Adam Richman criticizes challengers
In a QCTimes interview promoting his appearance in Iowa City today, Adam Richman has the following comments about fans who challenge him to eating contests:
“The show is ‘Man v. Food,’ not ‘Man v. Man,’ yet I get every hairy-chested mouthbreather popping off at the top of their neck. I don’t care if you can eat more than me,” he said. “All I’m trying to do is give you my best shot and know these challenges are out there. I get a lot of aggressive, loud dudes trying to challenge me.”
Loading ...
anonymous said
November 19, 2009 @ 9:50 am
First of all he should shut his damn mouth and thank his lucky stars they chose him for the part. Many that auditoned were way better qualified than that fat jerk. If you notice as the show progresses he gets more dumpier looking than ever .When your eating ability is comparable to a Wild Bill Myers or Mike Springer expect to hear it from the loud dudes trying to challenge you. Oh and by the way how are we supposed to believe that you completed the 6 wing suicide challenge at La Cantina when your tounge was on fire after after a bite of one wing in March 2008? It is beliievable that they set you up with extra mild sauce to make it look as though you actually finished the wings. That and a bit of improvising can get you a long way now can it Adam?
spraymucus said (Registered July 1, 2009)
November 19, 2009 @ 10:21 am
No offense to Adam but the show is hardly man vs food either.
OJ, do you happen to know Adam’s success rate at completting challenges? I would say it’s gotta be around 50%, and that’s with the help of all the spicy challeneges. Any kinda volume challenges I would say he’s around 20% success.
mike landrich said (Registered July 4, 2007)
November 19, 2009 @ 10:36 am
Spraymucus
Having someone complete every challenge easily would not make for good TV for the masses. Most people want to see him struggle.
KevinRoss said
November 19, 2009 @ 10:37 am
I’ve seen a couple man v food recently where it seems his capacity has improved some. . .but his comment above really rubs me the wrong way. Talk about contempt for your fans/audience! It seems it only took a small taste of fame for Adam to get a big, swollen head. Like his head wasn’t gigantic enough as is. . .like an orange on a toothpick. . .
anonymous said
November 19, 2009 @ 10:38 am
On that note Mike Landrich they could have hired Gavonne or Stinky Pete Murniki for the job
LadyLenore said (Registered August 14, 2006)
November 19, 2009 @ 10:53 am
In all seriousness, what did he expect? And why oh WHY would he insult his fanbase like that? I’m thinking all the spice has gone to his head and he’s had a momentary lapse of reason. Can’t wait to see backlash.
spraymucus said (Registered July 1, 2009)
November 19, 2009 @ 11:34 am
mike landrich said (Registered July 4, 2007)
November 19, 2009 @ 10:36 am
Spraymucus
Having someone complete every challenge easily would not make for good TV for the masses. Most people want to see him struggle.
—————
struggle yes, but anytime you see a volume challenege you pretty much already know he’s gonna fail… Once the show has gotten a little success it seems as though he’s mailing the challenges in… one of those “why would I bother killing myself, the shows a success”… Now he’s insulting his fans? He’s shitting where he eats!
Craig Reed said (Registered February 21, 2009)
November 19, 2009 @ 11:46 am
I always thought he seemed like he’d be a douche in real life. I think it’s hilarious he called his fans mouthbreathers though.
anonymous said
November 19, 2009 @ 11:56 am
First of all he should shut his damn mouth and thank his lucky stars they chose him for the part. Many that auditoned were way better qualified than that fat jerk. If you notice as the show progresses he gets more dumpier looking than ever .When your eating ability is comparable to a Wild Bill Myers or Mike Springer expect to hear it from the loud dudes trying to challenge you. Oh and by the way how are we supposed to believe that you completed the 6 wing suicide challenge at La Cantina when your tounge was on fire after after a bite of one wing in March 2008? It is beliievable that they set you up with extra mild sauce to make it look as though you actually finished the wings. That and a bit of improvising can get you a long way now can it Adam?
