CONGRATULATIONS Bloveslife!! Keep loving life, enjoying ur family and making us proud xoxo!!
1
I sometimes watch mukbang videos on You Tube to wake up my own hunger.
I watch Mrs. B EVERYDAY ! Been here since the beginning I’m so very proud of her and her family’s success they deserve every bit of it. She is so funny so sweet and so energetic in her videos. Her whole family is so wonderful to watch. I love y’all !! Congratulations B !!!
5
Many of the comments are negative, and I think that may be because the article doesn’t fully capture all of it. Though the article is good, it fails to capture what makes someone like these videos and Blove in particular. I watch her videos every day. She posts in the morning, and I always check to see what I have to look forward to watching at the end of my day. The food and eating are part of why I watch. The bigger draw for me is Bloves personality and the personalities of her family (they are often featured on the videos). These people can cheer me up and make me laugh. When you watch someone and their family daily, it feels like a television series with character development and you start to really love the people. These people are so real, and kind, and funny. Darius, her youngest son, is so entertaining (and he hardly eats, everyone! So, again it’s not all about food!). Blove and her husband have such a loving relationship and have fun together and we get to watch. They recently did a video where they only sang for the first 15 minutes, without talking. This video made my day and it wasn’t just about the food. Yes, I like food. I do think it’s fun to see what they are eating—with Blove’s sauce being a highlight always but it’s about more. You can dislike it and you can choose not to watch, but no need for the negativity. I am glad to know that I get a little glimpse into the lives of Blove and her family everyday. And I congratulate her on her success!
9
So this is actually what we’ve become? I’ve largely cut twitter, face friend and instagram out of my life and YouTube was never in it. Talking to a neighbor in person will not be replaced by this.
18
Great example of 21st century decadence. This is a legit pastime? What are we becoming?
18
The sound of eating, lip-smacking etc., is one of the most disgusting sensations I'm aware of, and whoever doesn't try to eat as silently as possible when around others, especially in a restaurant (where others are paying for food/ambience/social experience or some combination of these and should not be forced to listen to animalistic noise) is extremely uncivilized.
29
...including crunching, sloshing, slurping...
I once worked in a place where one of the staff did this constantly, deliberately as loudly as possible as if this were a kind of cultural self-expression. It made my job truly unbearable, and I never ceased thinking that this "person" (so-called) belonged in a zoo. But then, that would have been deeply unfair to all the other animals, who have enough abuses and indignities to contend with.
17
GOOD! FOR! HER!
7
We've become so vapid.
This is just gross, not worth publicizing.
Make the world better, be less self-absorbed.
15
I guess if we pay big bucks to actors and professional athletes, then why not pay a mucking performer. Different strokes....
5
I can understand for the most part, the various kinks and fetishes that people indulge themselves in. However ‘Mukbang’ has got to be the most idiotic and loony thing I’ve ever heard of. If someone can become a millionaire by shoving food in their face, I guess more power to them. But why anyone would pay to watch someone gluttonizing regularly, well that’s just downright bizarre!
14
I read a lot of “odd news” stories, but this is the strangest thing. I cannot fathom how a million people each week are watching someone eat a giant plate of food. (On a non-porn website!)
That having been said, better she become a youtube millionaire than some nutjob alt-right dude posting conspiracy theory videos!
14
Her videos are disgusting and cringe-worthy. Let's not forget her burps and lack of portion control.
She's not the Queen of Eating Shellfish she is the Queen of bad and repulsive manners!
12
Good for her. Those videos take time, planning, and they are a lot of work!
4
Why celebrate someone who engages in gluttonous behavior, when we need to be much more sensitive to resource consumption. She should do community service in a food bank, or serve food to those who do not have enough to eat.
10
This is absolutely incredible. I have to say I am envious of her success and wish I had the charisma to succeed doing something like this. Way to go, I totally applaud her.
4
For my mukbang and A.S.M.R., I simply head over to the local Red Lobster, where I am treated to food love-making like you’ve never heard, and best of all- it’s in surround sound!
3
I’ve been watching Bethany since the beginning on YouTube. She is one of the most genuine and kind individuals you could ever meet. I never did meet her but after we had hurricane Harvey here she actually sent me a gift card with the beautiful note through the mail which she did not have to do. It was so much Appreciated. She is a kind soul and her and her whole family bring joy to all of us Bloveleez out here in YouTube land.
6
Firstly one man's "Eww" is another man's "Yum". I dont see as much shame when ESPN host eating competitions on tv. I also see a lot of people saying "What is this country coming to" but this is a cultural thing that started from another country, South Korea. South Korea is currently 1st in education and 9th in life expectancy whole the US is 16th in education and 31st in life expectancy. The are more educated and live longer. Maybe its time to get some cultural traits and trends from other countries. Seems to be working for them.
4
Here’s an idea for a new YOUTUBE “show”...create a program that juxtaposes scenes from this woman’s gluttony with scenes of starving men, women, and children from around the world. It should be a smashing success. I am sure there would be many “hits” to make you, yes, you, a millionaire, as well.
Oh, where is Howard Beale when we need him?
10
Yuck!
9
If there's one thing I dislike, it's extra-loud crunching, slurping and lip smacking. Rather than causing brain tingles, in me it causes body cringes, frown furrows, fork and knife banging, napkin slamming, and finally chair skidding. However, Mrs. Gaskins is cute and, more power to her, for the rest of yous.
8
As a retired psychologist I am at a loss for words. This says a great deal about one who chooses to do this but it says much more about the people who watch it.
29
@Jonathan Lewis please explain in more detail.
@First Class I suspect Mr. Lewis is referring to the absolutely revolting vulgarity from both ends of the spectrum. Maybe this has something to do with explaining the ascendancy of Donald Trump.
3
@First Class Let me help you out. Google narcissistic personality disorder.
