The 'Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich?' debate is one of the internet's most enduring and divisive philosophical questions, transcending simple food preference to become a staple of online discourse. While the question itself dates back decades in casual conversation, it gained massive viral traction in the mid-2010s, sparked by social media polls and celebrity interviews. The meme thrives on taxonomic technicalities, pitting 'sandwich purists' who believe bread must be sliced against 'sandwich radicals' who argue any meat between bread qualifies. It is frequently used to mock pointless arguments, test friendships, or as a template for other 'structure vs. ingredient' debates like whether cereal is soup or a Pop-Tart is a calzone.