The Phenomenon of the NYC Cheeseball Man

April 27th, 2024 — The streets of New York City were blessed with the presence of a new gimmick character. Cheeseballman427, now unveiled as Youtuber Anthony Po, took Times Square by storm as he set out to do what no one has ever done before: consume an entire jar of cheeseballs in front of the entire state’s population. Indeed, he was inspired by the Philadelphia chicken man, who took it upon himself to devour 40 rotisserie chickens in 40 days back in 2022. And devour did the Cheeseball Man do, as he not only polished off the jar but his cheese-encrusted fingers as well.

The Cheeseball Man’s advertising and setup were as straightforward as his ambition was humble. With a few hundred flyers containing just a time and date pasted all over New York City, a culinary art performance piece was born. Armed with nothing more than an oversized jar of cheeseballs, a blindingly bright orange mask and cape ensemble, and an unshakable determination, he positioned himself at the very heart of Times Square, right where the lights are brightest and the people are many. He burst through the crowd of hundreds of New Yorkers, their deafening cheers only escalating as he unscrewed the jar’s lid with a dramatic flourish. And as the Cheeseball Man grasped the first handful of 985 cheddar-coated spheres, it became clear that he wasn’t just eating a snack—he was making a statement.

While it might seem that the Cheeseball Man’s actions are just the quirky antics of a fairly eccentric man, there’s surprisingly rich commentary to be found within this cheesy event. In fact, this conventional spectacle opens a doorway for a closer look at ideas below the surface. With this, he emerges as an unsung hero whose performance can be turned into an opportunity for exploration of the existential and human psyche as a whole.

 His act is emblematic of how, as a society, we grapple with the absurd and the mundane. The Cheeseball Man’s feat can be seen as a modern take on the classic tale of human endurance and excess. It’s a testament to our innate desire to push boundaries, whether they’re physical, mental, or, in this case, gastronomical. We live in an age where extreme challenges, from borderline-repulsive eating contests to teeth-clenching reality TV stunts, have become a form of both personal achievement and public entertainment. In a world that thrives on spectacle, the Cheeseball Man’s singular focus on consuming an entire jar of cheese puffs brings refreshing simplicity yet exciting unconventionality. By performing a task that might be considered inconsequential or even ridiculous, he highlights how embracing absurdity can offer a unique form of liberation. It’s a chance to step outside the confines of seriousness grasping today’s society and find joy in the nonsensical and unremarkable. After all, eating unhealthy snacks in stomach-endangering amounts tends to be many’s inescapable habit. The Cheeseball Man’s act is a reminder that sometimes, the most fulfilling experiences come from embracing simplicity; happiness doesn’t always have to come from honorable titles or great achievements (though consuming nearly one thousand cheeseballs in one sitting is quite the feat). As it turns out, this celebration of the “mundane” highlights how the remarkable can emerge from the typical; by engaging in excessive cheeseball consumption, the internet celebrity’s performance is so ordinary that it has become extraordinary. Practically any human being can do this, as seen by the many “*insert food* Mans” there have been before and after him. In fact, Cheeseball Man created a superhero squad labeled “The League of Legends,” with each member specializing in a specific food. As said by the man himself, the beautiful part about cheeseballman427 is “anybody can be behind the mask.”