4
This was a very informative article for people who aren't aware of the mukbang community. I happen to enjoy this genre of of content. I've enjoyed Bloves (Mrs.Gaskins) videos for over 2 years. There are some Korean muhbangers I enjoy as well. It's impressive that people are able to make a living eating food they enjoy. I say keep up the good work and we will continue to watch.
2
Commenters disparage Mrs. Gaskins as though she personally invented stupid entertainment. She set out to have a cooking channel and found that she made a lot more money by eating noisily instead. Who wouldn't slurp shellfish for $1 million? It may be a silly way to make a living, but she's a whole lot less damaging to society than people who intentionally exploit others at "respectable" jobs.
25
Truly disgusting. Why do we glorify ignorance?
16
This is no different than the people who have channels playing video games or purchasing more clothing and makeup than they can actually wear. YouTube has provided and encouraged this kind of platform for every day people and allowed them to create their own unique careers.
6
I suppose this is closer to reality TV than the so-called ‘reality tv’. Is this why so many people watch it, instead of, by the way, not living their own lives ?
4
everyone that is speaking so dismissively and condescendingly of YouTube culture sound like "make America great again", just because it's something new doesn't make it the end of civilization. Learn to accept new things in this world, this is what keeps the mind elastic and from not sounding like our grandparents.
42
@t'po
My grandparents weren't stupid.
24
@t'po
The old aphorism is "god never told anyone to be stupid", and it certainly applies to the people who watch and advocate this type of mercenary display.
9
@t’po, Great comment til the last word. Ageism is as uncool as judgement of the woman in the article.
3
Andy Warhol was right everyone gets 15 minutes.
But lets understand it she is not eating shellfish in the minds of her viewers.
37
@MrC
Andy Warhol!? Surely you mean Marshall McLuhan.
5
@dressmaker
In February 1968 Warhol exhibited his first international retrospective exhibition at the Moderna Museet gallery in Stockholm. The exhibition catalogue contained "In the future everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes.". It is far and away the best-known of the many quotations attributed to Warhol, in fact it is probably the only comment of his that most people know.
I said that as a straightforward comment, not as a crabby rejoinder!
4
How do unverified screenshots qualify someone as a millionare?
10
It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.
(Sorry R.E.M.)
7
Everything about this is revolting to me, from eating mass quantities of seafood to the monetizing of such useless content.
14
No-one ever went bust underestimating the taste of the American public.
15
shudder.....there are people actually *enjoy* listening to someone else smack and slobber and crunch... that is just sooooooo gross. I need to get up and move if I end up sitting near to someone who simply cannot keep their mouth closed when they chew. To each their own I guess...
4
The scariest thing about the shady parts of human nature are how ridiculously shallow and superficial they are.
4
Well at least once the much more technologically advanced aliens get a load of this they will hopefully decide to skip decimating this ridiculous planet!
1
Where is the species-annihilating meteor when we need it?
10
humans are ridiculous
4
Ummmm, I'm going to quit my job, create a Youtube channel and binge eat Cool Ranch Doritos. Forgot the Ivy League education, endless jobs, hours, and commute. If this helps to pay for my kids' college tuition, I'm in.
14
sounds like a very good idea...seriously...
1
This is disgusting and so is our culture.
14
Another symptom of the decline of our civilization. A celebration of gluttony. Really?!
Thank God I'm old.
21
Another reason the country is falling apart.
14
Don’t blame the lady, she’s just selling what people are buying. I’m more concerned about the audience - where do they find the time to watch this on a regular basis? There’s zero content in that video.
But then again, who am I to judge - we all waste plenty of time on no-content pursuits such as being stuck in traffic. Fascinating!
10
@Laura the same people who binge watch Netflix and Hulu, only they watch for free.
1
Really? I can't wait to buy my secluded retirement home in the high desert mountains of New Mexico and get away far far away from modern society.
15
@Yachts On The Reg
Breakfast in Taos, baby!
2
I think the comments applauding this woman for her moxy, creativity and resourcefulness must be from people who believe that every kid should get a trophy just for showing up or playing participating. Why aren't we, instead, asking what has gone sideways in our society, and why it encourages so many huckster on social media? Why there aren't better, more fulfilling - not filling - ways for people to make a living? Why this kind of voyeurism continues to exist and has become one of the only products some people can produce? Why our society seems inclined to celebrate the crude, tacky and gauche and denigrate the refined? NYTimes has been publishing some really bizarre things lately...
19
This is the capitalist system, pure and simple. It has always been giving the people what they want. What is the difference between this and watching professional sports? Those athletes are also doing something completely worthless to society, but somehow they are worshiped by all and this industrious woman is attacked in these comments with personal insults. People, at least be honest with yourselves.
9
Weird. We live in strange times.
6
How have we evolved as a species into this? Is there any hope for the human race?
14
More gluttony? No thank you, yes there is a certain segment of society who get off on watching anything on YouTube. I for one do not. I don't get it nor do I care to. This story made me throw up a little in my mouth.
9
Putin has won.
5
Whenever you want to know what's the latest in Coliseum culture, you can always find it in the NYT Style section.
Is your serious regard for this actually a successfully veiled morbid irony?
4
That’s really sad and pathetic. Worse, she’s a millionaire by doing it. It just goes to show you the intelligence and priorities of average Americans. If someone can make millions by being a disgusting pig online, what does that tell you?
8
Have you ever seen the 2006 movie Idiocracy? We're almost there!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiocracy
4
We. Are. Doomed.
8
Here's more confirmation that with a potential audience of some 3 billion people, there's really nothing too strange to achieve what seems like an impressive degree of popularity, even though in reality it may represent an almost infinitesimal share of a potential audience. People have become internet stars popping pimples. Thus, real life keeps proving to be stranger than anything science fiction writers can dream up.
