Lore has it that the culinary concept of the sandwich was born in 1762 when Englishman John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, was so engrossed in a card game that he asked for roast beef to be put between two slices of bread, thus enabling him to eat with one hand and continue playing with the other. This origin story makes me feel better for all the times I’ve dined on a sandwich sat in front of the TV. I’m just following historical tradition! Much like scholars debate whether the US Constitution should be interpreted literally or as a living document, so have the finest minds of the ages struggled to define the true criteria for a sandwich. Brie Larson and Kelly Clarkson were the latest entrants into the fray when Brie, while appearing on Kelly’s talk show, declared hot dogs were most definitely not sandwiches and to describe them as such was, and I quote, “blasphemy!” Kelly took the opposite position. Talks devolved from there:
Kelly Clarkson and Brie Larson are resurfacing an age-old debate — is a hot dog considered a sandwich?
It may seem like a simple inquiry, but internet users have serious thoughts on the matter. The way we see it, it could go either way. Technically, it is a piece of meat sandwiched between two pieces of bread (or rather, one, split in half), but adversely, the two food items also seem vastly different.
On a recent episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, the soulful songstress and The Marvels star kicked off the spirited conversation, with both of the ladies admitting that they love hotdogs.
“A hot dog is a hot dog. I think to say that it’s a sandwich is blasphemy!” Larson said, to which Clarkson replied, “But it is bread with meat in between.”
“I know, but it’s connected, and that makes all the difference,” the actress rebutted.
Several agreed with the former in regards to the “thought-provoking” topic, with three different commenters on YouTube writing, “#TeamBrie on this debate. We don’t know why but it’s just wrong,” “It’s NOT a sandwich,” and “Sandwiches don’t have tubular meats. End of discussion.”
On the other hand, many also chimed in taking the side of the “Stronger” artist.
“Brie had no comeback for the Subway comparison. If a hotdog isn’t a sandwich, then neither is a meatball sub, a hoagie, a lobster roll, a torta, or a philly cheesesteak. …cuz the bread is connected i guess. Makes all the difference apparently,” someone reasoned.
Another wrote, “Idk. But when you want to put it in a bun it’s a hotdog sandwich. And there’s also, chicken sandwich, bologna [sic] sandwich, tuna sandwich, ham sandwich, pb&j. And so on.”
An additional internet user suggested, “Everyone that meets Brie IRL should tell her a hot dog is a sandwich,” while also adding a wink-face emoji.
Still, we love a good debate! One YouTuber user added, “A sandwich is a sandwich and a hotdog is a hotdog,” which, in our opinion, makes perfect sense, but obviously the jury is still out on this one.
I love a good debate too… and that was nothing like a good debate! “A sandwich is a sandwich and a hotdog is a hotdog.” Oh, well that clears that up! Yet still I’m enthralled. The passion behind the statements was evident. The commenter who noted that Brie didn’t have an adequate response to the Subway comparison raised a valid point. But then I was completely upended in my thinking by the person who chimed in with “when you want to put it in a bun it’s a hotdog sandwich.” Wait, what? Now a third category has been created?! Who sponsored this episode, Oscar Mayer? All I know is that if the moderators at next year’s presidential debates don’t ask the candidates to address whether or not hot dogs are sandwiches, then the American taxpayers have been robbed. Robbed, I tell you! And not to stir up further turmoil, but I have to ask: where do hamburgers belong?
Note: the alternating spellings of hot dog vs hotdog were typed here as originally printed in Parade.
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Photos credit Getty and via Instagram and YouTube
A hot dog isn’t a sandwich. And Die Hard is a Christmas Movie.
A hot dog is a sandwich and Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Fixed it for you 😉
A bun is not two slices of bread. It’s a bun, therefore does not qualify as a sandwich according to the Global Council of Bread Makers (very secret society so don’t google it).
A hot dog is placed between 2 pieces of bread, therefore, a sandwich.
And Kelly’s show overall has gotten better. I don’t know if it finally got the kinks out or the the move to New York, but everything is better.
And a hot dog is a sandwich, good morning everyone.
But it”s only 1 piece of bread so it’s not a sandwich. it’s a sub.
you got a sandwich-sandwich category, a sub-sandwich category and a burger sandwich category. pick one.
When a hotdog has onions, cheese and chili on top and drips down your arm when you eat it and you hold onto the bun for dear life, it’s a sandwich.
Can a hotdog be a sandwich the way a tomato is a fruit – technically true, but not functionally?
Oh I like this! Thank you!
Seconded!
A hotdog is placed in a hotdog bun not two pieces of bread. It is a hotdog not a sandwich.
