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'The Pain in His Face': News Reporter Goes Viral After Uncomfortable Moment Trying to Swallow a Hot Dog at State Fair Jalen Tart really bit off more than he could chew.

By Emily Rella Edited by Jessica Thomas

Key Takeaways

  • News reporter Jalen Tart is going viral for an awkward on-camera moment involving a hot dog.
  • See the video that's going viral on social media.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Sometimes in life, we all bite off more than we can chew.

This was the literal case for South Carolina news reporter Jalen Tart of local outlet WIS10, who visited the South Carolina State Fair for a news segment where he decided to taste-test a Polish hot dog on camera.

"I'm gonna take a bite of this Polish dog. Let me see what this is all about," Tart says in the clip before diving into the delicacy.

@kevonstagetiktok

Disgusting!!

♬ original sound - kevonstage

Tart's face then appears to have a look of horror and confusion as he realizes there's no way he's going to be able to swallow the bite, trying to vigorously chew it in a moment of awkward silence.

He then thanks the man who gave him the dog for "coming on the show" as he speaks with the bite of hot dog in his mouth before throwing it back to the reporters in the studio, still chewing as the camera switches scenes.

Tart's clip quickly went viral on social media, where many were in stitches over the awkward and uncomfortable moment in which he appeared to have a distaste for the dog.

"The way he chipmunked that bite into his cheek," one person joked.

"The pain in his face to say something nice was apparent," another said.

However, the reporter insists that his reaction had nothing to do with the taste of the food and everything to do with him simply trying to eat too much at once.

"I was like, OK, this is actually not bad, but then I thought, I still got to swallow this thing down, and I just couldn't get it," Tart told Today of his viral mishap. "It wasn't nasty; it was just the fact that it was a lot of food, and I was just trying to get it down to give my reaction. I was just in the moment, and I didn't know what else to say to the anchors."

The South Carolina State Fair is a 12-day event that will conclude on October 22.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

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