Mukbang // ASMR

The Bridge: Gen Z’s obsession with calming sensory stimulation has found a funny pairing with absurd food consumption content.

Is Enough Ever Too Much?

We’ve all overindulged in our favorite foods. You know, that extra large fry with your McDonald’s order – it’s relatively harmless. But if you’ve been on the internet throughout the TikTok takeover, you’ve definitely noticed that consumption content is being eaten up by Gen Z kids all over the world. What’s it called when you eat 400 chicken nuggets, 3 milkshakes, and two birthday cakes in one sitting?

Luckily we’re here to tell you in this week’s side-splitting lingo:  “Mukbang”

Originating from Korea, mukbangs started out as a way to curb loneliness by enjoying a meal while watching a person eat during a livestream or YouTube video – but that wasn’t enough. People quickly began adding a competitive edge to the eastern phenomenon, trying to consume as many calories as possible within an hour or so…

We’re not judging, but it’s gone from bizarre to out of hand. Mukbang influencers have gained extreme popularity (and weight) in recent years, raising concerns about their mental and physical health. One influencer, Nikocado Avocado, has consistently come up as a controversial figure in the space. Aside from his estimated 200 pound weight gain, his frequent emotional outbursts during live-streams, as well as failing health, point to the downside of this creator space.

There is one more thing…

Gen Z is really into HEARING the mukbangs. The trend is called “ASMR”, which stands for ​​Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. It’s basically listening to sounds that make your body tingle and calm you. This trend took off a while back, with creators whispering into microphones or rubbing soft things over them – very very relaxing…

Somehow it’s evolved into listening to people slurp, munch, crunch, and belch their way through hundreds of fast food items. We try not to question these things anymore.

Use the table below as a vocabulary mukbang of sorts.

• “Mukbang” – Gorging yourself with food, usually unhealthy and high in calories.
• “Do you want to have a mukbang?” – Do you want to eat a bunch of food together?
• “Mukbang ASMR is trending on TikTok” – The trend of people eating a ton of food close to a microphone is very popular on the TikTok app.
• “Does mukbang ASMR give you the “tingles”?” – Do you like the sound of people eating so much that it gives you goosebumps and relaxes you?
• “Seafood boils might as well be mukbangs” – The popular trend of eating a seafood boil has turned into simply eating as much seafood as possible.

Do you think you have the stomach to use mukbang in a sentence? Let us know in the comments @thegenbridge!