beautifulbrian said
November 19, 2009 @ 12:09 pm
Craig Reed you could not be more correct.Trust me i know the type. In real life before he got the gig with Trav Ch i can picture him stepping on others toes to get where he wanted while working as a delivery boy for MSG. The closet case homosexual probably sweet talked his way into the business by kissing up to the right people with his stale jokes and complimenting the not so beautiful receptionists on thier beautiuful looks when they werent so beautiful to begin with . I guess i shouldnt talk with the same name right? I can tell you this he wouldnt last 5 min on eatfeats.com. Fans of this site would eat him for breakfast.
NReda said
November 19, 2009 @ 1:25 pm
What’s a mouthbreather anyway?
I agree with the others here…. it’s absolutely insane for Richman to insult his fans. Does he know how business operates??
Rhonda Evans said (Registered March 6, 2008)
November 19, 2009 @ 1:27 pm
I agree with Adam. His fame is not based on whom he can outeat. It’s WHAT. He enjoys what he does and he is very entertaining.
I think he does a great job with his show, and so do many, many fans. Otherwise, it wouldn’t still be airing.
Lots of Richman wannabes out there who won’t admit it.
misunderstood said
November 19, 2009 @ 1:37 pm
I think he was just saying what happens, I don’t think he was complaining about it. Jealous of him, I may be, but, I think he does a pretty good job. He probably has to eat some s…t he doesn’t like at all, yet he makes it out like he’s eating a four-star meal every time.
And I can just imagine how some of the commenters here would react if challenged constantly by aggressive, loud-mouthed goofballs that want to get in their face. The show would have to be called “Man punches Fools”, and would quickly have several lawsuits aginst it.
Erik the Red said (Registered January 9, 2006)
November 19, 2009 @ 1:39 pm
I honestly don’t think what Adam said was out of line, I think it is kind of funny actually. It would be annoying to have people constantly coming up to you and telling you that they are better than you at your job. Adam is pretty adamant on the show that he is not a competitive eater but he is entertaining and it is his whole schtick that makes the show; there is no way I could come up with that many “oh” faces when taking bites of sometimes ordinary food. It’s okay if he reveals a little honesty every once in awhile, it doesn’t make him a jerk.
I give him the benefit of the doubt because at first I wouldn’t watch the show because like a lot of people, I applied for the posistion and knew I could perform better at the eating challenges. But after I got over my envy I realized that he does a pretty damn good job overall.
Mike Koulchar said
November 19, 2009 @ 2:14 pm
i dont care i love his show and there are a couple challenges i’ve finished that he hasnt but i still think hes awesome
misunderstood said
November 19, 2009 @ 2:24 pm
Erik, that’s what I’m sayin, bro…however, I’d love to see you on there, especially with that “necklace” you had at the Krystal finals
anonymous said
November 19, 2009 @ 2:32 pm
misunderstood i have to disagree. Aside from hot wings and jalapenos, miost of what he eats looks pretty darn tasty. The only drawback is that they enlarge the portions making it seem like thats what you will be getting for your money and its not so. When you actually head down to the restaurants the portions are alot less than what appears on the tv screen Now as far as challenges , thats another story. The amount of food looks smaller on tv and bigger in person
KevinRoss said
November 19, 2009 @ 2:34 pm
Erik, the thing is, it is normal for him to think crazy fans are irritating. Anybody would do that and talk thrash to their friends. But to have open contempt for his fans in an article, that’s just strange! He could have said that in a much less derogatory way and still got his point across. A lot of comments I’ve heard from him strike me as that he is one of those guys who kinda looks down on everywhere that isn’t LA or New York, everyone else is hicks, inbred, mouthbreathers, etc. Not that I ever would be famous, but if that ever happened for some reason, I can tell you I’d kiss up to my fans all day and sign autographs until my hands became crippled. Sure it would get annoying as hell not being able to go out without getting bugged, but that is just the price one has to pay if they want to be on TV. I think Adam is one of those “I got places to be” sorta guy and snubs fans all day long. I’ve seen various blogs where fans said just that. On the show though, he does and good job and comes across as charming and witty in a douchey kind of way. I’ll still watch the show. . .But I think he’s made it clear he’s a bit of a dick in real life and he isn’t making those comments just to get a laugh. Once his 15 minutes are up, which will be anytime soon, I think he’s going to sure miss all those crazy fans!
