Don’t Judge People Who Watch Mukbangs
The only reason why I’m devoting a blog to this is that I know what a lot of people think when they hear about mukbang for the first time, and I don’t blame them. Every time I’ve told someone that I watch mukbangs, I get judged. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t go around telling people I watch mukbangs, but that’s exactly why I don’t. I guess I think it’s kind of weird too, and that’s another reason why I avoid telling people. I mean, I’m watching people eat food, and sometimes they aren’t even talking.
But, weird does not mean bad. I like comparing mukbangs to slime videos because they give you the same type of satisfaction. Don’t you like it when the creator of a slime video sticks their index finger in the perfectly shaped and wonderfully colorful slime for the first time? If you say you don’t like it, you’re lying! But, anyway, that’s how I feel when I watch someone take their first bite of a delicious looking meal. What about the sound slime makes when it’s being folded? That’s how I feel when I hear noodles being stirred on a plate. It’s the same thing. I think more people enjoy these types of visual and auditory stimuli more than they like to admit.
I watch mukbangs because I love food and everything about it. I love its different textures and presentation, and I love its taste even more. Mukbangs give you the satisfaction of getting as close to eating a delicious meal as possible, without actually being able to eat it- I must acknowledge that this is also a drawback for anyone who watches mukbangs who has an eating disorder. That’s how I discovered it, but I am fully recovered (For those of you reading this for the first time, I recommend reading my first post, titled, “Mukbangs and Me: From an Eating Disorder Survivor” for more context). But, what I mean by not being able to eat it is that a lot of the food mukbangers eat is not as easy to make as grilled cheese or buttered spaghetti. Some people eat elaborate noodles dishes where you have to order some of the ingredients online or buy them at an Asian supermarket, and some people eat edible brushes and shoes that look real but are made of rice crispy treats. It’s mesmerizing. And while food and eating is the primary component of mukbangs, a lot of them aren’t just about eating and aren’t just ASMR. There are a lot of Mukbang artists who share stories about their lives or discuss conspiracy theories and recount mysteries- They talk about everything and anything. It’s entertaining! The Mukbang community is just like any other online community: People are involved in drama, people get ‘canceled’, people collaborate, and there are millions of viewers around the world keeping up with this content.
So, before you judge me for watching mukbangs, think twice! I know you watch slime videos in bed at night.
