: this is an Alex thing. This makes sense. 792 00:46:48,040 --> 00:46:53,440 Speaker 4: Well. I brought it up to Mallory like kind of 793 00:46:53,480 --> 00:46:56,880 Speaker 4: when I was just like brain like, I thought of 794 00:46:56,920 --> 00:47:00,439 Speaker 4: the idea and I told her and she seemed really 795 00:47:01,560 --> 00:47:05,520 Speaker 4: like she's like, oh, yeah, okay, Alex. Sure, And then 796 00:47:06,160 --> 00:47:09,359 Speaker 4: once it picked up, I don't know, she's like, oh, 797 00:47:09,880 --> 00:47:12,880 Speaker 4: Alex is actually onto something. Not that she doesn't support 798 00:47:13,000 --> 00:47:15,920 Speaker 4: all of that stuff. She would have been maybe the 799 00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:17,800 Speaker 4: only one there watching me eat the chicken, and she 800 00:47:17,840 --> 00:47:20,200 Speaker 4: would have had a big smile on her face. But uh, 801 00:47:20,560 --> 00:47:25,880 Speaker 4: it was nice because some people were pretty confused, especially 802 00:47:26,120 --> 00:47:29,719 Speaker 4: my family's. And the funny thing is it's interesting how 803 00:47:30,200 --> 00:47:34,120 Speaker 4: you know a lot of people accepting something can give 804 00:47:34,200 --> 00:47:38,319 Speaker 4: them validation or something or you know what I mean, 805 00:47:38,480 --> 00:47:39,160 Speaker 4: like life, Like. 806 00:47:39,200 --> 00:47:45,040 Speaker 1: There is a shift once what you're doing is validated 807 00:47:45,120 --> 00:47:47,720 Speaker 1: by something larger than yourself that all of a sudden, 808 00:47:47,800 --> 00:47:51,000 Speaker 1: people who I'm close with, I mean, like their attitude 809 00:47:51,000 --> 00:47:52,440 Speaker 1: towards all of a sudden, it was like a little 810 00:47:52,480 --> 00:47:54,960 Speaker 1: cooler that I was doing this disgusting thing I've been 811 00:47:55,040 --> 00:47:56,400 Speaker 1: doing for for three months. 812 00:47:56,640 --> 00:48:00,600 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I was concerned with my family thinking 813 00:48:00,680 --> 00:48:03,439 Speaker 4: that I was having like a mental breakdown or something, 814 00:48:03,520 --> 00:48:07,799 Speaker 4: so I I didn't post it on Instagram. That's why 815 00:48:08,080 --> 00:48:11,320 Speaker 4: I used Twitter because most of my family doesn't use Twitter. 816 00:48:11,520 --> 00:48:13,600 Speaker 4: Good for them, yeah, I know, right ye. At a 817 00:48:13,680 --> 00:48:16,239 Speaker 4: certain point I started posting it on my stories, and 818 00:48:16,480 --> 00:48:23,000 Speaker 4: I think one of them was like Alex everything, Okay, yep. 819 00:48:23,960 --> 00:48:26,000 Speaker 1: I think that's the sign of a good family member. 820 00:48:26,040 --> 00:48:29,680 Speaker 1: You gotta check in when you see your your loved 821 00:48:29,719 --> 00:48:33,759 Speaker 1: one becoming the chicken man. But My last question about 822 00:48:33,880 --> 00:48:38,759 Speaker 1: the final event is that you made a some kind 823 00:48:38,800 --> 00:48:43,200 Speaker 1: of speech once the job was done. Yeah, was this planned? 