History Series / ManVFood

** JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: As if it's not obvious, every restaurant owner that offers eating challenges want Adam to lose because that way they can collect large amounts of money from him (they profit off eating challenges thanks to the huge failure rate that can go over 95%), even when the price of making the huge meal is nowhere near the price they charged.

* {{Jerkass}}: Unsurprisingly, a lot of the owners of the restaurants that offer eating challenges will force participants who fail the challenge to have their picture taken and posted on a shame display. That's not to say that owners can't get creative about finding new ways to shame participants who lose the challenge.

** The phall that required a gas mask to simply ''cook'' it comes to mind.

** The Boise, Idaho challenge, involving a huge burger, milkshake, and chili cheese fries, had a guitar as a prize.
** The Las Vegas burrito challenge had a lifetime of unlimited rides on a nearby NASCAR-themed roller coaster as a prize component.

* DagwoodSandwich: Adam eats several as challenges. One example was the "Ultimate Destroyer" which had multiple white bread slices, large buns, 7 kinds of meat (brisket, pulled pork, sliced pork, ham, turkey breast, hamburger patties and smoked sausages) and the owner added barbecue sauce on every layer. And Adam was required to eat 1.5 pounds of Fries with that.

* DownerEnding: Food winning - especially when Adam falls ''just'' short.

** JerkassWithAHeartOfJerk: As if it's not obvious, every restaurant owner that offers eating challenges want Adam to lose because that way they can collect large amounts of money from him (they profit off eating challenges thanks to the huge failure rate that can go over 95%), even when the price of making the huge meal is nowhere near the price they charged.

-->'''Masked Wrestler''': [Standing up and brandishing a whole pickle] ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny I GOT PICKLEEEEEEES!]]'' '''''YEAAAAAH!!!'''''

* TheBadGuyWins: Happens a lot of times when the JerkAss restaurant owners shame Adam for failing to finish their unusually large challenges and give him buttons of shame or put his picture on the Wall of Shame.

* ButtMonkey: Adam. Despite how he appears cheerful and enthusiastic to be eating huge meals on a constant basis, he actually starves himself on days before challenges and can go through pain and discomfort eating large-portion challenges.

** Sometimes the meal is also free. Other times, there are cash rewards.

* DagwoodSandwich: One example was the "Ultimate Destroyer" which had multiple white bread slices, large buns, 7 kinds of meat (brisket, pulled pork, sliced pork, ham, turkey breast, hamburger patties and smoked sausages) and the owner added barbecue sauce on every layer. And Adam was required to eat 1.5 pounds of Fries with that.

* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: After failing the Ultimate Destroyer challenge (which unfairly had excessive, different amounts of meats combined with more than 1 pound of French Fries), Adam was forced by the sandwich maker to accept a Shame button. Adam pretended he felt proud to take it though.

''Man v Food'' Is an American travelogue show on the Travel Channel.

Note that the correct name of the show is "Man '''v''' Food", and not "Man ''vs.'' Food".

** The broth in a ramen noodle soup challenge is so spicy, not even the owner, who cooked it for Adam, has ever tried it.

** Sometimes the meal is also free.

* AscendedFanboy - Adam ends up coaching three members of the [[{{Basketball}} Harlem Globetrotters]] for a two pound spicy BBQ sandwich challenge. The ending of the Harlem episode of Man V. Food Nation had Adam receiving [[spoiler:a one-of-a-kind #1 [[{{Basketball}} Harlem Globetrotters]] jersey after Adam presented three of its members the Man V. Food Nation belt that they won in their spicy challenge.]]

** One challenge in particular involved a giant burger sold at a minor-league {{baseball}} park that had to be eaten between the seventh-inning stretch and the game's final out (between 12 and 15 outs, depending on if the home team needed to bat in the bottom of the ninth). This meant that Adam didn't know ''exactly'' how long he had to finish it since it was ''how quickly the outs were recorded'' that determined how much time he had, rather than a clock. He managed to finish it off only because the final batter fouled off an 0-2 pitch.

# Rematch Challenge : Grudge Match Challenge, wherein the host attempts challenges very similar to ones that he had previously lost.

Adam has retired from the show, but has a new show called ''Best Sandwich in America'', where he travels to various regions of the US to determine which of 30 sandwiches is the best in the country. As of August 8, 2012, all of the regional champions have been declared, and the finale to determine the best sandwich aired on August 15th. [[spoiler:The winner was the roast pork sandwich from Tommy [=DiNic=]'s Beef and Pork from Philadelphia]].

* ArchEnemy - The ghost chili pepper to Adam.

* ShoutOut: In one challege when the crowd starts chanting "Half-way there!", Adam responds "and I'm [[Music/BonJovi livin' on a prayer.]]"

** In the Baltimore episode, Adam wears a [[TheWire "Carcetti for Mayor"]] t-shirt in several scenes.

** When Phoenix restaurant owner of [=CoopersTown=] Music/AliceCooper appears, Adam responds by bowing and saying [[WaynesWorld "We're not worthy!"]].

Adam was supposed to have a second food related show, titled ''Man Finds Food'' as a SpiritualSuccessor to this series, but it was put on hold after [[RoleEndingMisdemeanor he went on an instagram tirade against an anonymous user]] and ultimately ran for only one season.

* NationalStereotypes: To people outside the USA, this show tends to reinforce the idea that a goodly proportion of Americans are morbidly obese waddling gutbuckets. Given that the ''normal'' food serving is several times larger than comparable eateries in Europe - even ''before'' Adam gets onto the food challenge super-dupa-mega American Excess-style serving, this is not unreasonable. Those Americans trying to challenge the stereotype that most citizens are visibly obese have an extra hill to climb, now that this show is seen widely in Europe.
** Over the course of four series, not very surprisingly, Adam visibly porks out. A lot. Just watch a distinctly obese Adam Richman cheerleading in the Brick Lane Curry house (a little bit of Indian Britain exported to the USA?)
*** None of this seems to stop him from [[ChickMagnet being surrounded by adoring female fans.]]

* ShoutOut: In one challege when the crowd starts chanting "Half-way there!", Adam responds "and I'm [[BonJovi livin' on a prayer.]]"

* MundaneMadeAwesome: For the 190 pound burger challenge (no that's not a typo) in Detroit, Adam recruited help from an entire local football and hockey team's lineups, a local firefighter precinct, a roller derby squad, Mexican lucha libre wrestlers, and a {{KISS}} cover band in full makeup

** Taken UpToEleven on his knowledge of food. Just watch him on his guest appearance as a judge on ''IronChefAmerica''. Still the same {{Adorkable}} guy, but he does know his food, high-end or not.