The massive revolution created by technology and the internet have led to some expected outcomes like internet addictions, the creation of a whole new occupation called ‘influencers,’ and online gaming; but what nobody saw coming was the wave that took over South Korean social media--Mukbang. This is a portmanteau, or a word that combines the meaning of two other words; ‘meogneun’ in Korean translates to ‘eating’ and ‘bangsong’ to ‘broadcast’, thus creating the amalgamation, Mukbang, which translates to ‘broadcasted eating’ in English.
Mukbang involves individuals who are referred to as broadcast jockeys (BJs) consuming large amounts of food meant for multiple people, while live-streaming themselves on media platforms like Twitch, AfreecaTV, and YouTube. These recordings involve high quality video and sound systems, perfectly capturing the sounds and visuals of each and every delicious morsel. In such videos, the cameras are placed in a manner such that the viewer feels as though they too are sitting at the table with the BJ and eating with them. This trend started around 2010 in South Korea, and has since become a world-wide phenomenon with some people even taking up ‘Mukbang-ing’ as their official occupations. Now while the idea of watching someone eat and talk at the same time, and stuff themselves beyond recognition may not appeal to you, know that there is a massive section of society that actually loves watching hosts devouring their meals. The true extent and reach of this trend can be seen in the sky-rocketing number of followers BJs have on these platforms; Zach Choi is a Mukbang artist with over 9 million subscribers on YouTube, and Kinoshita Yuka has amassed almost 6 million subscribers.
Though rigorous academic research is lacking in this area as it is a fairly unexplored aspect of social online behaviour, anthropological research suggests that the reason for the popularity of Mukbang was originally to assuage feelings of loneliness in the lives of viewers. The younger population of South Korea is said to be currently facing a ‘loneliness epidemic,’ a term not tossed around loosely these days. The increasing transition from a collectivist to an individualistic culture, a higher number of one-person households and a decrease in marriage rates, has led the South Korean population to turn to making virtual interpersonal connections as a way to combat their loneliness. Mukbang videos usually follow a similar format with creators eating copious amounts of food, usually traditional Korean dishes, live, with viewers chiming in with questions and comments and the BJ responding and talking to the viewers. It simulates a sense of friendship and connection, almost giving viewers the feeling like they are actually there with them, not far from acting as an alternative to actual social interactions.
Mukbang may have originated in South Korea, but has spread like wildfire across the world, with many western, Caucasian artists hopping onto the bandwagon. However, what is interesting to note is that the emotional responses to Mukbang videos vary between those created in South Korea and others. While South Korean creators feast on traditional Korean comfort foods, multinational creators tend to opt for fast food from major corporations like McDonalds and KFC. The motives of the audience of South Korean creators are usually to feel less lonely and feel comforted, whereas the audiences of other creators usually sign up for the shock value and surprise they get from watching Mukbang.
You may think the trend of Mukbang in itself is interesting enough, but you will be surprised to find out that the reasons why people choose to watch Mukbang are even more so. Mediated voyeurism, a term that does not often come up in casual conversations, was introduced by Bahruh (2010) in relevance to the context of the appeal of reality TV shows. It essentially describes the appeal that people have of ‘peeping’ into others’ lives in ways that would usually not happen in an in-person setting. Thus, this window into the BJs lives allowing viewers to witness them eat, hear their stories and respond to questions in an unscripted manner provides a feeling of gratification that the viewers desire. This desire just happens to be fulfilled through the medium of live-streaming on social media platforms.
Have you ever, during your days of dieting and healthy eating, found yourself consciously looking up videos and photos of gluttonous food, feeling satisfied just by even looking at it through a screen, almost curbing your desires? Well, if you haven’t, scores of people who watch Mukbang have. Interviews done with Mukbang viewers have suggested that ‘vicarious eating’ is an incentive of watching Mukbang, as by simply watching somebody else eat tonnes of delicious food while you eat a healthier alternative, almost makes you feel as though you were the one eating the heaps of delicious food. Similar research done on ‘food porn’ has shown that seeing images of food or watching food channels, leads to an increase in feelings of satiation, and decrease in desire to eat more food. Thus, one could even assume that watching Mukbang may actually be good for you, and may nudge you towards choosing healthier food options for yourself! Never saw that coming, did you?
It is also not a surprise to know that most Mukbang watchers are private about this activity and can be embarrassed about it, making it the new age guilty pleasure. All in all, as a society, we would benefit from adopting the practice of ‘to each their own.’ As strange as it sounds, that someone may be battling their loneliness by watching someone else eat, or that a person who is dieting finds it easier to do so by watching South Korean BJs demolish an entire bowl of bibimbap in 20 minutes--well then, to each their own.
Maanya Vij