824 00:48:43,320 --> 00:48:45,080 Speaker 1: Did you write it? Did it just come out of you? 825 00:48:45,320 --> 00:48:47,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, it just came out of me. I like to 826 00:48:48,080 --> 00:48:51,319 Speaker 4: do everything off the cuff, like. That's why I really 827 00:48:51,440 --> 00:48:55,000 Speaker 4: enjoyed making the music I made, because vulnerability I crave 828 00:48:55,080 --> 00:48:57,560 Speaker 4: and and also like it does add a sense of 829 00:48:58,000 --> 00:49:00,840 Speaker 4: purity for sure. And so I don't remember what I 830 00:49:00,880 --> 00:49:06,279 Speaker 4: said something about, Oh they're yelling hero, yes, Hero, hero, 831 00:49:06,440 --> 00:49:08,359 Speaker 4: and I said, I am no hero. 832 00:49:09,160 --> 00:49:09,839 Speaker 1: I've got it here. 833 00:49:10,200 --> 00:49:12,279 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, what is it you said? 834 00:49:12,600 --> 00:49:15,720 Speaker 1: I'm no hero, I'm but a man. I ate the chicken. 835 00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:17,960 Speaker 1: I did the best I can. I just thank you 836 00:49:18,080 --> 00:49:20,800 Speaker 1: all for being here and thanks for watching me consume. 837 00:49:21,120 --> 00:49:23,680 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, it's a good way to end it. I 838 00:49:23,719 --> 00:49:26,360 Speaker 4: didn't think they'd be calling me hero freeding chicken. You know, 839 00:49:26,440 --> 00:49:27,920 Speaker 4: how could I expect something like that? 840 00:49:28,239 --> 00:49:30,960 Speaker 1: For some reason, it was often like, oh, there were 841 00:49:31,000 --> 00:49:35,680 Speaker 1: two championships that Philadelphia lost, and then the chicken man 842 00:49:35,760 --> 00:49:38,960 Speaker 1: took it home for everyone. Did you feel connected to 843 00:49:39,080 --> 00:49:41,680 Speaker 1: that narrative at all? It was just when I saw 844 00:49:41,800 --> 00:49:42,359 Speaker 1: come up a lot. 845 00:49:42,680 --> 00:49:46,720 Speaker 4: Yeah, I thought it was really cool that it happened 846 00:49:46,719 --> 00:49:51,200 Speaker 4: that way. There's nothing I enjoy more than making people happy. 847 00:49:53,120 --> 00:49:59,080 Speaker 4: I'm like getting emotional, But yeah, I was really lucky 848 00:49:59,160 --> 00:50:02,560 Speaker 4: that I got to comfort the city of Philadelphia. It 849 00:50:02,680 --> 00:50:06,719 Speaker 4: was a really nice perk to the whole thing. I mean, 850 00:50:06,800 --> 00:50:10,080 Speaker 4: Philly loves their sports, so people were broken in half 851 00:50:10,160 --> 00:50:14,160 Speaker 4: for sure. But yeah, I feel really fortunate that I 852 00:50:14,239 --> 00:50:16,560 Speaker 4: got to, you know, lighten up their day somehow. 853 00:50:16,880 --> 00:50:20,279 Speaker 1: And just going back to like how you described, you know, 854 00:50:20,360 --> 00:50:23,320 Speaker 1: people yelling at you and sensing the newness to Philly 855 00:50:23,440 --> 00:50:26,160 Speaker 1: on you when you arrived to you know, whenever. Seven 856 00:50:26,280 --> 00:50:30,320 Speaker 1: or so years later, this like huge embrace from the 857 00:50:30,600 --> 00:50:32,040 Speaker 1: entire city. That's so cool. 858 00:50:32,280 --> 00:50:36,239 Speaker 4: Yeah it was. I'm a really lucky guy because a 859 00:50:36,320 --> 00:50:40,200 Speaker 4: lot of people do really interesting stuff and stuff that's 860 00:50:40,440 --> 00:50:42,840 Speaker 4: even more impressive than what I did. Eating the chicken 861 00:50:42,960 --> 00:50:46,520 Speaker 4: wasn't that impressive. But I got lucky that it took off. 862 00:50:46,960 --> 00:50:50,200 Speaker 4: It was a very lucky thing to happen. 