Mukbang originated in South Korea when people started filming themselves eating. The videos are created to be watched by others, who consider it entertainment.
Aside from being entertaining, there are many reasons why mukbang is popular. The trend became popular on the internet, and because of this, it went global.
Here Are 8 Reasons Why Mukbang Is Popular
Here below are 8 reasons why mukbang has become so popular.
1: Video Sharing Platforms
The first reason why mukbang is popular is because of video-sharing platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. It has been seen that mukbang videos are widely popular on these platforms, which made the trend go mainstream.
These video-sharing platforms are extremely powerful when used correctly. They can be used to help someone rise up the ranks of any social hierarchy, including popularity and influence.
These days it’s quite easy to get viral on platforms like TikTok, especially if you’re videos are entertaining. The content doesn’t have to be relevant or educational, and it just has to be entertaining enough for people to watch.
Short videos will be the future where you can scroll hours without noticing it.
It’s predicted that video-sharing platforms will be the future of social media. It’s no wonder considering their ability to make someone popular overnight.
2: Internet Fame
Mukbang gave people an opportunity to become famous instantly through creating mukbang videos. Their content is entertaining and appealing because they eat food that could attract hundreds or thousands of netizens who will discover their channel/profile accidentally or purposely.
Becoming internet famous by creating mukbang videos is very niche, but you can still find many people in the community.
Mukbang videos are also popular on YouTube, where thousands of people watch, comment, and share them. It’s a good way to get famous and earn money with just one video.
3: Social Interaction
With mukbang, people can actually communicate with each other through watching the video together, so it is considered an online event or show. Mukbang also allows people to interact directly with streamers, which gives viewers a chance to ask questions and post comments about the content of their videos.
Other than the social interaction feature, watching mukbang videos is a trending topic on various social media platforms. This can be considered as a form of communication between people, and it shows that mukbang has a positive outcome on society.
Most mukbangers tell a story while eating, which the viewers find very interesting and entertaining. Many people like to watch mukbang as a way of unwinding and stress relief.
4: A Way to Help Foodies Showcase their Culinary Skills
Another reason why mukbang is popular is because it can be a platform for both amateur and professional chefs to showcase their culinary skills.
In the past, many people have always been intimidated with cooking in fear that they might not cook well or bad things might happen when they do. Mukbangs gives them a chance to show others how good they are at cooking food and eating in front of a camera.
Here below is an example of a video that shows you their culinary skills and that the creators can actually cook.
5: Appealing Food
A mukbang video without appealing food is just like watching a movie with no story to it. Without the appetizing food that people will see, they might not be interested in watching nor creating a mukbang video on YouTube or TikTok.
With all the good-looking and delicious food out there, some mukbang videos become viral because of the food itself.
Other videos become a meme because of the people. This video here below shows that becoming viral isn’t always scripted.
6: Different Platforms to be Used
Another reason why mukbang is popular is because it can be done on different platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and streaming services. Mukbangers can choose which platform they want to use based on what they like and their audience’s preferences.
Different platforms also give mukbang a wider appeal because people from different countries and cultures might prefer using one platform over the other, making the trend become more global.
Videos that are going viral in the US won’t necessarily be successful in other countries.
But if you distribute the videos among all platforms, you will have a higher chance of going viral.
7: Uniqueness of Mukbang Videos
Mukbang has become unique in many ways, which is why it has gained popularity. For example, the idea of being able to eat so much food while having your screen split into four or five parts, with each part showing a specific angle of the mukbanger working on their dish.
Other ideas could be adding some music or sound effects during the mukbang video to make it more entertaining. Plus, eating with some kind of props like chopsticks or forks adds flavor to the video like making it look like you are actually on a date.
Or if the mukbanger is on some kind of diet, they might also try to make a mukbang video with different or unusual food items.
In addition to this, there are also some challenges that the mukbangers want to take up. Eating as many hotdogs as they can in one minute, eating as many cookies as they can, and eating until they are full are just some examples of challenges that they might set for themselves.
8: The Creators Are Enjoying Their Food
Since the main point of mukbang is to show people how tasty their food is, not giving it justice by acting like they don’t enjoy their meal is unappealing.
Eating with emotions and enjoying what you see on the camera is also one of the reasons why mukbang has become popular.
A good example of this is this video here below
Why Do People Listen to Mukbang?
People listen to mukbang videos because the sound of food is pleasurable. Generally speaking, the people that listen to mukbang videos just want some background noise.
Some people like to hear other people eating, talking, and getting along with each other.
Mukbang is not something that nobody ever thought of, but rather it has been around for a long time. It became popular on the internet because people easily upload videos to a site or share their videos with others.
It may be weird for you to think of, but some people get so excited by this that they start their own mukbang channel.
Most of the people who watch this stuff are either older than 18 years old or in their early 20s.
Why Is Watching Mukbang so Addictive?
Watching mukbang is very addictive because the sound of the food being eaten sounds very delicious.
In fact, there are some people who started making mukbang videos because they wanted to hear the sound of food more clearly.
In some mukbang videos, you can hear how people slurp on their noodles, chew slowly and lovingly, and show appreciation for the meal.
Mukbang is an opportunity for people to experience a sense of arousal and satisfaction while listening to other people eat.
People like to watch mukbang because they can enjoy the sound of other people having a good time.
It allows them to feel at ease and relax even while they are alone.
People can feel comfortable while watching mukbang because you don’t have to interact with anyone.
Conclusion
All in all, you should try watching a mukbang if you want to hear the beautiful sounds of people eating. It might be something you will enjoy and maybe even try yourself.