1
She invokes Jesus before her orgy? Just as I thought, the prosperity gospel becomes the gluttony gospel.
7
I looked up one of the videos. Now I want to take a bath.
13
This is revolting.
24
How vile.
21
Welcome to America - the dumbest country on earth. We are truly a sick society.
25
The queen of being selfish online. FIFY.
9
What a ridiculous world we live. This is prime evidence. Aliens would deem us without intelligence. And rightly so.
20
I thought I'd seen it all...
10
All fun and games until someone earns millions in ad revenue slurping up hate and violence.
2
"You are what you eat", America!
3
Over-eating for profit?
Yuck.
8
Everyone frets we will someday vanish as a species Perhaps the time is near.
10
@John Jabo Some of us are so hoping for it.
3
Love it or hate it, this is the true democratization (free-marketization?) of culture.
5
No wonder America is failing. The incentives and evolutionary pressures are all our of whack.
7
While these videos aren't my thing (I don't quite 'get it'), I did a quick scan on Youtube of this and other mukbang videos, and I'll give Mrs. Gaskin one thing: she sure knew how to differentiate herself in her videos. She knows how to set a dark background and frame the image of her and the food, so that her hands diving into that food, and the food itself, are front and center. She has no silly childish talking....no other visual distractions in the video....it's just her hands, her mouth, the food, and those amazing high-quality sound effects.
Again, not my thing, but she figured out how to get to the very core of why some people find this kind of thing fascinating.
5
For anyone old enough, remember Pet Rocks? That idea made someone a million. How about the "vocalists" Tiny Tim or Mrs. Miller? How much do you think they made? Watching someone eat crab legs while they make money from our voyeurism? Don't worry, we've been down this road a million times before. Sit back and enjoy. The nation will survive.
1
"Mrs. Gaskin’s 'kind and positive disposition'"
There's nothing "kind" about ripping animals apart and devouring them. It's just grotesque, and that there are so many people who willingly watch her do it is a pathetic reflection of them.
8
Definitely the end of civilization as we know it.
10
I find it terribly disturbing that this would be true. What does it say about our values? We have the visible signs of a culture in decay.
9
Does this woman's success take a way from your own? You may not agree with it or find it tasteful, but other people do. Let them have their thing.
5
More alarming than mukbang stars callous indifference toward world hunger is the sheer size of the audience. I grew up with the internet but this last decade showed how low it could take us as a culture. And it just keeps snowballing.
18
Maybe she should give some of her hard-earned wealth to the millions of people in our country who don't know where their next meal is coming from.
17
A.S.M.R. devotees are “into their senses”? Watching a broadcast? No, they’re into their imagination. Virtual living. It’s sad. I no longer have a TV. I only watch a rare You Tube educational video. I read. I paint. I eat real food. My life has become authentic without video intrusion. But that isn’t the way the zeitgeist is going, is it?
15
Have we lost our minds.
42
Essentially anti-social behavior.
Like hip-hopsters swilling Veuve Cliquot @ "da club" -- but without the music!
This is anti-social media that incites over-consumption: consumption beyond what is good for your body, beyond what is good for your budget, and beyond what is good for the planet (and fisheries in particular).
What the planet needs -- if it is to survive -- is social media that incites UNDER-consumption.
16
@Armand Excellent comment. 100% agree.
3
At least she has the decency to thank Jesus before she gluts herself on more food than most people in the world can afford.
5
Yet another example of "food porn".
7
When I was in art school a professor who tried valiantly to instil some tiny iota of critical thinking into our young brains, would say, just putting a frame around something does not make it art. I would suggest just putting a video online does not make it significant, but it is content and someone will watch it. Someone, many millions of someone’s, will also watch video of activities formerly only seen in the dermatologist’s examining room...etc etc.
Much of our contemporary “content” is transient, meaning, in a thousand years, there will be no selfies etched on stone, it will all have vanished. I take comfort in that. I wonder if our current civilization will have left anything, any product of mysterious beauty for the future to ponder. I am doubting it, and I think that sets us apart from all other precious cultures.
11
I had the same thought reading the article as I do when I see eating contests--while fun, it seems like a huge waste for people to eat so much food when there are so many people who are going hungry.
7
Man, the capriciousness of the American economy! Where people with doctorates can starve to death and people who video themselves eating become millionaires. I'll never understand it.
27
Is this what people spend their time doing— overeating and “sharing” it so the world can see, or watching someone else “pig out”?? How absurd! Human creativity should be used to solve our many, many serious problems such as climate change, the refugee crisis, the income gap, hunger, homelessness, autocratic rulers taking advantage of their people only to grow richer and more powerful— all examples of selfishness and greed which have nearly doomed our planet and our species already. Eating for fame and profit? Give me ma break!
10
This looks an awful lot like gluttony and I agree it is nauseating
14
As someone who reads the NYT as my daily edification ritual, I was mildly curious when I saw the story headline. After reading the first paragraph, I scrolled to the video to see for myself. At the risk of sounding judgmental, I was quite surprised that NYT featured something so ... foolish? Inappropriate? Tasteless? I could only watch for a few minutes. YouTube is where many people go to watch other people’s lives instead of living their own. Bless her for being able to monetize her passion and pay her bills.
12
@Alish
I agree with your opinion, but the job of any newspaper is to let us know what is happening in the world. This is obviously a major even to millions of people.
I skipped the video.
8
Haha. It's very campy. Good luck Miss.
3
This is actually worse than listening to the Kardashian's speak. Gawd, what has this country become!
18
@thewriterstuff
Nothing is worse than the Kardashians
15
@thewriterstuff
Agreed, I think this is disturbingly stupid. Obviously I don't get the whole A.S.R.M. thing -- if it really is a thing. But I do find it somewhat disturbing that so many ppl would consider watching something so uncouth as entertainment -- sad.