863 00:50:50,320 --> 00:50:54,719 Speaker 1: Eighteen months later. How do you feel about having done this? 864 00:50:55,440 --> 00:51:00,000 Speaker 4: You know, when it first happened, it was very overwhelmed. 865 00:51:00,440 --> 00:51:06,560 Speaker 4: The day after when it was really everywhere, I was 866 00:51:06,760 --> 00:51:09,759 Speaker 4: driving and called mouth and I was like, I got 867 00:51:09,880 --> 00:51:12,440 Speaker 4: to stay out of the city and I got a 868 00:51:12,520 --> 00:51:18,000 Speaker 4: hotel room in Trenton, New Jersey, and for some beautiful reason, 869 00:51:18,200 --> 00:51:23,160 Speaker 4: my phone broke and so I was just left to, 870 00:51:23,320 --> 00:51:29,279 Speaker 4: like myself, to internalize everything, and that that sort of 871 00:51:30,040 --> 00:51:37,360 Speaker 4: feeling lingered a bit. It was very confusing and overwhelming. 872 00:51:37,800 --> 00:51:42,759 Speaker 4: It was extreme. I got very depressed. Actually really, yeah, 873 00:51:42,880 --> 00:51:47,640 Speaker 4: I got really it was everyone reacts to different things 874 00:51:47,719 --> 00:51:50,719 Speaker 4: in their own way. But yeah, yeah, it was like 875 00:51:51,120 --> 00:51:53,040 Speaker 4: it kind of fucked me up for sure. 876 00:51:53,560 --> 00:51:56,480 Speaker 1: What was it bringing up for you? I'm sorry, like 877 00:51:57,000 --> 00:51:58,520 Speaker 1: and like what was sort of prompting that? 878 00:51:59,040 --> 00:52:03,359 Speaker 4: Uh, it was like my reality that I was very 879 00:52:03,440 --> 00:52:11,160 Speaker 4: comfortable with, that felt routine was disrupted. Yeah, everything from 880 00:52:11,520 --> 00:52:15,880 Speaker 4: people trying to like leech off the attention, throw me money. 881 00:52:17,520 --> 00:52:21,400 Speaker 4: It pissed some people off too. People were like, oh, 882 00:52:21,520 --> 00:52:24,560 Speaker 4: he's he just wanted to be famous, which is such 883 00:52:24,600 --> 00:52:28,520 Speaker 4: a stupid thing. Like like I was eating chicken. Narcissists 884 00:52:28,600 --> 00:52:32,440 Speaker 4: were finding we're finding a like a tool or vessel 885 00:52:32,560 --> 00:52:37,360 Speaker 4: to to release their anger. Yeah, but then there was 886 00:52:37,440 --> 00:52:41,320 Speaker 4: people that you know, enjoyed it and that helped balance 887 00:52:41,400 --> 00:52:44,960 Speaker 4: it out. But slowly, I guess I acclimated to the 888 00:52:45,040 --> 00:52:48,600 Speaker 4: attention and it's weird. It really hasn't gone to my 889 00:52:48,719 --> 00:52:49,200 Speaker 4: head at all. 890 00:52:49,520 --> 00:52:52,040 Speaker 1: I think it's interesting too, just that like there's been 891 00:52:52,160 --> 00:52:55,279 Speaker 1: no story, regardless of what it is or what is 892 00:52:55,360 --> 00:52:58,440 Speaker 1: actually happening within the story, that doesn't come with this 893 00:52:59,400 --> 00:53:05,799 Speaker 1: wave of reactionary like anger, which seems like too much 894 00:53:05,920 --> 00:53:07,760 Speaker 1: for one person to have to absorb. 