She Said: Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich?

By: Eve Papa

Asst. Perspectives Editor

“Is a hot dog a sandwich?” This question has recently been put under the spotlight by millennials and Twitter-users alike who dare to break the conventions upon which their lives have been built.

So basically, it’s an important question. And in my opinion, it’s an issue that Spectrum at this point cannot ignore.

Before I give you my opinion on the answer to this question, let me begin with something that should settle the debate. In fact, there should not even be a debate because of what I am about to point out…

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “hot dog” as: “a frankfurter with a typically mild flavor that is heated and usually served in a long split roll.”

And the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “sandwich” as: “two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between.”

Bam, problem solved. A hot dog and a sandwich can both be a split roll with contents inside.

Although I feel that this is the end of the argument, I have an entire column left to fill up. So, I’ll further explain myself.

I fully believe that a hot dog is a sandwich. I understand that it’s not an idea we’re comfortable with – and that hot dogs and sandwiches are not similar concepts at first thought for most.

But it comes down to the definition. And based on the definition, a hot dog does indeed qualify as a sandwich.

Now this doesn’t change anything for anyone who disagrees. Just because a hot dog is a sandwich (yes, I settled the debate), it doesn’t mean you have to refer to it as so from now on. You can continue to call a hot dog a “hot dog.” This doesn’t mean the sandwich definition isn’t there; it just means you don’t have to bring it up every time you eat a hot dog.

I, however, will from here on out refer to hot dogs as sandwiches. This idea does – as I mentioned earlier – break the conventions with which we’ve become so comfortable. But it’s the challenging topics like this that our world so desperately needs.

The question of “is a hot dog a sandwich?” is not limited to split rolls and frankfurters. This question is a deeply philosophical one that can speak to much larger topics and debates in our modern society.

By contesting the traditional idea of hot dogs as not being sandwiches, we are taking a progressive step towards challenging everything we thought we knew. Today, it’s hot dogs. Tomorrow, it’s gender roles and global warming.

Asking ourselves “is a hot dog a sandwich?” is not merely a time-wasting Internet meme. It is an eye-opening conversation starter that our modern global society is begging to begin. This question is a critical step in the right direction for becoming #woke.

If we don’t challenge our societal norms and debate about whether or not we’re living our lives in the right way, then what’s the point to it all? What’s the point to living and being human and attempting to spark change in our world?

Change will not be enacted unless we ask ourselves the uncomfortable, taboo questions that make us think. And it all starts with one question: “is a hot dog a sandwich?”

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