[Mukbang101] What is mukbang? and why is it so popular?

What is Mukbang(먹방)?

Today, i am watching Korean mukbang, k-celebrities eating sweet and spicy fried chicken and pizza.

(I am not hungry, i just ate my dinner, but i am getting hungry in my brain.)

Almost everyday, on Korean TV programs, internet video channels, and mobiles, Koreans can not escape from mukbang.

  

Etymology of Mukbang(먹방)The word mukbang comes from the Korean words for "eating" (먹는; meokneun) and "broadcast" (방송; bangsong) 

There is no specific origin for Mukbang.

However, people and market researchers assume that it is started around in 2008, from individual internet broadcast.

So, it is basically a broadcaster eating in front of his/her PC monitor and

audience feel hungry and feel little bit sorry for the broadcaster(because the broad caster has to eat alone).

2013 winner of  Afreeca BJ's Mukbang(Naver image)

Mukbang's popular-ism started from Korean younger generation teens and early 20s.

And one korean news research firm studies indicated that 2012 president election nominee's mukbang from TV program effected 2012 Korea presidency election(w0w).


Reason for popularity

-Several scholars and news articles explains,

Jeff Yang, an Asian-American cultural critic and senior vice president of the global research firm Kantar Futures, said that mukbang had its origins in “the loneliness of unmarried or uncoupled Koreans, in addition to the inherently social aspect of eating in Korea” during the interview with Quartz.

Kim-Hae Jin, Ph.D candidate from Choson University, argued that one can vicariously satisfy the desire for the food. The hosts, who call themselves BJs (Broadcast Jockeys), interact with the people who are watching the broadcast through chatting. BJs sometimes claim to be the audience's “avatar” and will exactly follow what people ask them to do.

"food television incorporates the vicarious pleasures of watching someone else cook and eat; the emulsion of entertainment and cooking; the jumbling of traditional gender roles; and ambivalence toward cultural standards of body, consumption, and health. … simultaneously perpetuates the stress of social expectations, and sprinkles sexual innuendos in a venue traditionally associated with maternal security.- Adema, Pauline contends in her article

Serim An from Afreeca TV public relations coordinator "We think it's because of three big reasons — the rise of one-person households in Korea, their ensuing loneliness and finally the huge trend of 'well-being culture' and excessive dieting in Korean society right now," 



Media platform
1. youtube
2. afreeca tv(korean platform)-most popular one in korea for mukbang
3. naver tv



Popular Mukbang broadcasters(korean)

벤쯔 Benzz
BJ 엠브로 BJ embro
입짧은 햇님 ibjjalb-eun haetnim


*Other famous mukbang stars
Actor: 하정우 Jeong Woo Ha
His famous mukbang scene from movie Berlin(베를린)

kids: 윤후 Yoon Hoo
Kid celebrity from <Dad, where are you going? show; 아빠 어디가?
>, mukbang ramen
(His mukbang increased 30% of Nongshim's sale during his appearance the program and after, Nongshim was happy for this 

Here's recret recipe from yoonhoo's favorite ramen.
Two nongshim ramens mixed together, red one is 너구리 is spicy one and second one is chinese style ramen 짜파게티= 짜파구리! 

 

  -other than mukbang, in korea there is invasion of "cookbang(쿡방, cooking broadcast)" in media.



Source: 
wikipedia https://goo.gl/GcalRz 
Naver mukbang article https://goo.gl/36o2U2
Naver mukbang article https://goo.gl/PqmsjY

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