A disturbing new online video food fad has emerged. It’s called ‘Mukbang’. It’s Korean in origin. And it celebrates dining depravity – apparently just for the sake of grossing out the audience. But it’s also created a temple of worship for waste…
@kie_eats Candied Hot Dog 🌭 #asmr #candied #tanghulu #candiedseafoodboil #candiedpizza #candiedfood #notalkingmukbang #asmreating #mukbang #candiedhotdog #fyp #asmrtiktoks #candiedpopeyes #candiedfriedchicken ♬ original sound – Kie 🍯
There’s no good reason this new fad should exist. It’s wrong in so many ways, it’s hard to imagine why it’s so virally popular. Perhaps it has prurient appeal to some folks simply because it’s a celebration of disgusting extremes. Like snuff films or pimple popping…
A disgusting premise
The Idea behind Mukbang is simple: Creators vid them,selves consuming huge amounts of various foods, talking while they’re chewing, and masticating as loudly and exaggeratedly as they can. All the while grinning or staring wide-eyed like crazy people, exclaiming how good the food is.
The food is often not only excessive, but doused in gooey condiments and sauces, to add to the ‘dis-gusting’ factor. As the diners stuff themselves, often eating with their fingers, digging in with both hands.
A little history…
“The word ‘mukbang’ is derived from a mashup of the Korean words ‘meokda” which translates to eat, and ‘bangsong’, which means broadcast,” food writer Taylor Nicioli reports, on CNN.”
“Lately, the word has become even more popular by YouTube and TikTok content creators using the term more loosely with their casual ‘eat with me’ and ‘have a meal with me’ videos that have more average-sized meals.” Nicioli explains. “By mid-August, there were over 4 million videos on TikTok with the #mukbang hashtag.”
‘Mukbang’ began to trend on Google back in 2015. And came to a peak in 2020, just as the reality of COVID and lockdoens set in.
Seeking social interaction?
Some observers say the tremendous popularity of mukbang videos may reflect a craving by isolated individuals for social interaction. And what more iconic setting to interact positively with others than across a dining table?
But the fad has become even bigger since the end of the COVID era. Nicioli points to one recent post that’s been viewed more than 5.8 million times. It specifically focuses on excessive consumption. And Nicioli suggests that may be the main reason for making mukbangs: simply for getting views, and the attendant advertising revenues.
The appeal – though it’s motivations are elusive – may involve the same subconscious emotional trigger that draws the curious to gawk at extreme, sometimes grotesque, eating contests.
An insider’s view
‘Kieanna’ is a mukbang creator who has only been posting videos since last October. But she already has more than one million followers. She posts 3 to 5 times a week.
Kieanna often records herself in her car trying popular Fast Food menu items. On other occasions, she ‘gets creative’ in her own kitchen with such absurd delicacies as candy-coated pizza or hot dogs (see Tik Tik video, above).
She claims her most-viewed videos are often ones that feature ‘feel-good’ sounds.
“A lot of people just use it for entertainment,” she said. “Sometimes, they just [comment] that the food looks good.”
My take
Mukbang creators are shamelessly taking advantage of the deep-seated quirks of millions of online video addicts who are curious to see what they’ll do next.
But aside from that, they’re creating a temple to worship food waste. Not just the excess stuff they consume, wantonly, but the stuff they leave behind, uneaten. They give millions of their followers the impression that’s okay: “That’s entertainment!”
I can’t condemn this grotesque ‘trend’ strongly enough. It brings out the worst in human nature. Both in its creators, and among it’s innocent fans…
~ Maggie J.