2
Gross yet I deeply appreciate the effort and the entrepreneurial spirit.
8
Ok I admit I watch cute animal videos on You Tube.
This is the first I have heard of this type of video. American enterprise, go for it, make money if you can.
But don't count on this to last forever, fads come and go.
Just like, someday I may tire of cute animal videos.
2
I don't see a difference between mukbang videos and the many hotdog eating contests that take place around the nation, including the one at Coney Island.
If Mrs Gaskins' videos earn enough ad/sponsor revenue that her husband could afford to retire, I applaud her. I know other women who have successful youtube channels that support their families.
123
Slouching towards Weight Watchers.
And there is no irony or winks to break the view of 'millionaires?' eating.
America, what a great country?
6
To paraphrase young Oliver twist, "Please, sir, can I have LESS?"
Stories such as this make me feel as though I went to bed last night and woke this morning in an alternate universe.
But then again, maybe this is simply one of those "deep fakes" the front page today also highlighted.
One can hope anyway.
12
What does it say about those who spectate? I feel so sorry for them! Liberate yourself from social media - there is a wonderful world out there!
14
She is incredibly cute and her high frequency sibilant "s" cutting through all the chewing and slurping is a natural gift. OTOH, this is the result of democratization of media - anyone can produce and distribute content, and there will always be someone who enjoys or appreciates it. Of course viewing mukbang is different than watching Alain Ducasse execute the perfect sauce, or watching intricate spine surgery, but hey, what about comparing Taylor Swift to Diana Damrau? I can't stand country music, but apparently millions of people love it. Or trap music, FWIW. High culture, low-brow spectacle - it is a buyer's market. And apparently, the buyers have spoken. There are worse things to see on YouTube, television, or film.
71
Must be nice...
Making millions while eating shellfish.
Need any help?
4
"But getting into the business wasn’t about money; mukbang was more of a calling than a vocation." Umm, a vocation is a calling ...
12
Touché
Choose a job you love (eating king crab legs), get paid millions, and you will never work a day in your life. Also, I wonder if she uses those nails as little crab picks to get the meat our of those hard to reach parts.
7
This is just about as tacky as it gets. Bless her heart.
13
1)Good for her, make your money
2)Sad for the overworked and underpaid people searching this hard for brain pablum.
3)I'd love to know what the mercury levels in her blood look like.
7
Maybe trump could boost his popularity by YouTubing eating his cheese burger eating.
5
@Christine Williams And he'd make some side cash
1
Hi Readers, Do you enjoy watching people binge-eat online? Tell us your thoughts.
2
@Marie Tae McDermott No I think it's gross, and the noises are beyond cringe.
16
@Marie Tae McDermott
I don't watch much on youtube - it's a waste of time - but I know that I would not 'enjoy" watching someone stuff their face.
5
I think it's truly bizarre. I'd say, ala my grandmother,"what's this world coming to?" but I'm sure people have been doing this sort of gross/weird/stupid thing forever - we just weren't able to see it before, and it was harder to monetize.
6
I feel sorry for the poor crab.
29
There is something very wrong with our country's cultural mindset if this nonentity, performing a stupid act in front of an (appallingly) adoring public, and being paid for it is accorded lots of publicity and an article in the Times.
All I ever did as a doctor for decades was take care of patients - and I never got a spread in the Times for my work.
Disgraceful, lunatic, and nauseating.
354
@Bob Since when is a human being a non entity?
37
@Bob
You might question whether a feature about somebody who makes money by overeating on YouTube is fit to print, but "Doctor takes care of patients" is not news. Like "dog bites man" it's not news. "Man bites dog" is usually considered news. "Woman bites crab"? Maybe.
30
@Bob As someone going through the process of becoming a doctor (one year until I start treating), I understand your sentiments exactly.
However, the system has always been setup around those making it to the top getting all of the fame, while the rest of us get nothing.
I grew up around the simpleton-to- superstar effect of social media, and was always fascinated by it— namely because it showed me how the above principle works.
What it also taught me was that if I lived 1000 lifetimes, I’d only make it as a YouTube celebrity 1/1000 (if not less). But if I went to Med school and became a doctor, I’d be a relatively well off physician 999/1000 lifetimes.
It might seem unfair, but it’s nothing to be resentful about. Be happy for her success and understand there are lots of doctors (who can treat a few hundred px a year). But only a handful of people that can make YouTube videos eating food exciting for millions of people.
If anything, you should start your own doctoring YouTube channel. You might be able to make it to the top !
43
Please come to my YOUtube channel and together we can watch paint dry.
32
As if America is not fat enough.....
12
I'll take the lady seriously when she enters the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. Until then, she's just another self-described millionaire. P.S. Do we really need People magazine stories in the NYT?
13
Obscene and stupid on so many levels. But since we already entered the age of stupidity, only decline and collapse is all we can expect.
22
Why is the New York Times writing about this?
45
@Steve It's a bit weird, true, but I did learn about something I had not known about before.
10
This does seem to bust the boundaries of what is "fit to print."
12
I celebrate human diversity and lament the tedious lives of those who merely observe it.
2
I agree with other commentators who point out that this youtuber, eating excessive amounts of expensive food, only reminds us of people who are hungry. She styles herself a Christian - maybe she pays some of her $ forward. She seems oblivious though, which is what ails America. Unseeing, unknowing, uncaring. And she does this twice a day. "Honey, make that money" but I hope when you finish your presentations you go out and deliver Meals on Wheels.
10
@ehhs if you read the article, it clearly says she grew up poor and hungry. I’m positive she knows what that is like and knows that poverty exists.
And I’m going to assume you’re a Christian yourself, does the Bible not say “let him who is without sin cast the first stone”?