895 00:53:08,120 --> 00:53:10,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, it was. It took a lot of energy 896 00:53:11,000 --> 00:53:13,600 Speaker 4: to absorb. I would kind of hang out in the 897 00:53:13,680 --> 00:53:17,279 Speaker 4: house a lot, not go out very much. It was psychotic. 898 00:53:17,360 --> 00:53:19,960 Speaker 4: I'm like walking down the street and like people were, 899 00:53:20,200 --> 00:53:24,160 Speaker 4: you know, running up to me, or I think someone 900 00:53:24,280 --> 00:53:26,759 Speaker 4: threw like trash out their window at me. So it 901 00:53:26,840 --> 00:53:30,200 Speaker 4: was like all these extremes, Oh my god. Yeah, but 902 00:53:30,320 --> 00:53:33,000 Speaker 4: the narcissists have found other things to worry about. So 903 00:53:33,480 --> 00:53:36,880 Speaker 4: now it's pretty much positive reactions, which is nice. I 904 00:53:36,880 --> 00:53:40,560 Speaker 4: don't know, I do struggle with depression a bit, and 905 00:53:40,680 --> 00:53:46,400 Speaker 4: so that's like one little element that can kind of 906 00:53:46,480 --> 00:53:49,759 Speaker 4: help pull me out. Knowing that and I keep saying 907 00:53:49,800 --> 00:53:51,799 Speaker 4: it over and over again, but to like make other 908 00:53:51,880 --> 00:53:55,640 Speaker 4: people feel good makes me feel good, as that's my 909 00:53:55,840 --> 00:53:58,640 Speaker 4: reaction to it. So it really has helped me a 910 00:53:58,719 --> 00:53:59,600 Speaker 4: lot in. 911 00:53:59,640 --> 00:54:03,680 Speaker 1: The long that's amazing. Well, thank you so much for that. 912 00:54:03,920 --> 00:54:04,520 Speaker 4: Such a pleasure. 913 00:54:04,560 --> 00:54:05,320 Speaker 1: Really appreciate it. 914 00:54:05,480 --> 00:54:07,680 Speaker 4: I really, I am just so grateful that you found 915 00:54:07,719 --> 00:54:09,520 Speaker 4: this interesting enough to talk about. 916 00:54:09,560 --> 00:54:12,239 Speaker 1: I guess, oh my god, No, I was really really 917 00:54:12,280 --> 00:54:14,279 Speaker 1: excited that you wanted to talk. And also I just 918 00:54:14,360 --> 00:54:19,160 Speaker 1: feel like there's like a unique purity to this saga. 919 00:54:19,400 --> 00:54:21,080 Speaker 4: Well, I also going to thank you for not asking 920 00:54:21,120 --> 00:54:22,920 Speaker 4: me the same stupid ask questions. 921 00:54:23,680 --> 00:54:26,000 Speaker 1: Thanks so much to Alex for inviting me into his home. 922 00:54:26,120 --> 00:54:28,400 Speaker 1: To Alex's wife Mallory for taking the dog out for 923 00:54:28,480 --> 00:54:30,120 Speaker 1: about an hour or so so I could come by 924 00:54:30,320 --> 00:54:32,560 Speaker 1: and see you next time you're in Boston. I mean, 925 00:54:32,600 --> 00:54:35,400 Speaker 1: what else is there to say? Actually this because I 926 00:54:35,560 --> 00:54:37,440 Speaker 1: was unsure where to put this in the episode, and 927 00:54:37,560 --> 00:54:40,440 Speaker 1: I say this as a hot dog and processed meat scholar, 928 00:54:40,880 --> 00:54:44,120 Speaker 1: even if you are not a vegetarian. The vast majority 929 00:54:44,200 --> 00:54:47,480 Speaker 1: of rotisserie chickens on shelves have died horrific deaths in 930 00:54:47,600 --> 00:54:50,919 Speaker 1: processing plants