Surely you are familiar with the word mukbang. When you open social media, sometimes your home page will definitely be discussing mukbang. When you watch the video/content containing people eating and you will think about what mukbang is. Mukbang is a popular cultural phenomenon originating in Korea. The word “mukbang” is a combination of two words in Korean, namely “muk” (먹) which means “eat” and “bang” (방) which means “broadcast” or “room”. In mukbang, a person broadcasts himself eating a large meal in front of the camera and often interacts with the audience directly via live broadcasting platforms or online videos. Initially mukbang emerged in South Korea as a type of content on streaming platforms such as AfreecaTV. Initially, the meaning of mukbang was a live broadcast featuring people eating food in front of the camera, often interacting with the audience. Such content has a unique appeal, as it offers a combination of visual entertainment and social interaction through live broadcasts. Mukbang was initially popular in Korea and then attracted the attention of the international community. Many people like this content because the food eaten by the broadcaster looks very delicious. Most of them eat typical Korean food because this trend originates from there. In the context of social media, the meaning of mukbang is content that involves eating activities ranging from fast food to traditional dishes or unique and exotic foods. Some mukbang streamers also do mega eating challenges, where they attempt to eat very large portions of food in one sitting or eating very spicy food.

Mukbang has become an inspiration for international YouTube broadcasters, many of whom are trying to create this content. Indonesia is not spared, there are also many Indonesian YouTubers who are famous for their mukbang content, such as Tanboykun, Ria SW, MGDALENAF and others. Which YouTuber do you often watch when you’re hungry and become your friend to eat with?

Mukbang content has also received criticism because there are YouTube broadcasters whose content is doing mukbang and then their weight continues to increase and these YouTubers are still doing this content to get Adsense from YouTube. For famous YouTubers, they usually compensate with exercise to balance food intake and energy output. There are also those who have abnormalities so that the YouTube broadcaster’s digestive process is faster so it doesn’t have an effect on the body

the difference between MUKBANG and ASMR

So, when you open social media, there is content about announcers eating food, there are two different formats, namely mukbang and ASMR. You must be thinking what the difference is between MUKBANG and ASMR. It is important to understand that MUKBANG and ASMR are two different concepts with different goals and focuses.

The meaning of MUKBANG is content that shows someone eating food on a large scale in front of the camera. Mukbang’s main focus is on the food itself and the content creator’s personal reaction to enjoying the food. The goal is to provide entertainment and satisfaction for viewers who enjoy watching content creators enjoy large amounts of food.

Meanwhile, ASMR is an abbreviation for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, which aims to stimulate typical sensations such as coldness in the nape of the neck or a feeling of redness on the scalp through soft sounds and audio-visual stimulation. ASMR’s main focus is on soft, soothing sounds, with the aim of eliciting a pleasant and relaxing sensory response in the viewer. in ASMR, sound is a key element in the content. Subtle sounds, such as soft whispers, rustling sounds, or nature sounds, are used to stimulate sensory responses in the audience

From the objective aspect, the meaning of mukbang is content that aims to entertain the audience and provide the experience of seeing the content creator enjoying large amounts of food. Meanwhile, ASMR aims to create certain emotional and physical sensations, such as a sense of relaxation, well-being, or deep sleep, through soothing sounds. In addition, in mukbang content, interaction with the audience is an important factor in the content. Meanwhile, in ASMR content, interaction with the audience can be said to be almost non-existent because it only focuses on certain sounds. Well, do you prefer mukbang or ASMR for your friends while they are eating?