Can you comfortable say your house isn’t made out of glass? Can you truthfully say that if you now had her sort of wealth, you would spend it feeding the hungry ?
Many times God gives people wealth knowing that they deserve it and will use it properly.
2
@Homer - I forgot to say -- she is also unbelievably boring.
3
A lot of disparaging comments here I see. Who's to say what is pleasurable for another. I'm pretty sure half of you indulge/ have indulged in pornographic movie viewing at some point. Judgmental much? In this country of obscene wealth made on the backs of others, I think all this righteous talk of gluttony in the face of hungry masses is a bit disingenuous. Nobody is questioning Mitch McConnell's riches while Kentuckians starve. Kudos to this young woman for finding a profitable, self-made hustle and ensuring that she and her family aren't a part of the starving masses. How do you know she's not a generous giver to charity with her new found prosperity? Because she didn't state as much? That's really none of our business.
174
@Max I don't think most of the criticisms here are about this woman as a human being or her intelligence in finding this niche market and finding her. But I do think there is something low in a culture that can places value on watching a woman overeat simply because they are so anxious that they need ASMR triggers or because they are so lonely that they need videos of strangers eating so that they don't have to eat alone. There is a terrible, exploitative, pornographic quality to it that smacks terribly of the end of civilization. That, not her as a person, is what worries and, yes, even disgusts many. And I understand that feeling.
56
@Max:
Quote: "Nobody is questioning Mitch McConnell's riches while Kentuckians starve."
On the contrary, lots of people are.
61
@Lisa Simeone Obviously not enough Kentuckians are though...
24
Just another sign and symptom of why we have an obesity epidemic. Wanton boorish behavior of gluttony everyday on a tv channel! And she eats it over and over twice a day!! And viewers find this enjoyable?!!!! Very sad the audience would rather stay inside and watch this as opposed to any more constructive activity. No wonder we dont know what is good for us.
5
I say why not. If an 8 year old can make millions opening toys, why not this? I guess playing video games just got elevated to reading Plato.
4
the thing about the internet is that it introduces you to all kinds of activities, ideas, and people that you would never encounter otherwise. if someone asked me what mukbang was before i read this article, i would have said "bless you!" good for her that she can make money doing this. now if i can only entice folks to pay to watch me vacuum....
87
@Andie
If you did it naked, there is a definite market.
3
Seinfeld would disagree.
2
@Andie Actually, there are YouTubers out there who are making money filming themselves cleaning. Literally, that is all they are doing... cleaning and/or organizing. And they are making good money, doing what they normally would be doing anyway. :) Start a channel vacuuming! I guarantee you people will watch.
3
People who appreciate ASMR videos definitely understand what she is doing. God bless her, may she continue doing what she wants to do. For those of you who do not understand ASMR, try Googling it, read all you can on it, they search YouTube for ASMR videos that "do it" for you. You will know it when you hear it and experience it. Putting on makeup, chewing gum, cats/dogs eating or grooming themselves, barbers snip-snip-snipping hair...the list is nearly endless. ASMR is a real thing! Whatever does it for you, enjoy it.
27
@Larry, agreed! I'm an ASMR addict, although I personally hate mouth sounds. (Barbers snip-snipping hair? Yes, please.) But to each their own, and the positive effects it has on people's lives is undeniable. I fall asleep to ASMR videos nearly every night.
1
@Larry Not everyone gets the same sensory response from what you describe. It completely grosses me out.
15
@Mickela if my guidance counselor told me a career in "eating like a pig" would take me somewhere I wouldn't be getting my Masters
14
I'm sure she honed her skills and worked for years to perfect her craft. It says a lot about our society that such true, creative talent is so richly rewarded. Meritocracy, shmeritocracy.
5
I dunno. Feel kind of queasy about the big crab. But I mean you have to say kudos for Bethany. It's a gimmick and she is making some real money doing it. I am not sure why so many people are being so negative. I'd take her over Gwyneth anyway:)
9
I didn't even watch the video.... reading about it was enough for me! Seriously, who would want to want to watch this stuff....and who has time?
14
This too shall pass.
5
What a waste. Seafood is a precious commodity and each bite should be a treat to be savored and not wolfed down like a hot dog eating contest. This article has made me sad and depressed.
7
@Cathy They are sea animals who, like other sentient beings, should instead be treated with respect and compassion not cruelly exploited. That she is gorging herself on them is the worst part of her repulsive spectacle.
2
Mukbang. Bethany Gaskin. Making millions of dollars binge-eating on social media. Who knew? Like the kid who made millions playing with toys on YouTube.
This excessive disinhibition is thoroughly contemporary: by turns ridiculous, sublime, and obscene, it amounts to a transgressive slap in the face of the health-obsessed nanny state. The utter joy of it! The learned Rabelais would approve. Gourmands of the world unite: great chow awaits! Carnival lives on in the collective YouTube imagination.
I've heard it said that restaurant reviewing, movie critics, and the travel/outdoor (fishing) beats were highly coveted newspaper jobs back in the day. But feasting for a living on YouTube takes the....crab cake.
4
During the fall of the Roman Empire, we hear of how the masses were placated with Bread and Circuses.
I can't decide which this is...
More power to Mrs Gaskin!
4
Meh, the whole concept is pretty disgusting IMO.
Doubly so that Mrs Gaskin profits from the killing of animals to fuel our (unnecessary) needs.
10
This reminds me of that SNL Japanese Messy Boy sketch. There are too many parallels to not laugh.
1
There are many negative comments here. Normally, I would be a little skeptical of such hostility—or at least a little more forgiving toward its target. Not in this case. There is something truly, nakedly ridiculous in this “mukbanging” trend. This whole article reads like a clever April Fool’s Day joke. There’s no way around it… humanity took a wrong turn somewhere and things have gone from somewhat weird to downright grim.