BTW, am I gonna see you at flautas?
Erik the Red said (Registered January 9, 2006)
November 19, 2009 @ 2:50 pm
Yeah you might be right Kevin, maybe he is a big dick in real life, if that’s the case than he is a good actor because he does seem to effortlessly kiss ass on the show.. But I just did not feel offended at all by those comments.
As far as flautas, I’ll be there hitting up Sea World.
KevinRoss said
November 19, 2009 @ 2:52 pm
I wasn’t offended persay, just thought it was a particularly dumb comment. Maybe I’m jealous of him and just grabbing at straws 🙂
Sea World is awesome. . .the only theme park/zoo type place I’ve been to where they encourage you to be drunk. Have you ever been there before? Are other eaters going?
Blizzz said (Registered July 16, 2008)
November 19, 2009 @ 3:44 pm
I thought he was a very nice guy in person. And I can totally see idiotic fans trying to call him out they’re just some macho food jocks trying to impress by boasting about their appetite. Pretty funny actually. I don’t think what he said was out of line at all and agree with Erik.
anonymous said
November 19, 2009 @ 4:20 pm
While I think he’s a smarmy ass, I think I understand the comment. He just wants people to back off. I don’t remember who it was but I know I’ve heard a fighter of some sort saying it was tough to go out to bars and would often have people challenge him and on occasion had people swing and test him out. I’m sure it happens all the time, Joe Nobody thinks they could do his job better than him.
As far as the speaking engagements he’s been doing, who the hell would spend time listening to him talk? The show is mildly entertaining but it usually revolves around interesting food. I can’t imagine what he’s got to say to an audience from some stage.
Steakbellie said (Registered August 11, 2006)
November 19, 2009 @ 4:47 pm
1. Think about how many idiots want to challenge us, even us table enders. Someone with exposure like him must get challenged ALL the time.
2. Think about how many reporters have skewed or completely screwed up facts or statements in an interview. Even the few I get to do are completely adrift and they tended to ignore whole parts of the Interview that (at least to me) seemed more important) Who knows what he really said or how he actually meant it.
3. Imagine if you were taken to task for every criticism or quip that left your mouth. What the guy cant complain now ever? Could you imagine if the people on this site were taken to task for every complaint? Oi Vey!
Craig Reed said (Registered February 21, 2009)
November 20, 2009 @ 1:04 am
Steakbellie, I don’t really care personally, but there is a time and a place to complain. It’s pretty Kayne West of him.
anonymous said
November 20, 2009 @ 2:31 am
I dont see the point in critisizing him on this blog. Its no fun if he’s not here to defend himself or the fact that he doesnt know this site exists is like beatng up on a cartoon character. Insulting someone is no fun unless you are sure they will read about it. Case in point Brian Seiken heckler would not even bother insulting Brian if he thought for one minute that Brian did not frequent this site
The truth hurts said
November 20, 2009 @ 4:46 pm
Imagine how great Man vs Food would be if Beautiful Brian Seiken were host? The Travel Channel ratings would be through the rooof
Mega Munch said
November 20, 2009 @ 5:04 pm
In Adam’s defense, he’s not referring to all of his fans in a derogatory manner, only the jerks who approach him thumping their chest and challenging him. And when he declines their challenge (what’s he supposed to do?), they probably spout off with some douche bag remark. I can see how that would get irritating real fast and how it would make him want to go on-the-record with that comment. Maybe if some people read that, they’ll be less likely to give him shit in public.