where the human employees are treated nearly as bad. 931 00:54:51,200 --> 00:54:54,440 Speaker 1: It is an absurdly frustrating and complicated issue whose villain 932 00:54:54,600 --> 00:54:57,440 Speaker 1: is squarely the owners of the plants themselves, who have 933 00:54:57,560 --> 00:55:01,319 Speaker 1: routinely abused animals and not allowed death dignity, all while 934 00:55:01,400 --> 00:55:05,400 Speaker 1: cutting corners with employee safety and producing a tremendously unhealthy 935 00:55:05,440 --> 00:55:08,640 Speaker 1: product for a majority poor consumer base Buck Ties in 936 00:55:08,719 --> 00:55:12,279 Speaker 1: Foods Fox Smithfield. I write about it extensively in my book, 937 00:55:12,440 --> 00:55:14,480 Speaker 1: but it felt bizarre to have an episode that so 938 00:55:14,719 --> 00:55:19,160 Speaker 1: thoroughly addressed processed meat without mentioning that. But as for 939 00:55:19,280 --> 00:55:23,240 Speaker 1: the Chicken Man himself, he's still polarizing in some circles 940 00:55:23,320 --> 00:55:25,759 Speaker 1: of die hard what does it mean to be from 941 00:55:25,840 --> 00:55:27,000 Speaker 1: Philadelphia types? 942 00:55:27,200 --> 00:55:27,719 Speaker 6: And I get it. 943 00:55:28,000 --> 00:55:30,040 Speaker 1: I get it the same way when someone living from 944 00:55:30,080 --> 00:55:33,560 Speaker 1: Boston does something to Boston. But the more time that passes, 945 00:55:33,760 --> 00:55:37,600 Speaker 1: the more the Chicken Man's legend becomes solidified. As far 946 00:55:37,640 --> 00:55:40,040 Speaker 1: as the kinds of art side projects that Alex talked 947 00:55:40,080 --> 00:55:42,520 Speaker 1: with me about, there is one more thing I want 948 00:55:42,560 --> 00:55:44,640 Speaker 1: to say, something I think is kind of funny. In 949 00:55:44,719 --> 00:55:47,920 Speaker 1: twenty twenty three, Alex was spotted selling t shirts on 950 00:55:47,960 --> 00:55:49,959 Speaker 1: the side of the road in South Philly that read 951 00:55:50,280 --> 00:55:52,919 Speaker 1: this is not a Party. I spoke with several South 952 00:55:52,960 --> 00:55:55,759 Speaker 1: Philly residents who recognized the Chicken Man back at it, 953 00:55:56,000 --> 00:55:57,480 Speaker 1: and a few of them even took him up on 954 00:55:57,520 --> 00:56:00,439 Speaker 1: the twenty five dollars price point and just day before 955 00:56:00,480 --> 00:56:04,040 Speaker 1: I'm recording this, an impostor surfaced. A man in New 956 00:56:04,120 --> 00:56:08,080 Speaker 1: York masked like a coward, started flying with a poster 957 00:56:08,440 --> 00:56:12,960 Speaker 1: in Alex's exact style. The poster reads, watch me eat 958 00:56:13,040 --> 00:56:17,840 Speaker 1: this entire jar of cheeseballs. Union Square Park, April twenty seventh, 959 00:56:18,239 --> 00:56:22,480 Speaker 1: three pm. Alex responded in stride, posting a screenshot of 960 00:56:22,520 --> 00:56:25,759 Speaker 1: a news report on ABC with the cheeseball controversy. The 961 00:56:25,880 --> 00:56:29,760 Speaker 1: chiron reads chicken man rip off. He captions the image. 962 00:56:30,239 --> 00:56:33,960 Speaker 6: It can't be a ripoff because this cheeseball guy didn't 963 00:56:34,040 --> 00:56:38,920 Speaker 6: eat them for forty days. Also was clearly a party. 