If you look into the hotdog and you see what yourself, if you just see if it's just a mirror,

then you really reached Nirvana.

I was going to say the exact same thing you've reached Nirvana.

Jamie Loftus is a comedian, podcaster, and author of the recent New York Times best-selling

book Raw Dog, the Naked Truth About Hot Dogs, which chronicles her 2021 road trip across

the United States to both celebrate and critique this potent symbol of America.

In addition to stand-up and comedy writing, Jamie has also produced and hosted several

investigative podcasts, including Ghost Church, Lolita Podcast, Accast, and My Year in Mensa.

Angie Hose and ongoing feminist movie review show called The Bechtlecast.

As a companion to our Urban Legends Hotline episode on the in-bred cannibal pig people

of Pig Hill, we are going to discuss some hotdog-related urban legends and conspiracy theories

here all about the history, culture, and politics around these complicated meat tubes and just

for a little treat, we'll also get schooled on the aggressively gendered branding of gas

station jumbo pickles.

I'm your host, Chelsea Weber-Smith, and this is American HISTORY.

Hello, Jamie Loftus.

Thank you so much for coming on the show to talk about hotdogs.

Oh, it is.

It's the only thing I know how to do at this point.

You've been doing it quite a bit.

So I want to start just diving right in about this passion that you have for hotdogs that

maybe I don't know if it's run out or not at this point.

...