As for his qualifications as a host, it’s 20 percent eating ability and 80 percent personality, not the other way around as some people tend to think. Using that scale, I’d say the only pro eater I know that could fill his shoes would be Crazy Legs.
Anonymous said
November 20, 2009 @ 6:31 pm
Some seem to miss the point that the show isn’t about competative eating…it is about the food and the challenge itself. Most of the time is spent on showing local foods that have nothing to do with a challenge. When the challenge part comes up, It doesn’t matter if he “wins” or not. The show is an opportunity for a lot of people to see what is out there and maybe decide to take that drive to a previously unknown place in Cincy or Baltimore or Charleston and try it for yourself. Richman provides a good show.
See nothing wrong in his comment.
Ron Koch said
November 20, 2009 @ 7:18 pm
Adam is great, he puts on a great show .Very enjoyable. He show places where I might want to eat when Im on the road. Keep the show going..
anonymous said
November 20, 2009 @ 8:29 pm
crazy legs is the only marketable eater who os capable of hosting a show such as man vs food? Wake the fuck up and smell the coffee .you fail to mentjon sex symbols like arnie chapman beautiful brian dale boone just to name a few
Anonymous said
November 20, 2009 @ 8:53 pm
The roof would collapse.
Jordan said
December 17, 2009 @ 7:36 am
Hey morons, he didn’t call his fans mouthbreathers, he simply said that since he’s been on MvF, he gets a lot of guys coming up to him “challenging” him to eating contests, and he doesn’t appreciate it.
He’s entirely justified in feeling that way too. I’m sure the guy can’t even go out to eat without somebody coming up to him saying “hey, I bet i coulda done that challenge you didn’t finish” or some such nonsense.
Like he said, the show isn’t “Man v. Man”, and he states in the into to every episode “I’m no competitive eater, just a regular guy…” so cut him a break. He gives it his best shot, sometimes he wins, sometimes he doesn’t. The show isn’t about competitive eating, it’s about local restaurants and their cuisine.
Rhonda Evans said (Registered March 6, 2008)
December 17, 2009 @ 9:26 am
Jordan you’re a bit late responding to that dead horse of a thread.
Perhaps one of your resolutions for the new year can be to improve your timing.
Moron said
December 17, 2009 @ 9:52 am
Jordan is responding to a string of emails that began over a month ago and he calls other people morons. Way to keep on top of things buddy. Hey Jordan, I just heard that Hindenberg blew up and the automobile may someday do away with horses and buggies. What are your thoughts on those issues?
KCjones said
January 2, 2010 @ 2:56 pm
Every show starts with Adam stating that he is NOT a competitive eater. His personality and ability to present the food in a good light, is what makes him right for the show. Kobayashi could beat every single challenge Adam has taken on, but who would watch after the 5th show? You have to question the folk who challenge him, are they really his fans? Sounds more like haters to me. As a professional, he should be more careful, but I wouldn’t hold it against him.
Anonymous said
January 2, 2010 @ 4:29 pm
Good point Crazy Legs.
Anonymous said
June 29, 2010 @ 9:51 pm
Stop being jealous! Everybody who has a problem with Adam needs to just shut up. Of course he gets frustrated with everybody and their loser brother trying to challenge him. I bet you guys are going to get your panties in a bunch by me “challenging” you guys with this comment. See how it feels and shut up…losers. Adam is awesome and you dorks are just jealous so get over it.
David Martin said
August 22, 2010 @ 9:20 pm
I think this show and Adam Richman lack any redeemable value and this show shows a complete lack of any social conscious. The travel channel should be boycotted until they remove this show. In a country with the highest obesity in the world what place does a show that glamorizes over eating really have. They could at let donate the profits from this show to help with world hunger. Fat chance that will ever happen though. Hooe Adam dies of stoke soon or Heart attack soon.