964 00:56:39,360 --> 00:56:41,920 Speaker 6: Everyone on that pier was simply there to see me 965 00:56:42,040 --> 00:56:46,680 Speaker 6: go to war. Very different hashtag Philly, But in a. 966 00:56:46,719 --> 00:56:50,240 Speaker 1: Town like Philadelphia, they don't take kindly to their heroes 967 00:56:50,320 --> 00:56:53,760 Speaker 1: being threatened. A Philly resident named Eric Fink quote tweeted 968 00:56:53,800 --> 00:56:56,200 Speaker 1: the cheeseball guy sign, replying, New. 969 00:56:56,200 --> 00:57:00,280 Speaker 6: York just ripping off our chicken man. Be original, nyc. 970 00:57:00,800 --> 00:57:05,360 Speaker 1: Our chicken man. And so the Chicken Man enters the 971 00:57:05,440 --> 00:57:09,640 Speaker 1: pantheon of local legend. But as for here, Philadelphia, chicken Man, 972 00:57:10,120 --> 00:57:17,960 Speaker 1: your sixteenth minute ends now, And for this week's moment 973 00:57:18,040 --> 00:57:21,400 Speaker 1: of fun. Our amazing executive producer, Sophie Lichtemann sent me 974 00:57:21,520 --> 00:57:24,920 Speaker 1: this TikTok of an old man who wears a T 975 00:57:25,040 --> 00:57:29,120 Speaker 1: shirt with the barcode for Rotisserie Chickens at Costco to 976 00:57:30,440 --> 00:57:34,080 Speaker 1: expedite the process of buying Rotisseri Chickens at Costco. 977 00:57:34,360 --> 00:57:34,560 Speaker 5: Enjoy. 978 00:57:34,680 --> 00:57:35,360 Speaker 1: See you next week. 979 00:57:36,480 --> 00:57:37,200 Speaker 5: You know who I am. 980 00:57:37,400 --> 00:57:38,560 Speaker 1: I don't want any trouble. 981 00:57:39,360 --> 00:57:40,560 Speaker 6: I got five chickens. 982 00:57:40,840 --> 00:57:42,760 Speaker 1: I don't want any led on them. 983 00:57:42,920 --> 00:57:46,640 Speaker 6: Nun scan my shirt five times, buddy, five times. 984 00:57:47,120 --> 00:57:48,120 Speaker 2: I hit the Costco for. 985 00:57:51,240 --> 00:57:52,240 Speaker 1: That's a regular credit. 986 00:57:53,080 --> 00:57:53,840 Speaker 2: I hit the Costco. 987 00:57:53,960 --> 00:57:56,520 Speaker 1: Okay, hold on, I got one. 988 00:57:57,320 --> 00:57:57,680 Speaker 6: Here you go? 989 00:57:58,680 --> 00:57:58,960 Speaker 2: What's you? 990 00:58:01,640 --> 00:58:03,200 Speaker 6: And don't want to chog it on this card? 991 00:58:03,560 --> 00:58:06,080 Speaker 1: I want to work on this plot scan it. 992 00:58:06,280 --> 00:58:07,480 Speaker 5: I think he's a stick talk. 993 00:58:08,960 --> 00:58:11,200 Speaker 1: I think he's a TikTok scannon. 994 00:58:11,560 --> 00:58:12,760 Speaker 2: I did okay. 995 00:58:18,440 --> 00:58:26,040 Speaker 3: Done sixteenth minute as a production of Cool Zone Media 996 00:58:26,160 --> 00:58:29,800 Speaker 3: and iHeart Radio. It is written, posted, and produced by 997 00:58:29,880 --> 00:58:33,280 Speaker 3: me Jamie Loftus. Our executive producers are Sophie Lichtman and 998 00:58:33,440 --> 00:58:34,160 Speaker 3: Robert Evans. 999 00:58:34,560 --> 00:58:38,520 Speaker 1: You amazing. Ian Johnson is our supervising producer and our editor. 1000 00:58:39,160 --> 00:58:42,760 Speaker 1: Our theme song is by Sad thirteen and pet shout 1001 00:58:42,800 --> 00:58:45,480 Speaker 1: Outs to our dog producer Anderson, my Kat's flee and 1002 00:58:45,560 --> 00:58:49,080 Speaker 1: Casper and my pet rock Bird cool outlive us all Bye,