“Wing Bowl” is an annual Philadelphia eating contest hosted by a  local sports radio station (since 1993) where 25,000+ spectators gather to partake in a modern day coliseum event. The unofficial motto of Wing Bowl is “Show your tits!”.  Spectators come to watch eaters gorge on chicken wings as they are assisted by their scantily clad “wingettes” who flash the crowd during the competition.

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In 2004, Sonya Thomas, the first woman in the history of Wing Bowl, entered and won the contest, much to the dismay of the fans in the stadium. They hated her. She disrupted the Wing Bowl  narrative – it was the men who were to win the prize and the women were to be spectacle. The following year, I decided to participate as Sonya Thomas’ wingette to show the two ways that women can participate in the contest.