You are a hotdog, but you better not try to hurt her, frankfurter!

So, another crazy thing that that has come through the news is the fact that your hotdog may be in danger.  Everyone knows a hotdog, you may not like them , you may not want to know what is in them, but a hotdog is probably one of the most recognizable foods next to the hamburger.  The hotdog is the staple food of America’s favorite pastime, baseball (along with beer), as well as many summer activities.  What would the summer be without barbecues, hotdogs and hamburgers?

Well the hotdog as we know it is under attack, it is in danger.  Why, you ask?  Because after a couple hundred years as a food, people have decided that it is too easy to choke on a hotdog.  Yup, that’s right, the argument is that the shape of a hotdog make it too easy to get it stuck down your throat.  Specifically the throats of children under ten.  Just tell me though, with many young kids we cut up most of their food, so what is different about hotdogs?

The proposal?  Well there are two.  The first is to change the shape of the hotdog.  I am not sure how that would be accomplished, but it seems that if nothing else it would make the hotdog a less friendly food.  I just can’t really picture say a triangle hotdog.  I mean how would you get that on a hotdog bun, or would that have to be redesigned as well?  The second option is to put warning labels on the packaging of hotdogs akin to toys with small parts.  The real question with this option is: is it really effective?  Personally I would be fine with this approach as I like my hotdogs the way they are!

Of curse, this whole debate begs the question: what makes a hotdog different from other long, round foods?  I mean is it actually easier to choke on a hotdog than a banana, cucumber, or pickle.  I mean, I suppose many kids don’t actually eat their fruits and veggies, but I don’t see difference.  Do we need to start genetically engineering bananas so that they don’t grow long and thin?  Maybe every pickle needs to be stamped with a warning that it is a choking hazard?

I don’t know about everyone else, but I think that the hotdog is just fine the way it is.