12
If someone can make a living being a glutton on YouTube then we deserve Trump. He personifies the reality TV culture that made his election possible (and the Kardashians billionaires) and this is the next logical progression of the decline of our culture and democracy. Maybe that sounds extreme but just think about it for a minute because this is now the nation where anyone can become President if you are just loud and brash enough and have the media (network TV, Twitter) to feed that image to the nation. Likewise a proud glutton can make a living (a very good one according to her) off of YouTube because a lot of people are willing to lower themselves to watching the content. The question that remains for me is why.
7
Who needs Hollywood when we have such creativity flowing from suburban Cincinnati? Some years from now, alien life will review such content and quickly determine this was a society living in excess and waste.
4
I never thought I would be able to quote Donald Trump. But, "what this country needs is a good recession" certainly applies to this situation. Or Chuck Barris: "people will be paying to see someone die on TV".
It's the end of the world as we know it .
1
What's sad is not that she makes so much eating shellfish on camera. What's sad is that she could not make as much caring for children in her day care. One gives clear benefit to society. The other, well.
This woman is educated. Her husband is educated. But we seem to be a society that is rewarding people not for producing things we need, but for producing nothing at all of value.
21
REGARDLESS.
CONGRATS TO THE QUEEN OF FOOD AND LAUGHTER.And yes I WATCH ALL HER VIDEOS
4
We are an overpopulated and rapacious species and we are consuming the planet. Nature is not an infinite resource and we keep treating it like magic just happens for us because we're so special. At the same time, we have allowed capitalism to hollow out U.S. society to such a degree that any sense of human community is tough to find and people are excruciatingly isolated and lonely even while among each other. And everyone is trying to figure out how to survive our financially brutal system. So we get this.
10
So this is what our culture come down to. No wonder we are destroying our environment. In less than 200 years, we will become another example of self-extinguished species across the universe.
11
I'd rather her make her money by eating in front of people than by encouraging people to buy things they don't need. A lot of my friends at work are hooked on watching videos about makeup and they spend WAY TOO MUCH MONEY buying every new makeup item they see. Compared to that...people watching this lady eat seems harmless.
She is buying stuff: tons of animals to kill and eat.
8
I try not to judge too many things, but overeating for entertainment, and competitive eating in general are affronts to humanity in my opinion, when so many people in the world are starving. Besides that those who show this often don't show the health problems they end up with (Adam Richman).
43
@Jonathan Hutter, I like your tolerance, best to stay away front YouTube then, it is not a very flattering depiction of the state of things.
1
@John Doe Thanks, seeing as I did not know of this form of entertainment until this article, I consider myself lucky. Cat videos however... (love 'em)
1
@Jonathan Hutter, not to mention cute babies passing gas.
While these videos are not something I'd find entertaining, I do think their popularity suggests that there are many, many lonely people out there who use these videos to fill the void they feel in their real lives. There is an immediacy and intimacy to these homemade videos that mimics whatever these people are missing in their real lives, whether it's the companionship of people eating in front of you or, in the case of the radicalizers featured in another recent Times article, the engagement derived from people speaking directly to you. That there is a screen involved is irrelevant. Additionally, as a fellow Cincinnatian, I am very happy for Mrs. Gaskin's success, especially given our city's terrible history of racial inequalities and economic disparities. Sadly, what she has achieved virtually would be almost impossible for her, or almost any other African-American Cincinnatian, to achieve "IRL" in our city.
24
People in the future will have driverless cars, 16K TVs, AI personal robots and who knows what else.
What they won't have is wild-caught seafood. So eat as much as you can now while it is still around.
17
@r a Isn't that more than a little contradictory? In the future we won't have wild-caught seafood so eat it all now??
2
This is the most wanton and disgusting display of gluttony I have ever seen. The photo alone made me sick to my stomach.
There are not too many fish in the sea. There are not enough fish in the sea. The oceans are dying at an alarming rate.
There will never again be enough for everyone to keep eating creatures as large as that. That crab is about 10 years old. It will take 10 years to replace it.
116
"Gross profits" is right. There's something obscene about glorifying gluttony when so much of the world is hungry. Not to get Biblical on you, but remember the story about the rich man feasting while the poor man is longing for the crumbs that fall from his table?
35
A crab is not a shellfish; a crab is a crustacean. Shellfish are filter feeders and crabs are scavengers. Make America great again?
12
@Jean du Canada
Maybe you should take the time to actually know what you're talking about before you post a self-satisfied, uninformed response. Both mollusks and crustaceans are shellfish. Crab and shrimp are both crustaceans.
6
We are truly in end times! Who has time to watch this nonsense? Also, I didn't realize that "ASMR" is a "thing"... the sound of someone eating is absolutely revolting to me. I have walked into another room during mealtimes to get away from the sounds of my own family eating; I cannot fathom voluntarily listening to a stranger eat!
29
@Sharon
"I don't like it so I think anyone who does is wrong!"
4
@Sharon You might have misophonia.
1
@Nick I didn't say it was "wrong"; I said I couldn't understand it. Judgmental, much??
4
Welcome to the new world of food pornography!
Let us see how it will evolve and what variations will emerge. I predict there will be variants based on speed; sitting, standing, or reclining; right or left-handed eating; feeding self or be fed by others; group eating; gang mukbang; ...
12
Who knew? Is this a great country or what?
6
@Steve Hyde What.
I do enjoy watching korean mukbang tv programs. There is a very popular show with 4 comedians who are not small people by any means. It always makes me hungry tho! I watch someone eating ramen or ddukbogi, I have craving for them and have to get some. Just watched Always Maybe and now I want some kimchi jjigae!!
Her videos turned me off eating.
28
People love to watch gluttony and vanity of any kind. They don't call them the deadly sins for nothing.