A ho dog bun IS 2 pieces of bread. Sandwich!!
A bun is sliced on top or on the side to fit said hotdog. It is not two pieces it is one bun.
the bun has a bread hinge making it one piece of bread. Disqualifies it as a sandwich.
“Bread hinge” has made my day!!!
Technically two pieces of bread came from a singular loaf. Meaning that at one point the two pieces of bread used to be one. ( unless you’re using pieces from two different loaves.). And most hotdog buns don’t stay connected once you add the dog, unless you use a hoagie roll… And what do you call it if you’re out of buns and have to use bread slices?
If you have to use slices of bread for a hot dog. Then it is one bread slice. Not the required two slices by law. NOT A SANDWICH
Imma gonna fight all yous after school over this!
In my mind, a sandwich is cold so a hot dog (and a hamburger) doesn’t qualify. If you have two slices of bread, or a bun of some sort, with hot meats/cheeses in the middle it is a hoagie, a melt, a panini or something else. I guess “sandwich” has grown to encompass an entire category of items held together with bread, but if someone asks if I want a sandwich I am not expecting anything to be hot or melty without further specification.
I’d like to call the grilled cheese sandwich as a rebuttal witness to your argument.
If I ordered a sandwich and got a grilled cheese I would be surprised. I don’t have an argument one way or another, but that is the distinction to me: A sandwich is cold, anything else is sandwich adjacent and maybe technically can be categorized as a sandwich as a result of being items between bread slices or a bun but is never going to be top of mind.
And the tuna melt!
And the reuben.
Hotdog and hamburger are ingredients and also names of particular sandwiches. Whether the bread is sliced partially through or all the way through doesn’t negate the fact that it’s bread on both sides of an ingredient.
Bread is bread despite the shape. Same ingredients.
We have all sorts of shortcut names and specific names for sandwiches – hotdog, hamburger, grilled cheese, and Rueben and Monte Christo. If you put lobster in a split roll, it becomes a lobster roll. The same lobster can become a club sandwich. Still things in bread.
I’m team Brie here, and my argument too is a hot dog is a hot dog! LOL. And a burger is a burger. Most places have burgers and sandwiches as separate categories on a menu.
Agree but also chicken sandwiches should be chicken patty burgers or something because they throw the entire naming scheme off.
Team Brie also. But what on earth is going on with Brie’s knees in that last picture! Alarming…
Team Brie also. A hot dog can only be a sandwich if it is split down the middle and grilled or pan fried and placed between two slices of “sandwich bread”.
We need to hold the line here or otherwise people will be saying corn dogs are sandwiches…
Apostasy!
I recall years ago on here – was it Kelly Clarkson who said she didn’t like the feeling of having freshly cleaned teeth? It’s all a bit vague but stuck with me for ugghhh reasons. I feel like I spent quite a while going through periods of very high functioning post natal depression at points, which I should have investigated fully but was too tired to even take to my GP. Before people say you can’t have high functioning PND – I think it’s possible. It was a huge slog coupled with all sorts of crap that coincided with babies. It evened out in the end but I remember how invested I was in Mad Men every week on BBC4. It was my highlight during those times. And that’s how I found this site. I googled John Hamm and got onto a Cbitchy page and just read from there. I found the American comments so so funny. This was when it was Hot Guy Friday etc. Really rambling there but it was such a relief to just laugh during those years!
The opening to a hot dog bun is perpendicular to the ground, not parallel, therefore it is not a sandwich. If a hot dog is a sandwich, then so is a taco.
A hamburger IS a sandwich, because the bun is sliced side to side, not top to bottom.
That doesn’t explain all the hotdog buns at my supermarket that are sliced from side to side.
Sandwich is the umbrella. Every particular type is, of course, under this umbrella. Hoagies, subs, hot dogs, etc…
A pop tart is ravioli.
lol!
Cereal is cold soup.
LOL! This comment section is a gift.
As the YouTuber stated: a hot dog is a hot dog and a sandwich is a sandwich. Simple as that.
My humble opinion: Sandwich is the umbrella category, hot dog is a sub-category. In general, a sandwich is bread that acts as a “wrapper” or “container” for the food inbetween, so whether it’s two slices or three slices or a bun is completely irrelevant. The hot and cold status of the ingredients is also irrelevant, since the main purpose of a sandwich is that you can eat things on the go, which can be done with a hot dog, a burger, a filled pita bread, a Döner, etc.
If you asked for a sandwich and someone handed you a hot dog would you be satisfied? Or would you be like, this isn’t really what I was going for?