Anonymous said
August 23, 2010 @ 8:24 am
Okay David Martin, you have made your point (twice). It would be more effective if you left out the hope that Adam dies of stroke or heart attack and soon. I suppose you would wish that for every person who is overweight? If you live entirely off the grid eating plants, you might, by example, have some credibility for your opinion. Please send address and what you ate for breakfast. Oh, that’s right, living off the grid means no computer. Competitive eating is an acquired taste. You have the right to remain silent.
The Honeydipper said
August 23, 2010 @ 8:59 am
Nobody actually knows if Adam Richman pukes it up after the show, I’ll bet the farm that he does.
gavonne said
August 23, 2010 @ 9:11 am
I don’t care for the fruity Richman either,Mr. Martin,but to wish death on someone,geez,if I wrote that either OJ wouldn’t post it or the cops would be at my door later that day.Yes,anonymous–nov. 19th–I would do a better job since I am wittier & it doesn’t matter how poor an eater I am because the show is all created in the editing process.That it has inspired idiots everywhere to do eating challenges is laughable since you would think senseable people would come up with better(& more imaginable)ways to spend their time & $$$.All the morons are hopping on the bandwagon now.I don’t wish anyone death,but I’d like to see seiken choke ’til he turns blue.You certainly have the right to your opinion,as people have the right to watch or participate in nonsense if they so choose.
Rob McFadden said
June 7, 2011 @ 9:12 pm
It’s the same shit every show…”I’llgo here and eat this , then I’ll go here and eat that!”….”Then I’ll go here and try to eat ALL THIS!”…total douche and I kinda enjoyed the show when it started…He accually talked about the history of the food and the places he ate..Now just a fat douche..
Anonymous said
September 22, 2011 @ 6:15 pm
All you people who insult Adam should really get over it. I think if someone got up in my face about that I’d say the same thing. I have a feeling all you Adam Richman wanna be’s are just jealous cuz he’s got a job we all wish we had. Listen buckos tryin to make him look bad is not gonna make the guy lose his job. He’s good at it and is a nice guy. And if he says harsh stuff sometimes. Hey! don’t we all? get over it! eez. lol
Jacob said
August 13, 2012 @ 1:08 pm
Okay how boring would it be to watch that show if you knew that every time the guy was gunna eat all the food easily? And i doubt any of you have as good of a personality as him and thats what makes the show. All you guys are trying to be all tough so if you dont like it then heres a good idea: dont watch the show!
Uh... said
August 13, 2012 @ 3:09 pm
Okaaayyy, way to keep up. All “up in your face” a year later when the show’s been off the air for months. Hey, did you hear the Olympics are gonna be in London this time?
Jacob said
August 13, 2012 @ 11:29 pm
If its a year later then why are you still on this website too. So stfu and worry about yourself instead of what other people are doing
anonymous said
August 14, 2012 @ 10:02 am
Because this is not an Adam Richman website, just one entry in a COMPETITIVE EATING website. Perhaps you should take your own advice, STFU, and go back to whacking off in your mommy’s basement to old Man vs. Food re-runs.
And take some time to learn how to spell and punctuate properly.
Randy Santel said (Registered June 2, 2010)
August 14, 2012 @ 12:39 pm
The funny thing is that Man v Food was off the air October 20, 2010, which is almost 3 years ago!! haha since then Man v Food Nation AND America’s Best Sandwich have completed there 1 & only season (I think America’s Best Sandwich is having the finale tomorrow). I am sure that show won’t be renewed though. It’s hard to have a show where you knockout sandwiches from different cities. Each week, the losing cities quit watching. I wonder how the ratings have been? In Man v Food, whenever they compared restaurants during an episode, both restaurants won.
I am interested to see if Travel Channel uses Adam for any other shows though. I guess we will see.
Jacob said
August 17, 2012 @ 2:48 pm
Hahaha you really think im intemidated by you? Ill spell however i want. And yeah i will keep watching the show cuz its a good show