10
As someone who cannot stand the sounds of people eating, I fail to see the charm of this form of entertainment but I do think it's pretty cool that a woman can support her family doing something like this.
16
@T SB, I can just hear her kids at the playground bragging to their friends about what mommy does. Don’t even want to know what their friends’ answer back is.
3
I thought I misunderstood what this was about. Then I read the article. The fact that anyone would watch this is absolutely mind-boggling. Why not sit down with a friend or loved one at a table, share a meal and watch each other eat? Virtual life is going too far and this epitomizes it. I hope she donates to a worthy cause.
31
I don't get it but I did watch the video accompanying the article and Mrs. G is personable. I guess people like her in their homes, thoughts, computers. Who am I to say?
Times are so different now and though I watch instructional videos I think I am too busy, and too private to indulge in this particular type of thing. I still like to read books but good for Mrs. G. She has made a lot of friends along the way of making a lot of money.
12
There was an author not too long ago on C-Span Book TV, whose name escapes me, but the premise of his book was about the future economy, where college will most likely be a waste of time, because most of the lucrative careers will be on Social Media, Gaming, Gaming coaches, make-up tutorials, fashion, etc.
While more power to the people who can make a career out of these professions, they're primarily entertainment, nothing more.
My concern is, who will be doing the serious work that needs to be done, to move humanity forward, if this author's prediction comes to fruition.
70
@John, Kylie Jenner has made almost a billion dollars hawking make up and cosmetic products. Potentially becoming the youngest person to become a self made billionaire. This in itself is not reaffirming for our future.
If anything it is a huge failure upon humanity and the hope of a society in which we can all benefit somehow.
3
Good for her! She hurts no one, looks beautiful and supports her family. Love it! I would buy her sauce - why not?
36
@Deirdre
And, assuming you are not being sarcastic, you are precisely the cause of this nauseating item.
5
@Bob
It's not my thing Bob. I have job and don't spend endless hours on youtube but I have no issue with people who do. Who am I to judge? What business is it of mine? This woman hurts no one and while this is weird to me it seems to support her whole family. Good for her
8
@Deirdre I disagree, these types of videos on youtube trigger people with eating disorders.
2
This is actually a reassuring and refreshingly ordinary tale of American entrepreneurism wrapped in a different skin than we might be used to. Mrs. Gaskin seems to always have had hustle, and I have to give her credit for seeing a new avenue of financial success which doesn't involve taking money away from anyone not willing to offer it freely.
110
@Bill Scurry I guess from a Libertarian viewpoint this would be seen as admirable. For those who care about our culture, it's vacuous, ignoble and disgusting.
1
The decline and fall of western civilization, streamed daily for all to watch.
209
This is not much different than the narrowed audiences in today’s 500 channel cable television , in particular with reality tv productions. The BIG game changer is that ANYBODY with an idea can become the producer, director, star and distributor of his/ her own content via the YouTube platform. The media intermediary is cut out. The advertising dollars for youth ( not the CNN/ FOX pharmaceutical advertisements ) is migrating to this mode. The budgets for commercial advertising for broadcast and for cable tv will shrink as the sought-after demographic of consumers shifts to using YouTube and its competitors ( are their any yet ? ).
34
@Suburban Cowboy
Facebook has come out with it's own video service to compete with Youtube. There's Vimeo but that is more for professional fimmakers.
1
So let me see if I understand this.... people watch this woman eat an excessive amount of food just to do it and there are other you tube people doing the same thing? I find this behavior baffling and disgusting and the lack of table manners is just another baffling aspect of this. I know people will comment but have we really sunk this low in the US where we watch people gorge themselves and they get paid to do it!
Ahhh to have such first world distractions...
57
@Michmike978
How I long for the good old days of watching some geek bite the heads off live chickens. Now that was entertainment.
2
Her nail art is amazing. I have so many questions about cooking and eating with those lovelies. But, I guess that's part of the mystery that maintains the glamour - in a place I'd never known to look for it. Beauty is indeed everywhere.
8
@Meg
Eeeek! I think her nails look like talons.
34
Just when I think internet "culture" cannot become any more vacuous.
198
There was another story in the Times recently about a young man who became radicalized by watching endless hours of YouTube videos by alt-right people. YouTubes algorithm keeps the viewer in a loop of their suggested content.
How in the world does producing videos of someone eating gather viewers? It's their business model, and it appears to be working! I feel like yelling, " Pick up a book!", but I'm posting this in the NYT comments section. You, gentle readers, already know this.
108
@Alan, These videos of people eating don’t happen to appeal to me, but each to her own!
I love television, while some people brag about not owning a television, considering this a badge of superiority. They proclaim that reading is a better thing to do. I don’t actually enjoy reading, never did. So sue me! It’s lazy to be judgmental. People are too nuanced and interesting to be so easily dismissed.
4
If you have time to watch these videos, you have far too much free time. Seriously, get a hobby or volunteer.
194
@Denny
hobbies cost money and volunteering requires commitment, this is free online. the price is right for the population it targets. people have been taught that greed and stupid is cool. it;s a sick society because its an unjust society and this is just one of a million distractions to calm your legitimate fears about the intentions of those ruling your lives.
4
Why would anyone complain about something as harmless as watching a nice lady chow down on food we'd all like to eat and enjoy as much as she does?
Our species evolved and thrived by eating in tribal groups; our ancient ancestors would immediately understand the appeal of her vids. You enjoy that food, honey! I'm with you in spirit, if not in diet (really is "die" with a T).
33
How dumbed down have parts of America and the world become via the wonderful world of the internet and social media outlets...no wonder Trump somehow managed to become President in 2016, elements of America I knew certainly have changed beyond recognition.
