Man eats 40 chickens in 40 consecutive days, goes viral

"I think it went viral because it was an ingredient missing from our reality."
 By 
Sam Haysom
 on 
Two side-by-side photos show a man eating a whole chicken with a large carrot resting on the table.
Credit: Twitter/@AlexiconTom

People go viral for all sorts of reasons nowadays.

Maybe they tweeted something funny, or made a sweary gaffe on live TV. Perhaps they fooled a bunch of people.

Or, you know, maybe they just ate 40 chickens over 40 consecutive days.

The man in the photo above is 31-year-old server Alexander Tominsky from Philadelphia, PA. A few weeks back, he began documenting his goal of eating an entire rotisserie chicken each day for 40 days in a row.

"I started eating chicken because it seemed like the right thing to do," Tominsky told Mashable. And, as you'll see, he really committed.

We probably don't need to post every single one of the photos (you can find them all on Tominsky's Twitter feed), but suffice to say, the whole thing began to pick up steam.

And then, in the last few days of the challenge, it really snowballed.

Tominsky told us he thought about 500 people came to watch him eat the final chicken in the end.

"I think it went viral because it was an ingredient missing from our reality," Tominsky said. "I'm happy people find it to bring them joy."

And as for what he's planning to do with his newfound fame?

"I’m going to try to find ways to get Philabundance, an organization in Philadelphia, contributions so they can help feed the hungry," he said.

Topics X/Twitter

Mashable Image
Sam Haysom

Sam Haysom is the Deputy UK Editor for Mashable. He covers entertainment and online culture, and writes horror fiction in his spare time.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
How AI Will Smith eats spaghetti in 2026
Will Smith attends Apple Original Films' "Emancipation" Los Angeles premiere at Regency Village Theatre

Target Circle Deal Days is coming to an end — shop the best deals from Target's rival sale
The checkout area of a Target store

Target Circle Deal Days is coming to an end — last chance to shop the best deals from Target's rival sale
The checkout area of a Target store

'I Love Boosters' review: Keke Palmer goes wild in Boots Riley's new sci-fi satire
Keke Palmer stars in "I Love Boosters."

Site to 'check' women's 'body counts' goes viral — and some men are defending it
woman's body inside keyhole with password in front of her

More in Life
How to watch Chelsea vs. Port Vale online for free
Alejandro Garnacho of Chelsea reacts

How to watch 'Wuthering Heights' at home: Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi's controversial romance now streaming
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi embracing in still from "Wuthering Heights"

How to watch New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers online for free
Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders warms up

How to watch Mexico vs. Belgium online for free
Israel Reyes of Mexico reacts

How to watch Brazil vs. Croatia online for free
Vinicius Junior #10 of Brazil leaves

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma

NYT Strands hints, answers for April 3, 2026
A game being played on a smartphone.

What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!