164
South Korean media prizes young and thin bodies. The men of the very successful boy group BTS are just one example. The US media also prizes young and thin bodies. Both Korea and US are successful creators and exporters of movies, music and television. So it is not surprising, but somewhat sad, that the act of Mukbang that originated in Korea traveled to the US. In her seafood boil Mukbang, Mrs. Gaskin talks about women that are able to eat yet stay a slim 90 or 100 pounds. She is enjoyably and sensually eating for us while we count our calories and look discouragingly in the mirror.
4
Seemingly, it ought to be legal to have a brain implant where the 'user' can, at will, stimulate the brain pleasure centers on which the wire impinges. Attaining a pleasant sensation is primary, as we read here. Now, this surgical opportunity might impinge on Ms. Gaskin's income, but would be more efficient and more certain.
2
This put me in mind of the Roman historian Livy, who considered the glorification of chefs (let’s replace that with today’s foodies) as an indicator of a culture in decline. I’m speechless, making millions stuffing your face with so many in the world going hungry. We really are done for.
134
@John
The Roman Empire lasted for 1,500 years after Livy's death. What are you so worried about?
4
@Nat
The Roman Empire lasted around 500 years after Livy. Perhaps you could learn more about using the internet more constructively by looking up actual facts.
3
I’m aghast. Mind blown. More power to her. I guess all else I can add is... “Go make that money, honey”. This kind of fame might be fleeting.
4
Thanks for another piece about something that highlights American culture's crudity and pointlessness and it's tendency to monetize survival instincts and the worst aspects of human behavior.
91
@K. Norris first of all, its the world we are living in today, (this is just a part of it)...and second the worst aspects of human behavior are coming to us via the White House...in all its crudity and pointless and unethical behaviors.
14
@K. Norris
It's not from America, and it's not just American.
6
@K. Norris didn't this start in korea though?
4
The mass of men (and women) have always lived lives of quiet desperation, but it's never been so easy to fill the void with inane activities -- like watching these videos. While I think articles like this could use a bit of wry humor and mockery, I am grateful that the NY Times is covering it and helping us know what's going on our there.
38
Why do I only find out about these awesome money-making opportunities when it's too late?!
60
I would like to know who her subscriber tribe is. Is it Russian bots or Red Lobster lovers or fetishing Koreans ?
3
Good for her that she has found a way to entertain and in some cases help people. Her eating habits are not bad mannered, manners are contextual as well as cultural, slurping soup is considered proper in Japan for example. To say that her eating is poorly mannered is akin to criticizing NASCAR drivers for breaking the speed limit.
16
@michaelf,
They are bad mannered. She admits to it. When we were coming up, the slurping sound was called "smacking." And we were told it was ill mannered.
2
Too much food for a single, small person, and not one green vegetable. This is difficult to watch, and I can't see the intrinsic worth of it.
31
Ever been to a seafood restaurant and ordered a crab boil? Eating politely with a bib around the neck, a crab fork and plenty of napkins is just no fun. Bethany Gaskin demonstrates how I've always wanted to dig into a boil (but only if no one was watching).
3
More evidence that the end is near. The shallowness of our so-called culture is alarming. How can binge eating on the web be worth a million dollars? With an example like this, what on earth will the next generation come up with?
262
It is amazing that this is a popular show in general. I do have to laugh about the way food is eaten and the noises made. My father would always say, If the food tastes as good as it sounds I wish I had some. I guess it was his way of saying, eat politely. But, good for her and the other shows in this genre, and they're making money, too.
7
Only in America can such tripe gain the attention of millions!
76
@General Noregia did you read the article? This did not start in American - it started in Korea in 2010.
Not all disgusting activity everything starts in America nor is exclusively an American thing!
This will become a global activity.
31
@General Noregia
Except that this started in South Korea, and has gained the attention of millions there and all over the world as well.
24
Read the article. This started in Korea.
People so love to judge others. If you don’t like it, simply don’t watch it. Simple solution.
1
Seriously, what planet are we living on?
331
I keep thinking I'm going to wake up, but I never do. I just keep having this weird dream where Donald Trump is president and people become millionaires by eating shellfish in front of a camera.
Help me, Mr. Wizard!
592
@AH
Finally an article where I can escape from divisive politics! Oh wait a minute....
8
@AH Invite me to eat lobster/shrimp/crabs for free.... I guarantee you'll go broke!
2
@AH
Dream, or nightmare?
6
Speechless....almost. Except to say what is this world coming to. This is an embarrassment to the human race. That this woman makes a living doing this and there are people who watch. Makes me afraid of what could possibly be next.
192
If I find out that some of her newfound fortune is being donated to those who go hungry every day and night, perhaps I'll begin to find this less thoroughly repulsive on so many levels.
281
.. yet another example of shellfish behaviour.
307
@Valerie how much of your salary are you donating on a regular basis?
10
@gkm ... thanks for this!
3
Thank heaven for YouTube. I was hungry but learned to watch mukbang videos in lieu of having enough to eat. So many videos, and so many problems solved.
10
This makes me worry about the people who are fans. Is there nothing else to make your life happier than this? I guess this is not an only in America phenomenon. Interesting how a cult personality on u-tube can transform your life. I need to ponder the underlying meaning of this or wait for an internet scholar to research and explain it!
16
I just found out about "mukbang" after I watched a Korean street food video on YouTube and some mukbang videos came up on my "recommended" feed. I've watched a few and wondered how high these people's cholesterol levels must be and the long term effects of eating so much in one sitting. I wonder if they all possess some sort of medical anomaly that allows them to consume so much?
12
Another sign that we have reached Peak Celebrity and that the Empire is on a downward slope.
109
@Bartolo
I don’t understand how she makes the money. By selling her sauces? The article doesn’t say, although it certainly should. Enlightenment on this, anybody?
@Cliff itscalled adsense. The ads on her videos make her the money. the more viewers the more money.
3
@Cliff People pay to "subscribe" to her YouTube channel.
1